urbanretreatist: Luquillo Beach, Puerto Rico

-FLY TO SAN JUAN -

We flew non-stop on Jet Blue for around $250, its a

short 4 hour flight

-RENT A CAR-

Using orbitz.com we rented a car for $20/day. Make sure they offer shuttle service to the rental office

-DRIVE TO LUQUILLO-

Traveling east from San Juan, you can either hug the coastline (scenic route) or take the highways. Both involve traffic, the highway takes approx. 45 minutes, the scenic route up to an hour.

-VIVIENDAS-

We rented an apartment in one of the high rise condos on Playa Azul, using www.homeaway.com. For less than $100/night we got a 3 bedroom/2 bath apartment in a gated complex, with 24 hour attendant, pool and parking. The condos serve as beach homes for folks from San Juan, but in the winter fill up with snowbunnies from the states. Our apartment provided linens, towels, beach chairs and had a full kitchen. Across the main drag from the condos you will find a supermarket, a Walgreens and a bakery. We loved making coffee in the morning, bringing fresh fruit to the beach and healthy snacks on hikes. We ate dinner out every night, very easy to do in Luquillo.

-BEACH LIFE-

In total, 6 beaches make up Luquillo; Playa Fortuna, Luquillo (aka kiosko beach), Balneario Monserrate, Playa Azul, Playa la Pared (surfer's beach) and Playa la Selva. Playa Azul is a public beach, so its a bit dirty and loud - great for short stays and long walks. Next door is La Pared aka Surfer's Beach - fun to watch, scary to swim in. Past La Pared and over a few rocky outcroppings is the nature preserve known as Playa La Selva. No people, lots of iguanas, perfect for nude sunbathing. Most days we went to Balneario Monseratte ($5/day). A 2 minute drive from the condo, the beach is cleaned by staff twice daily, there are restrooms and you can rent everything from chairs and umbrellas, to kayaks. At the concession stand coco frio (a coconut thats been in the fridge) is only $1, empanadas $2. The water was calm and warm, like swimming in a kiddie pool. A 5 minute walk down the beach, and you hit the kiosko beach - a series of food kiosks built right on the beach. We did try a few and all agreed our favorite was the ceviche place.

-COMIDA-

Here are the places that stood out!

Boardriders overlooks la Pared and has western friendly mexican/beach fare. A clever beer & wine selection, and fresh sangria, this is where the Luquillo hipsters hang out :0

The Brass cactus was feet from our condo and was our first meal in PR. The decor and menu were a bit contrived (ie parrots and old license plates), but it was a good, quick fix.

Tasca Ole Lelolai in Fajardo is perched up on the second floor, atop a hill, so the views are amazing. The food was even better. A mix of tapas and traditional PR fare, try the lobster mofongo.

Richie's Bar and Grill in Rio Grande was all about ambiance. The food was fine - no complaints - but its the view, outdoor dining, and service that make it mentionable. Rio Grande is up the mountain from Luquillo, near the stunning Rio Mar Resort.

-ACTIVITIES-

El Yunque National Rainforest was 15 minutes from our condo, and made up a big chunk of our view. Paved roadways make it easy to see much of the preserve from the car, but I recommend walking to the waterfall and getting in it.
My one regret about our trip to Luquillo, is that we didn't make it to the Bio-Luminescent Bay in Fajardo. They have kayaking and boating trips at night, which allow you to swim in the bay.
Thankfully, we did make it to Culebra for the day. An island off the cost of PR in the Caribbean Sea (PR is in the Atlantic), Culebra reminded me a lot of Fire Island. A 60 minute ferry ride from Fajardo, this tiny island is surrounded by bright green water and sail boats. Jump in a van (taxi) to Flamenco Beach. Have lunch at Mamacitas, where people pull up in their dinghies to feed the Iguana. Rent masks at the dive shop across from the ferry, and go snorkel at Melones beach. We saw sea turtles and jet black urchin as big as basketballs - it was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip.
Old San Juan is an easy daytrip from Luquillo, and definitely worth a visit. Check out the architecture, do some shopping, find the least touristy restaurant and try the mofungo!!

NOTHING IS PERFECT.... PR has an unimaginably terrible stray dog/cat problem. They are literally everywhere you go. On the beach, in the roads, the parking lot at the condo, tiny kittens in trees and surrounding garbage cans. The dogs there have been stray for so many generations that they wont let you get within 50 feet of them. It broke my heart everyday.