Puerto Rico travel guide

Special Feature | April 2014

Zipline through the rainforest Catch sun rays on the beach

Visit the historic

‘walled’ city

PUERTO RICO WANTED: Sun Lovers & Adventure Seekers

No Passport Necessary

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Shelly Straub

4

days in Puerto Rico

Art Director Lucia Camarda

Sun & Fun! Best Trip Ever!!

This travel guide is an honest account of the destination herein and has no advertising.

www.travelguides2go.com

ITINERARY & COST A quick Caribbean getaway for two. This trip is designed for adventure seekers and sun lovers. All pricing below is an accounting of my 2013 trip, and are obviously subject to change. For the budget conscience traveler, sadly there isn’t an official off-season in Puerto Rico so most rates will remain the same all year round.

TIP: If you are from the states, please remember that you are not in Kansas anymore and the people of PR move at an ‘island life” pace - including service staff. I recently read several negative online reviews and they all revolved around the restaurant service being ‘snail like.’ Well, based on personal experience, I would not use that terminology, but I would recommend that every traveler slow down, relax and enjoy each moment of vacation.

Day 1 Get familiar with Condado $690.00 - Accommodations (3 nights at La Concha Resort at $195.00 per night plus resort fees - incl military discount) $32.00 - Lunch at The Place in Condado $49.00 - Dinner at Blink in Condado $45.00 - Late night drinks & sliders at La Concha

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ISSN 2160-4347 (print) ISSN 2160-4355 (online)

Day 2 Shopping, Museums, Historic Forts in Old San Juan $17.00 Breakfast at Starbucks in Condado $30.00 Cab ride to and from Old San Juan $44.00 - Light lunch and drinks at Barrachina in San Juan $55.00 - Dinner at El Balcon Del Moreno in San Juan Day 3 Rainforest day $120.00 - 2 person tour of the ElYunque Rainforest $71.00 Dinner and drinks at Oceano in Condado Day 4 Condado beach day $33.00 Lunch at Pure & Natural in Condado $48.00 - Drinks at the pool $32.00 - Dinner at Postino (pizza) in Condado

$1,266.00 - Total cost for 2 people (flight and gifts for kids not included)

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La Concha Resort Located in the Condado area of Puerto Rico, I recently enjoyed an unforgettable stay at La Concha Resort.

The modern architecture of the resort features open lobbies and seamless transitions between inside and outside spaces, with an interior patio, bright colors with art throughout, as well as flowing streams in the common areas that create a brilliantly relaxing feel. The resort also boasts their signature seashell-shaped floating restaurant, ‘Perla’, which has been termed “a marvel of engineering and architecture.”

We stayed in cabana guest rooms that were directly in the center of all the action.

With balconies in each room, you are in the hot-seat to all the common area action,

day or night. For a quieter setting, the suite tower guest rooms offer European-style kitchens, expansive bathrooms, and panoramic beach front views from the balcony.

Other resort amenities include: An on-site casino, meeting facilities, a ballroom, indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, private beach with chair and towel service, a spa, and plenty of dining choices.

Both the indoor and outdoor lounges offer casual, relaxing daytime seating and not-to-be-missed, chic parties after sunset.

The staff and service at La Concha Resort was outstanding. Everyone from the front desk to the bartenders & wait staff, along with our housekeeper, was friendly, knowledgeable, and offered first-class service.

Favorite drink: Solera Flip – the La Concha spin on a traditional pina colada. (not on the drink menu, ask for it by name!)

Favorite food: An absolute must try are the Latin Sliders- three grilled angus beef-longaniza burgers served with caramelized onions, pepper jack cheese and roasted garlic aioli.

Thinking of a destination wedding?

Seriously, check out some of the photos on the La Concha Resort's website. I had the pleasure of briefly viewing a wedding that took place during my stay... Two words: Picture Perfect!

Old San Juan Grab a cab and take the 10 minute ride to Old San Juan, one of the most visited tourist spots in Puerto Rico.

Hint: Begin your day with a great pair of walking shoes and save yourself the uphill trek by asking the cab driver to drop you off at the top of Cristillo San Cristobal.

Visit any one of the historic forts that make up this old ‘walled’ city, and then enjoy hundreds of artisan shops. Many of the more familiar chain stores will ship items home for you, such as Cariloha, where I purchased 2 sets of bamboo bedding for only $250 each and had them shipped to my home at no charge. If you are comparing to cotton, these sheets have a thread count of over 1000 - and trust me, once you go bamboo, you will never go back!

