We Snorkeled in a Bioluminescent Bay!

There is nothing more incredible than swimming or snorkeling in a bioluminescent bay, actually immersing your body into the dark water on a cloudy or moonless night as the microorganisms sparkle all around you. It was an epic experience!

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Hiking Fuerte Caprón in Guanica Dry Forest

Hiking Fuerte Caprón in Guanica State Forest

Found at the end of one of the most hiked trails in the Guánica Dry Forest, Fuerte (Fort) Caprón offers a sweeping vista of the Caribbean Sea, the village of Guánica below, and the mountains surrounding gleaming Guánica Bay.

This pretty fort was built in the 16th century by the Spanish, and later used by U.S. troops after the Spanish-American war. It has a chamber tucked underneath that offers shade and the opportunity to examine decades worth of colorful graffiti.

We hiked to the fort, walked the trail that encircles it, then continued up the trailhead for a 5.7-mile hike. It’s a steady uphill hike on the way out, without much shade and no facilities. Bring lots of water (we suggest freezing a couple of bottles in advance) and lunch or a snack, and wear sunscreen and a hat!

You are rewarded on the descent with spectacular views in the last mile.

The hike is one of many in the Guánica State Forest, also known as El Bosque Seco de Guánica, a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve. It’s one of the most extensive tropical dry coastal forests in the world, totaling around 9,000 acres.

LINKS:

Map to trailhead: https://goo.gl/maps/UtWda2dCrfvkrRM77

Discover Puerto Rico: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/fuerte-capron/8380

Guánica Dry Forest: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/visit-guanicas-dry-forest

All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/puerto-rico/west-region/fuerte-trail

Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/qcHbG8qbkRNFPGEs6

Tracking a Sea Turtle in Rincon

We had a magical snorkeling experience in Rincon, where we encountered a huge abundance of healthy sea coral, aquatic life and even a couple of hawksbill turtles!

Discovering Ponce, PR: Where are They Hiding the Rum?

We traveled south to Ponce, Puerto Rico, to visit Castillo (Castle) Serralles and learn about how Don-Q Rum is distilled. What we found was very different. No rum tastings -- and they didn't even let us take pictures! Lots of history, though.

Hiking Laguna Guaniquilla: Best. Hike. Ever.

We came to see the rocks in the Laguna Guaniquilla. (That's pronounced Gwah-nuh-KEE-yuh) But we found so much more, including huge jagged rock formations rising from a lake, massive hidden caves, secret beaches with startling vistas, sleeping frogs, and crab armies.

This is a long video, but worth every second if you're up for exploring and new experiences. Strap on your hiking boots, grab a water bottle, and join us on the hike!

Dueling Piña Coladas in San Juan

Caribar, the beautiful bar inside the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, boasts that its bar is where the piña colada was invented by bartender Ramon ‘Monchito’ Perez in 1954. 

No, wait, that’s Barrachina a Spanish restaurant in Old San Juan, where traditional Spanish bartender Don Ramon Portas Mingot created the original recipe in 1963. 

Neither side is backing down. Which bar is the birthplace of Puerto Rico’s iconic drink? 

And is it better than Lisa's piña colada recipe? Watch and see.

Vieques is Not What You Expect!

People go to Vieques for island life, a legendary bioluminescent bay, and fantastic snorkeling. But it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience in so many other ways, whether you're passing a group of wild horses in the roadway, finding a secluded beach spot to call your own, or watching a tropical sunrise from a beach bar. 

Vieques Snorkeling

If you want to see more snorkeling images, watch our Vieques snorkeling video, at https://youtu.be/r1IfweCRxSg.

Vieques Snorkeling: Secluded Beaches and Abandoned Piers

Vieques, an island off the eastern shore of Puerto Rico, offers a huge variety of beautiful snorkeling opportunities. Dive in and join us!

Van Gogh Immersive Experience, Puerto Rico Edition

The multimedia experience that’s been sweeping the United States, Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, landed in San Juan while we were living there. If you can't experience it in person, let this video carry you away!

The website vangoghpuertorico.com describes it this way: In an imaginative and immersive presentation created for our unique times by world-renowned audiovisual designers, Beyond Van Gogh uses cutting-edge projection technology to create an engaging journey into the world of Van Gogh.

But it really can’t be described. It must be experienced, sitting in the middle of the huge installation, letting the texture of Van Gogh’s thoughts, sketches, brush strokes, ideas, conflicts, joy and pain flow through your mind and body, around your feet, across the walls and, over your head.

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Journey Back to Puerto Rico: COVID Testing, Rum Drinking, and a Nervous Cat

Rewind .... 

We were happy to leave frigid Washington, DC, last month and board a flight back to Puerto Rico. Join us as we juggle our luggage, COVID testing, Southwest boardings, a connection, and of course an airport bar with a view, to return to our tropical home for the next few months -- all with our beloved kitty Kaylee!

Hiking the Guanica Dry Forest: Where the Desert Meets the Sea

Who would expect to see so many kinds of cacti on a tropical island? We were intrigued to view the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea from a desert trail in Guanica State Forest, on the southwest end of Puerto Rico.