Cruising the South Coast of Puerto Rico

It was time to head to the Spanish Virgin Islands.   We planned to make short hops from anchorage to anchorage for a leisurely tour of the south coast of Puerto Rico. 



                                                           

We left Puerto Real on the west coast February 4 and looped around to the south coast, traveling only 10 miles the first day. Traveling along the coastline was neat. We got to see a lot of beautiful scenery along the way... quite a bit different from our sea passages with nothing to look at but water and waves!  

We anchored for one night in the basin west of Cabo Rojo and had a beautiful view of the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse.  The lighthouse illuminated the night sky.

As we traveled along the coast the following day, we had a quick visit from US Customs Border Patrol.  They pulled up alongside us and communicated with us via VHF radio and asked general questions and wanted to know our next destination. They zoomed off, heading toward another boater traveling along the coast.

Along the way, we passed Ponce, a large city on the southern coast.  Ponce,  taking advantage of the winds along the coast, has an extensive system of wind mills to harness the wind's energy.

Next stop was Guilligan's Island.  Gilligan’s Island (also known as Cayo Aurora) is part of the Biosphere Reserve of Guanica and managed by the Department of Natural Resources. 

Very remote, a very small percentage of travelers get to explore this beautiful relaxing haven. We anchored one night in the crystal clear basin near the nature preserve.  







There is a dock where several small boats bring tourists from the mainland nearby. We went ashore thinking we were going to get in a good hike, but the island was very small. There were picnic tables, barbecue pits and shady areas for picnicking but it was practically deserted. 

There was a pretty creek surrounded by mangroves that would be an excellent place to kayak.

  

We dinghyed over to the mainland area at Guanica and had a beer at the Guilligan's Island bar near the ferry dock. 

The Guilligan's Island ferry takes tourists over to Cayo Aurora.

LA had a beer… it was funny, they had the beer in bottles, but they wouldn't serve the beer in the bottle. Poured it in a plastic cup instead. Go figure…

We wanted some exercise so walked over to an all-inclusive resort, Copa Marina. 




Beautiful landscaping with pretty bougainvillea everywhere. 







There were neat looking "beach beds" on the picturesque beach overlooking gorgeous azure water, but there was no one there to enjoy it.  The resort was practically deserted.

Day 3 we traveled to Cajo de Muertos, also known as Coffin Island.  The island got its name because it resembles a dead person laying on a plateau when seen from the main island.  Protected as a nature reserve because of its native turtle population, the island can be reached by ferry.  







The weather was very windy the afternoon we arrived, so we did not go ashore. There is a Department of Natural Resources building there with staff and security personnel but the beach was deserted.  

A still-functioning lighthouse, Caja de Muertos Light, established in 1887 and automated in 1945, sits atop the highest hill on the island. This 170 feet high hill is located at the southwest extreme of the island.

Day 4 we anchored in the little anchorage of Puerto Patillas  The name Patillas is originally an indigenous name for a native type of watermelon. The large abundance of this fruit in the area, along with the land donation from the original owner, lead to the town's name. 








Despite being located in the region known as the Coast Valley of the South, a part of the town is mountainous. We didn't go ashore.  







We enjoyed the beautiful sunset that evening.

LA and LuLu hanging out at the helm while at anchor.  

LuLu is a good little sailing kitty! She wears her little pink harness while we are underway and is tethered so that she cannot leave the cockpit.  She becomes very docile when we travel and wants to stay close to one of us.  But when we anchor, watch out! That's her time to play and have the run of the boat!

We woke up the next morning and headed to the Spanish Virgin Islands.  We enjoyed seeing the sights of the southern coastline of Puerto Rico.  This has been a great trip and we hope we come back this way again!

Strolling the streets of Old San Juan

Old San Juan was definitely on our list of places to see.  Great place to visit, but a parking nightmare!  We decided to hire a car and driver to take us the three hour drive from the west coast of Puerto Rico to the city rather than fight the traffic and deal with parking.  Once we saw what the parking situation was when we got there, we knew we had made the right decision.  We met a young couple at our hotel who spent five hours, yes, five hours!, looking for someplace safe to park their rental car!  

