On day 3 we made our way to Culebra, one of the "Spanish Virgin Islands" off the East Coast of Puerto Rico.
Not sure that getting there was half the fun as it involved a rental car pickup to Fajardo (50 miles or so) seeing a few sights on the way, returning the rental car in Fajardo, getting a ride in the rental car company van to the ferry terminal, then taking the ferry to Culebra (there is no public transportation to Fajardo). The crossing was rough, especially since the captain was in a great hurry, making the trip in 65 minutes instead of the 90 it is supposed to take--fare $2.25 each way, $1 if you are 60.
Our hotel for the 3 day stay was Mamacitas which was a short walk from the ferry terminal in Dewey, the only town on the island. A "5" star hotel it is not; in fact I would give it a "1" despite the fact that it was the most expensive hotel room we had ever paid for out of our own pockets. This is not to say it did not have its charms, mainly that it is located in town on this beautiful paradise of an island. And, it did have a fridge, microwave, and a DVD player. But, it also had one not so comfortable double bed and a shower with water heated on the spot.
You will not find luxury or cheap accommodations on Culebra (unless you camp at Flamenco beach) and it's either time consuming (by ferry) or expensive (by plane) to get there. But Culebra has become one of our all time favorite vacation spots. It's very laid back, friendly, safe, and did I mention the beaches and snorkeling?
We arrived late in the afternoon, got settled in, picked up a few provisions, and got a pizza at Heathers--a bit undercooked so a little disappointing. In the morning, we managed to find a van to take us to Flamenco beach for $2 per person. From the Flamenco beach parking lot, we followed the trail to what we thought was Carlos Rosario beach but was actually Tamarindo beach. The snorkeling was fantastic and very close to shore. Fish were not as plentiful, but the coral was very vibrant and healthy. We saw lot of the usual fish--French Angelfish, trumpet fish, squirrelfish, parrotfish, grunts, sergeant major, snapper, etc.
Later that day, we walked to Melones beach, a kilometer or so from Dewey. Mary Anne looked around and declared it worth a return trip the next day.
More underwater photos from Tamarindo Beach:
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Puerto Rico!! Part 2--Culebra
Puerto Rico!! Part 1--San Juan
In January, Charles and Mary Anne used a business trip as an excuse for an 8 day trip to Puerto Rico.
As part of a Booz Allen contract with DHS, Charles has been presenting Investment planning training to local officials in state capitals around the country. As a US territory, Puerto Rico also requested the training and Charles was part of the team. So, 2 days of the trip were spent in San Juan at the Condado Plaza Hotel.
The Condado Plaza Hotel is located on Ashford Avenue just before it crosses a bridge over the mouth of the Condado Lagoon heading toward Old San Juan. The hotel is undergoing renovation which meant lots of construction noise and no running water during the daytime. No worries as we did not come to Puerto Rico to hang out in a hotel room!
The beach at the hotel is actually on Condado Lagoon which is great since it is a somewhat protected area and actually offers some OK snorkeling, about the only
place you can snorkel in the San Juan area. The hotel has nice facilities--fitness centers, 3 pools, several hot tubs, tennis courts, and hammocks.
Charles had to work hard but still got to snorkel, swim, and see Old San Juan at night (below right)
More pictures:
View of the Caribe Hilton from the beach, Condado Lagoon, and our hotel room.
After our second night at the Condado Plaza, it was time to move on to our next adventure--Culebra!!