Located in the Southwest corner of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo is truly a hidden gem in an island with thousands of miles of beaches. Unspoiled, secluded, and relatively undiscovered by tourists, this is a spot which I would re-visit in a heartbeat! It took us almost two and a half hours to get there from San Juan, via Ponce. We stayed at the Bahía Salinas Beach Resort & Spa, which I do recommend. It's actually the only hotel in its area. Although they were unable to provide us with the two tickets to the Central American and Caribbean Games, which were part of our reservations, I was very happy with the hotel. They did compensate us with two therapy sessions at their spa.
Cozy, charming and with a lovely view of Bahía Sucia, Bahía Salinas Beach Resort has about 28 rooms and villas. It is what we call on the island, a parador, a local-owned small hotel establishment. One of the things I loved most about the hotel was its location, which is in close proximity to Cabo Rojo's two most famous attractions: Playuela Beach (also known as Playa Sucia, it literally means "dirty beach" in Spanish) and the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, or Los Morrillos. In order to get to both sites, which lie on the same unpaved road, I would recommend going in a jeep or SUV. Better yet, if you like biking, go on two wheels! This is an area with many trails where people can walk, bike or run.
In fact, we did see many cyclists and I watched with envy as they easily passed us by. Nevertheless, we were able to slowly navigate giant potholes and reach the very end of the road, past the lighthouse, where Playa Sucia is located. The beach is not visible from where we parked our car, but it was just a short walking distance away. Small and crescent-shaped, I can see why many people have ranted and raved to us about it. However, I still find Flamenco Beach in Culebra to be the best in Puerto Rico. Playa Sucia seems to be more popular amongst the locals though, as we saw no tourists. Our next stop was the lighthouse, which sits atop a gorgeous cliff with a spectacular view. This trip was definitely the perfect weekend getaway.
From world class art and architecture to a vibrant gastronomic scene, there's something for everyone in Spain. Had an absolutely lovely time with my travel companion, my wonderful aunt. We explored the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada and Seville. Essentially, we visited three different regions of Spain: Madrid, Cataluña and Andalusia. Hard to say which was my favorite, as each city has its own history, character and culture. For those who have visited Spain, perhaps you'll understand.
One of the things which I enjoyed most was listening to the Spanish accent and the different expressions Spaniards use. I can understand most of what they say, with the exception of certain words. Indeed, the Spanish language is very rich and diverse. The Spanish spoken in Spain and that spoken on the island has its major differences. For starters, we don't use "vosotros" when we want to say "you guys." Instead, we simply use "ustedes." Naturally, out of habit, I only used the latter. Spaniards are also known to say "vale," which basically means "o.k."
Puerto Rico became a Spanish colony soon after Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1493. It was in 1898 when the island was handed over to the U.S as a result of the Spanish-American war. Thus, Spain has had a major cultural influence on Puerto Rico. Some of the island's cities and towns, as well as streets and avenues, were named after those from Spain. Most of the island's historic landmarks, such as El Morro and Fort San Cristóbal in Old San Juan, were also built by the Spaniards. In fact, many Puerto Ricans can trace their family roots back to Spain.
Having been a former great superpower of the world, and a country with a fascinating history, Spain certainly has a very long list of interesting places to visit. Some of the major highlights of our trip to included: the Prado Museum in Madrid, LaPedrera, the Picasso Museum and Park Güell in Barcelona, the Alhambra in Granada, and the Alcázar and Cathedral of Seville. As for travel tips, I would strongly recommend getting tickets to the Alhambra in advance via their Website. Also, I would discourage the purchase of tickets for the English-guided tour in the Alhambra. I was extremely disappointed with it, since half of the tour took place outside of the Alhambra, and we couldn't go back once the tour was over.
As I look through the photos from our adventure in Spain, my mouth begins to water. Yes, the food is absolutely delicious there! We ate a lot of paella (seafood rice), tapas (tiny plates of assorted food), jamón serrano (Spanish-cured ham), bacalao (codfish), croquettes, bread dipped in olive oil, and ice cream! During our visit to Granada, we also visited some Moroccan teahouses (teterías) and had a delicious Moroccan lunch as well. By the way, I'll never get over the fact that beer and wine is usually cheaper than bottled water in Europe. Incredible! Yes, I am absolutely going back to Spain one day. My only wish is for the smoking ban to take full effect in all cafés and restaurant.
(Photos from top to bottom: Gaudi's La Pedrera in Barcelona, Buen Retiro Park in Madrid, the grounds of Alhambra in Granada, and a tapas lunch in Barcelona).
Located in the 
with a lovely view of Bahía Sucia, Bahía Salinas Beach Resort has about 28 rooms and villas. It is what we call on the island, a parador, a local-owned small hotel establishment. One of the things I loved most about the hotel was its location, which is in close proximity to Cabo Rojo's two most famous attractions: Playuela Beach (also known as Playa Sucia, it literally means "dirty beach" in Spanish) and the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, or Los Morrillos. In order to get to both sites, which lie on the same unpaved road, I would recommend going in a jeep or SUV. Better yet, if you like biking, go on two wheels! This is an area with many trails where people can walk, bike or run.
In fact, we did see many cyclists and I watched with envy as they easily passed us by. Nevertheless, we were able to slowly navigate 
