Inside a Mexican Cenote

On our trip to the Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza, Mexico, we took a side trip to a deep Mexican cenote (pronounced She-NOH-tay) called X-Cajum (I have no idea how to pronounce that).

A cenote is a natural sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock at the ceiling of a cave, that exposes groundwater. For Mexico’s Mayan culture, cenotes were a symbol of duality, since they represented life and death. They were also a water source.

For travelers today, they are a unique swimming experience, providing astounding views, lovely snorkeling, and a great way to cool off.

We visited Cenote X-Cajum, which is very near Chichen Itza and is often bundled as part of the tour to the Mayan ruins.

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Cenotes
X-Cajum Cenote
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Taming the Beast at Toro Verde

We traveled deep into the lush mountains of Puerto Rico to Toro Verde to take on the Monster, the longest zipline in America!

Come fly through the air with us on seven exciting ziplines, then get vertical and fly headfirst up to 95 miles an hour on the Monster (8,300 feet) and the Beast (4,745 feet)! Leave your fear of flying behind and join the birds at 380 meters above the ground.

Toro Verde also offers other activities, including bicycling on a zipline and several climbing walls, and several restaurants with awesome views of the mountains and the screaming zipliners.. Advance tickets are required.

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Toro Verde 
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Mini-Tour: Combate Beach Walk

There is so much to do at Combate (pronounced Come-BAH-tay) Beach in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico! Beto prefers to relax in his Tommy Bahama beach chair with its cooler and cupholder for his frozen Pitorro rum drink, doom-scrolling on his smartphone or reading a book on military history while watching the pelicans fish in the Caribbean Sea and la Policía zip around in their black speedboat chasing nautical scofflaws.

But Lisa likes to explore, walking down the beach looking for shells and sea glass, or hiking or running in Boquerón State Forest, at the edge of a lagoon that attracts a lot of birds, including unique migratory birds. The hiking/biking trail that meanders through the dry forest by the lagoon stretches 7 miles south to the Salt Flats.

Join her for a walk!

(Watch our original Combate Beach video)

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Combate Beach
Boquerón State Forest Hiking Trail
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Is Combate the Most Beautiful Beach in Puerto Rico?

We almost hesitate to share this video because we love El Combate Beach (pronounced Come-BAH-tay) so much. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, with golden sand, calm turquoise water that creates perfect swimming conditions, and lots of shade trees. Pelicans dive for fish and rays occasionally jump out of the water. Combate's location at the edge of Boquerón State Forest means we also get to enjoy a nearby lagoon that attracts a lot of birds, including unique migratory birds. The hiking/biking trail that meanders through the dry forest by the lagoon stretches 7 miles south to the Salt Flats.

The nearby village of Combate has our favorite waterfront restaurant, Annie’s, where you can sip a drink, nibble queso frito or red snapper, and enjoy the best sunsets in Puerto Rico.  It’s very quiet on weekdays but can become quite lively on weekends. But the faryher away from town you walk, the quieter it gets.

The biggest drawback to Combate is parking, or the lack thereof. There’s no lot and a long woodland path to get there. ! (We usually park on the street near Combate Beach Resort, and then walk in via the woodland path along the lagoon.) But it’s worth the effort!  

There are also no facilities, either bathroom or changing, so you might pay Annie’s a visit just to use the restroom. There are other places in Combate to get pina coladas as well.

https://youtu.be/0S0418-0SjQ

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Mini-Tour: Playas Clavellina and Jauca

If you’re searching for a good beach near Ponce, Puerto Rico, you might want to visit Playas Clavellina and Jauca. In our most recent effort to find that elusive quality south-coast beach, we followed the map to the coast, east of the Ponce Airport, past the giant windmills, to these small gems in Santa Isabel. They are located in a rich agricultural area that produces an abundance of tropical fruits such as mangoes.

Playa Clavellina is good for one thing: kite surfing. It was so windy we could only stay for a couple of minutes The sand whipping against our skin actually hurt! But for kite surfers, it was likely a gift from God. And it explained the location of the nearby wind farm.

