Things To Do in Puerto Rico

Wilderness Beach lies just south of the house, through the golf course and at the bottom of the beautiful cliffs. This beach is typically very quiet and peaceful. Gentle waves lap the shore making this a perfect swimming beach. The best route is access road that passes through the golf course, in between the driving range and the airport's observation parking lot.

If you've rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle and are feeling adventuresome, the very same access road winds down the beach past notable surf breaks like the Wilderness Beach break, ‘The Ruins’ or ‘Wishing Well’, and ‘Gas Chambers’. Be forewarned, your rental car will scrap bottom, but Jeeps glide over with ease. It's well worth the effort to make it to the final lot and enjoy the sundown set at Wilderness.

Jobos Beach is a ten minute drive from the house on #110. It's a great beach for surfing and boogie boarding out by the blow hole, while being nice and calm closer to shore for youngsters. La Cueva Submarina is a dive shop in Jobos that offers local tours.

Also ten minutes from the house, off of #110, Shack's Beach is popular for snorkeling and kiteboarding. It is also a launching point for scuba fans. Snorkeling or diving equipment can be rented at Aquatica Underwater Adventures. Look to your left at Gate 5, just before the Esso Station, and you will see it.

Arguably the most picturesque beach in Puerto Rico is Crash Boat Beach or ‘Playa Crashboat’. Here, you will find palm trees close to the water for relaxing in the shade. Local fishermen are constantly scurrying around this beach with the latest catch. There are also small kiosks selling ‘pinchos’ (Delicious shish-kabobs of freshly-grilled chicken, pork, or shrimp, with a piece of bread over the point). Another excellent treat is a ‘piragua’, or shaved flavored ice. Be forewarned, this beach gets heavy traffic on the weekends, but is great for people watching. This is also a great location to rent sea kayaks! Back to top.

Punta Borinquen Golf Course is quite literally through the backyard. Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson found it a challenge when they visited Ramey Base. Set atop a cliff side promontory, this par 72 course offers a sweeping view of the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. At just $18 for an 18-hole round and spectacular views, you can't go wrong. Check out the greens fees here. The nearby community center also boasts a new concrete skatepark, Las Cascadas water park, tennis courts, and a batting cage. Safe and perfect for the kids!

Survival Beach is a gorgeous stretch of beach for hikers and shell collectors. Craig and Michelle Barker also make use of the beach and the surrounding almond grove on their highly-recommended, two-hour guided Tropical Trail Rides. The departure point is fifteen minutes from the house off of #110 at Shack's near Jobos. 9am and 4pm departures.

The Rio Camuy Cave Park is roughly an hour and a half away, through the beautiful central mountains and villages of Puerto Rico. The National Park offers guided tours of the most impressive subterranean cave network in the western hemisphere. This spectacular tour immerses you in a seemingly jurassic world and guides you right to the alleged Fountain of Youth.

Use the directions provided in our tour guide book at the house for a route to the caves that will take you past Lake Guajataca. The Guajataca Reserve is near Del Viento Cave. It has over 40 walking trails and 25 miles of maintained footpaths. Travelers also can fly fish and kayak on lakes and rivers. On this route, you will see the "real" Puerto Rican countryside at its best. We guarantee that stop along the roadside for pictures and jaw-dropping views before you even get to the caves.

Arecibo Observatory is only an hour from the house. But it's also three miles from Camuy Caves, and can be viewed on the return trip from Rio Camuy Cavernas. However, seeing the largest radio telescope on earth may be worth a separate trip. The 520 steps to climb to get to the telescope may be another thing you'd want to consider when deciding whether it should be a different visit than the "cave day". Why not couple the Observatory day with renting the James Bond's "Golden Eye" or "Contact", so you can see how the producers used the telescope in the films?!

The Phosphorescent Bay at La Parguera is one of our favorite places in all of Puerto Rico. There are two tours of the bay, each having its advantages. We enjoy Johnny's Boats because they sit lower in the water, you can more readily scoop up the microbe-filled water into your hands. A young man also swims around the boat so that you can see the glow of the microbes in the water. If you don't think that a night swim in tropical waters, with a glow around you is an invitation for dinner, Johnny will be happy to have you swim too! La Parguera also has mangrove boat rides that we highly recommend.

When you are planning your trip, check your vacation dates against a moon calendar. A moonless night is ideal for seeing the luminescence of the bay, but you will still see the glow up to a half moon. Any moon size over a half, though, is just a boat ride.

For the young at heart, nearby Villa Montana has a rock climbing wall, Mountain bike rental and tennis courts. Villa Montana is down route #110, which will also lead you past some small clubs with dancing if the mood strikes you. Just down Route 2, heading south is the Aguadilla Mall, if you need a shopping fix. The plaza also has a well-air conditioned movie theatre, bowling alley, and Water Park are nearby. Downtown Aguadilla, while somewhat sketchy, offers some interesting and beautiful sites. If you follow the road down the coastline you will find a local skateshop, skate park and ice skating rink - the locals skating in swim trunks is a site to behold.
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The Eclipse Restaurant at Villa Montana Resort has phenomenal cuisine, but may put a dent in your travel budget. Treat yourself at least once and get there before sunset, for some amazing scenery and ambiance. The poolside bar can be very relaxing and romantic.

Happy Belly's Bar and Grill in Jobos is a local favorite, known for great seafood, tostones (fried plantains) and burgers. While Cabanas Gonzales is well know for their fried fish. Playa Brava, near Gate Five, has delicious and healthy fare served in cool AC with surf videos on the wall, which is always a treat. Bebbe, right on the main road, has killer breakfast and smoothies.

If you don't enjoy the local fair, The New Golden Crown at La Cima Hotel is the best Chinese food west of San Juan. It is on Route 110, just beyond the airport and the Esso Station. Call (787) 890-2016 for take-out. English is spoken by all staff, just in case you don't know Chinese. El Meson is also a relatively new sandwich shop on the main road, Route 107. It's very clean and pleasant decor with an American feel.

The best place to eat might just be in your car! As weird as it sounds, local farmers sell fresh bananas window to window at intersection of Route 107 and 110. You can hold a dollar out your car window and a big bunch of ripe bananas and bottled water will be brought your way before the light changes. While the menu offers little variety, it's the fastest service on the island. Other restaurants are listed here.