Favorites in San Juan: Taking photos from the top of Cristillo San Cristobal National Historic Site; Barrachina restaurant for a pina colada, or two; Live music in the streets at night; shopping ‘til dropping!

Hint: When cruise ships are in port, the streets can get so crowded that it’s sometimes difficult to pass and the stores can get extremely crowded. Find a link in the resources section of this guide that will let you know when the ships are in port.

Quaint and intimate, this small gallery cafe is cozy, warm and welcoming with delicious food!

Our party of four enjoyed a delectable spinach salad covered with strawberries, cranberries and walnuts; and for dinner we enjoyed --cooked to order -- empanadas and lasagna.

The atmosphere is intimate, with only a handful of available tables for seating, so you know you will be treated with first-class service.

While enjoying your company and sipping on a glass of wine, you are surrounded by handcrafted art of all kinds, available for your viewing pleasure and for purchase.

Located directly across from the La Concha Resort, on Ashford Street in the heart of the Condado area of San Juan, this little cafe is a TOP recommendation!

It looks like a banana but fries like a potato. It is a fruit but must be cooked before eating and can be delivered to your plate in a variety of fashions.

Empanadas - $6.50

Great vegetarian and vegan options, especially since I was traveling with someone who doesn’t eat meat. The menu is simple with moderate prices.

The food was fresh, my strawberry banana smoothie was fantastic, and the girls behind the counter were friendly. Perfect choice on a hot day!

Grilled chicken honey mustard wrap $9.95 | Vegetable gratin $11.95

Known as the birthplace of the pina colada, Barrachina is a quaint restaurant in Old San Juan that boasts open ceilings, an abundance of atmospheric foliage, and the most refreshing pina colada in the land.

Casual Italian cuisine. Pollo Florentine Pizza - White sauce, chicken, broccoli, parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella cheese. $15.95 for a large pizza.

Located in the Old San Juan district - enjoy a balcony seat for people watching and do not leave without ordering the vanilla flan for a mere $4 bucks. A-MA-ZING! Filet dinner $16 | Chicken & rice $11

El Yunque Rainforest Covering 28,000 acres and receiving more than 200 inches of rain per year, El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rain forest in the US Forest System. Take a day trip to the mountains and enjoy more than 400 different plant species, as well as more than a dozen trails for hiking, along with picnic pavilions, stone towers, rivers, and waterfalls.

Photos are a must atop the Yokahu Observation Tower and at La Coca Falls, which has an 85’ drop and huge rock formations below. Drop in for a swim at the base of the 35-foot cascade at La Mina Falls.

Pay for a tour guide or take a cab and go on your own. Most tour guides will pick you up at your hotel. A zipline through the rainforest is a great option for adventure seekers!

Resources ACCOMMODATIONS

TOURISM BOARD

La Concha – A Renaissance Resort 1077 Ashford Avenue San Juan, 00907 (787)721-7500 www.laconcharesort.com

1-800-866-7827 www.seepuertorico.com

RESTAURANTS

El Balcon Del Moreno 365 Calle Tetuán 2nd fl of the Colmado Bar Moreno San Juan, 00901 (787)724-8737

Barrachina Restaurant 104 Calle Fortaleza San Juan, 00901 (787)725-7912 www.barrachina.com Blink 1106 Ashford Ave San Juan, 00907 (787)309-9742 www.facebook.com/pages/BlinkCondado/194404400699111

Oceano 2 Calle Vendig San Juan, 00907 (787)724-6300 http://oceanopr.com/ Postino Condado Restaurant 1104 Magdalena Ave San Juan, 00907 (787)729-7799

Pure & Natural Juice Bar 1125 Ashford Ave San Juan, 00907 (787)725-6104 The Place Restaurant 1368 Ashford Ave San Juan, 00907 (787)998-4209 www.facebook.com/theplaceatcondado Starbucks Ashford Ave San Juan, 00907

RAINFOREST TOURS http://www.viator.com/tours/San-Juan/El-Yunque-Rainforest-Half-Day-Trip-from-San-Juan/d903-4170YUNQ When are cruise ships in the San Juan port? www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-san-juan-puerto-rico.html