Further down the same road, on the edge of the Punta Petrona Nature Reserve, we happened upon mostly deserted Playa Jauca. It was a black-sand beach with a few shade trees and a lot of mangroves, in quiet, shallow Jauca Bay, well-protected from the wind. We spent a relaxing couple of hours and even enjoyed a visit from the piragua guy!

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Map: Playa Clavellina 

Map: Playa Jauca 

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Rompeolas

Rompeolas means breaking waves, but what we found at this locals beach in Aguadilla were not surfers but lots and lots of jet skis. The playa had a bit of an urban feel, with an expansive parking lot, a boat put-in, and a food truck area nearby. A local man befriended us and showed Lisa where to find some really nice snorkeling, and we whiled away a very pleasant afternoon under a palm tree in the golden sand.

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Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Buye Beach

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Buye Beach

Buye is a popular family beach in Cabo Rojo, on the west coast of Puerto Rico. It can be a little crowded on weekends and very lively. The water is calm, perfect for swimming, and there is a kayak concession at the southern end and some decent snorkeling at the north end. You’ll also find an open-air restaurant, a mini-market and a frappe place (usually only open Friday through Sunday). The beach fronts a popular family cabin camping area.

Don’t expect Buye (pronounced BOO-yay) to be as pristine as some of the public beaches you’ll find on the island. But if you’re looking to sit under a shade tree and watch the kids play in the sand while you listen to someone else’s radio pumping out Bad Bunny and take in the beauty of the turquoise water, you could do a lot worse than Buye Beach. It’s not a pristine touristy beach. What it is might be even better: a true Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, beach experience.

Buye has some unique features: a close parking area ($4, or park farther away for free), bathrooms, showers, and a spectacular hiking area nearby, Guaniquilla.

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Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Ostiones

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Ostiones

Playa Ostiones is the very definition of off-the-beaten path. It’s a little neighborhood beach, not mentioned in any tourism brochures. It has a small, deeply-potholed dirt parking lot among the palm trees, a put-in for small boats and jet skis, a small beach and swimming area for families, and a few wooden benches. No bathrooms. No restaurants. No facilities. There are a couple of small condo complexes behind it. But if you have simple tastes and a deep appreciation of nature’s beauty, it has everything you need.

You can walk through a nature reserve down a path beautifully maintained by a dedicated local man by the name of Harvey John Ducot, and take your choice of countless small beach areas tucked within the mangroves. You can sit under a low shady tree and watch the placid water. You can snorkel from a beach, or kayak out, and see countless reefs and plants and fish. You can do yoga in the sand, fish off the jetty, or just laze the day away.

(Shh, don’t tell anyone!) Playa de Ostiones is our definition of Paradise.

Note: In the summer, the crowds on weekends can be loud and raucous, with lots of jet skis and speakers blaring Daddy Yankee.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Nb2xz99utRrFkgug9

https://youtu.be/4f1CcPIpdbI

Mini-Tours: Southeastern Beaches - Punta Santiago and El Cocal

We spent our time in the southeastern corner of the island searching for beaches. Since the one at Palmas del mar was covered with seaweed and had dangerous waves, we headed west, and discovered El Cocal and Punta Santiago.

We waited out a rainstorm to discover one beautiful beach with sea turtle nests taped off. The other provided a view of Monkey Island!

 

Puerto Rico Must-Do Experiences and Adventures

Sorry for the long gap between blogs. We've had a lot of stuff going on: buying a house in Puerto Rico, taking care of some health issues, and welcoming our oldest child home from college. We've been moving and buying furniture and repairing toilets and getting kayaks and watching sunsets. But now we are settled in PR for half the year, and the questions are coming from friends and friends of friends planning visits to the island: What should they do here? Here are some of our favorite experiences for visitors based in San Juan.

Read the blog HERE!

Mini-Tour: Montones Beach in Puerto Rico

Playa Montones, or Montones Beach, is a beautiful family-friendly beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. It has sand dunes as well as rock formations, though not a lot of shade, so bring your umbrella.  

Its shallow water make this natural pool the family-preferred beach in Isabela, a safe environment for kids and toddlers to play around. A natural wall prevents the strong surf from rushing in.

The beach is also right next to the jogging/biking trail in Isabela, so you can add a nice walk to your day out.

Watch where you park, though! We got a ticket for facing the wrong way on the street.

LINKS

Puerto Rico Travel Guide 
Discover Puerto Rico
Map

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Santa in Guanica, Puerto Rico

After indulging ourselves on pinchos (kebabs) at a little food truck park on the way, we spent a peaceful weekday afternoon at Playa Santa, a quiet neighborhood beach in Guanica on the south coast of Puerto Rico.

There were no restrooms, though it looks like on weekends it’s quite lively, and you can take advantage of food kioskos and kayak rentals. The surf is calm and the kids are plentiful.

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Discover Puerto Rico
Map

Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway - “La Ruta del Lechón”

Puerto Rico is more than beaches, coffee and conquistadors. It’s also pork!

For a glimpse into the real Puerto Rico, with a little tourist kitsch thrown in, we suggest you pay a visit to the Pork Highway, or La Ruta del Lechón. https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-guavate-la-ruta-del-lechon

Locals and visitors alike gather together friends and family for a day trip to the lechoneras of the mountain town of Guavate.

They drive along winding Route 184 up a mountain to feast on lechonera after lechonera serving slow-roasted whole pork (also chicken), heaping portions of rice and pigeon peas, yuca al mojo, mofongo, and other traditional Puerto Rican dishes, all ni a party atmosphere. Get ready to dance!

Don’t worry, vegetarians – the yuca and rice are also outstanding.

Lechón means roasted whole pork, cooked for hours over hot coals or an open flame, so that the skin gets crispy while the meat remains tender and juicy. This is a dish you can typically only get in the countryside of Puerto Rico. 

LINKS:

Discover Puerto Rico Guide to the Pork Highway - https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-guavate-la-ruta-del-lechon

El Rancho Original - https://www.elranchooriginalpr.com/

El Nuevo Rancho - http://www.buenapetitopr.com/paginas/restaurantes/lechonera_el_nuevo_rancho.php

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/vKDYDpq758HtK6y7A

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Peña Blanca

One of our favorite beaches on the NW corner of Puerto Rico is Playa Peña Blanca, a secluded beach in Aguadilla distinguished by white cliffs and interesting snorkeling. It’s tucked away behind a neighborhood, and almost impossible to find, with hole-pocked dirt roads that aren’t found on GPS.

If you require amenities, don’t come here. There are no bathrooms, no official parking lot, no food stands or restaurants. But if you’re willing to pack your own food and drinks, have a sense of adventure and want to experience something different, by all means, come!

We paid a local to park in a yard in the neighborhood, not wanting to receive a parking ticket as we had done at Playa Montones a week earlier. It was $5 well spent. The walk to Playa Peña Blanca from the neighborhood was short, though a little rugged closer to the beach. We came back another day via a back road not found on GPS, which took us to a small parking area right beside the beach. 

Playa Peña Blanca is a clean, intimate, secluded spot with crystal clear waters and interesting snorkeling. The left side is a little wilder, with stone steps down a hillside to where white karst cliff walls and caves abut the golden sand.

It’s hard to describe the appeal. You just have to experience it yourself!

Info: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/pena-blanca-beach/9468#profile-overview

https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/playa-pena-blanca/

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/4sQw4xQ8HoWNQpgj7

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Crash Boat Beach

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Crash Boat Beach

Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular beaches. It’s a party beach with a festive atmosphere, highlighted by the colorful pier perfect for diving off of or snorkeling beside.

Bring the family and enjoy the gentle surf and the pincho (kebab) kiosks.

It’s supposed to have bathrooms but we couldn’t find any.

Feel free to enjoy our video about snorkeling Crash Boat – the undersea world is astonishing. It’s at https://youtu.be/HOsYt4y6pYY

Info: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/crash-boat-beach/8911

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/FnQBxi1g4pkbujWb6

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Carolina Terraplen La Posita Beaches

Balneario Carolina and Terraplen La Posita de Piñones are among the most popular local beaches for people living in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Here’s why.

Balneario Carolina is a lovely public beach and a local favorite just east of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You pay $5 for parking, and in return have a clean white-sand beach with minimal waves, as well as clean bathrooms, showers and food stands. Is there anything better than enjoying a mojito from your beach chair while you watch the waves? The beach has attractions for every age and stage, with watersports, a Beach Volleyball court, and a small water park for the kids. At the far end, a stage is sometimes set up for major concert events.

For an even calmer and distinctly Puerto Rican experience, head a little farther east to & Terraplen La Posita de Piñones. You’ll park (for free) on the road or in one of several small parking lots, and there are no facilities. However, there is a beach chair vendor and several little eateries to buy your Puerto Rican frituras (various fried foods). This is a great beach for families because a reef protects the shoreline from waves, so small children can play in the shallow water without causing their parents worry.

Info:

Balneario Carolina – https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/balneario-de-carolina/7704

Terraplen La Posita de Piñones -- https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/playa-la-posita/8954

 

Maps:

Balneario Carolina - https://goo.gl/maps/vzuMf9c3Yigeg4BS6

Terraplen La Posita de Piñones -- https://goo.gl/maps/cCuq2eiRJjDwW4AK8

Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Sucia, Puerto Rico

It’s a long haul to get to breathtaking Playa Sucia, one of the most beautiful beaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, but worth every mile and bump in the road.

This crescent-shaped stretch of sand is at the end of the road in the extreme southwest corner of the island, Cabo Rojo. It’s framed by Los Morillos Lighthouse on the bluff to the right and rock arches and the beach La Playuela to the left. It offers breathtaking views and plenty of wilderness to explore. The beach is part of the town’s nature reserve, with no services, not even bathrooms, but plenty of shady spots among the mangroves. It requires a little walking from the limited parking; arrive early to get a spot. On the way in you will pass the famous Salt Flats.

Bring lots to drink and eat because you can’t buy anything there. Bring hiking shoes and a camera  for the spectacular cliffside trail around the lighthouse.

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Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Isla Verde Beach in San Juan, PR

Travelers to Puerto Rico who stay in Isla Verde at first behold a cluster of high-rises soaring above the palm trees. But behind the tall hotels and condos is a clean, bustling tropical beach in the heart of the city, one of the finest urban beaches you’ll find anywhere.

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Palmas Del Mar: a Huge Planned Resort in Puerto Rico

When we started looking for a home in Puerto Rico, realtor after realtor recommended that we buy in Palmas del Mar, a massive resort development with six miles of ocean frontage on the southeast coast. This is the largest planned resort development in the Caribbean, and calls itself “Puerto Rico’s #1 vacation destination.” But is it? Not for us.

The many rings of gated security work for some people, but for us they made us feel disconnected from real Puerto Rico. We visited the beach and were underwhelmed, and access to it is extremely limited.

Palmas del Mar started as a vacation spot and evolved to include residential opportunities, and features a golf course, tennis club, athletic club, equestrian area, a forest (Bosque Pterocarpus), marina, school (Palmas Academy), shopping area, hotels, restaurants and more. The residents ride around in golf carts, and their association has regular social events.

So what’s it like? Take a tour and see if it’s your cup of tea. We decided it’s not ours. Lisa calls it Gringolandia.

Links:

Info
Palmas Online Promotional Brochure
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Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Isla Verde

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Let's take a quick tour of Isla Verde, a beachfront high-rise neighborhood on the eastern end of San Juan, Puerto Rico, that offers a wealth of amenities and options for upscale travelers and residents.

Isla Verde is a resort strip of San Juan known for its beautiful urban beaches. This neighborhood offers a plethora of dining and lodging options for upscale travelers to the Enchanted Island, as well as for well-to-do homeowners with deep pockets. Its popular white-sand beach backs up to high-rise hotels and condos, with shade trees and many dining and drinking options.

Most travel articles describe Isla Verde’s exquisite urban beach in the heart of the city, but we thought we’d show you the other side of the neighborhood: the avenue that offers all the amenities you need to enjoy your time on the eastern end of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Enjoy our mini-tour!

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