Old San Juan was a fascinating place to visit.  Pastel stucco houses, though some crumbling a bit, have a character and sophistication all their own.  They have wrought iron balconies overhanging the sidewalk, offering privacy without cutting off the street life below.  







And the doors…oh those doors!  Lovely old wooden doors painted in lively tropical colors add to the charm of this lovely, old world city. We could not wait to leave our hotel and strike out to explore this lovely city.

The old section of San Juan, situated on the peninsula that separates San Juan Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, looks just like New Orleans' French Quarter, which also was built under Spanish colonial rule. Instead of the Rue Bourbon, we strolled down Calle Cristo. Instead of Creole mansions firmly shuttered against the sun, we saw Spanish Colonial townhouses with doors and windows wide open to catch the ocean breeze. Instead of beignets, we ate conch fritters.  

The streets of the city are hilly with blueish looking "cobblestones" which are actually bricks cast from foundries' slag-iron which was shipped to Puerto Rico as ballast from Europe.  It's quite a workout to tour this city.  The narrow streets are organized much like New Orleans' french quarter-- neat, square blocks which made it easy to find our way around. 

The old city used to be completely enclosed by an European-style city wall. By the 19th century, it was primarily a residential neighborhood, and in the 1950s, the U.S. government declared it a National Historic Zone, making preservation a priority.  

We started our walking tour of the city with the old city's two fortresses, both administered by the National Park Service.

First stop was the 18th-century San Cristobal, which protected the city from inland attack. 

LA was excited to get his "Golden Pass" to the National Parks! With age comes privilege... finally, something to get excited about being over 65!

The fort offered excellent views of Puerto Rico's Capitol a few blocks away and, beyond that, the modern city stretching as far as the eye can see.

It was a beautiful walk along the wall high above the sea from one fortress to the other with great vantage points for photography.  No sight in Old San Juan was more dramatic.  







LA looks out over one of the towers on the edge of the fort.  













We have our photo taken in next to a pile of old cannon balls. The munitions had been there for some time. A group of children came by and tried to pick them up.. I think they were surprised at how heavy they were! 

At the other end of the wall on the western tip of the city was the 16th-century fortress San Felipe del Morro, commonly called El Morro.  It is linked to San Cristobal by the city wall.  Built at the head of the harbor in stages beginning in the 1540s, El Morro successfully defended the city against many invasions - including an English attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1595. 





El Morro, with its' beautiful lighthouse and spectacular scenes, engrosses history buffs and photographers. 











Looking over the city at the top of Fort Morro.










The grassy parade grounds next to the fort stretch for several acres, an ideal spot for a picnic or a stroll.  








The cemetery nearby overlooks the beautiful ocean. It is very peaceful with the spectacular view of the water.






It is a beautiful resting place with headstones and marble sculptures.

We enjoyed our step back in time... but now it's time for some shopping! 

San Juan is a frequent port of call for cruise ships.  So there is plenty of shopping to be done… Ralph Lauren, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Tommy Bahama to name a few.  We took advantage of some shopping deals, including the local rums!

We decided to explore the world of fine hats. The fine shops in Puerto Rico harken back to a time when class and civility reigned and a man regularly tipped his hat to a lady out of respect.  The shop girl was happy to show off the stylish hats and eager to educate us on the finer points of hat selection. We learned all about hand-woven hats, weaves per square inch, and straw color. We had no idea there was so much to consider in choosing a hat!

After helping LA choose a hat that fit the shape of his head, she hand "blocked" the hat using a wooden block .. something only done by the finest of shops. As every one's head is a different shape, care is taken to provide the best fitting. She lowered the crown of the hat and placed a diamond shape on top of the hat. 

Here's LA, the proud owner of a custom fit, fine straw hat, looking stylish and sophisticated! A man about town, if you will... just waiting to open doors for the ladies and give a friendly tip of the hat!







Continuing on our journey, we visited a premium cigar shop.  LA marveled at all of the brands available. Everyone thinks of Cuban cigars as the ultimate, but we soon found out that Dominican cigars are the most sought after. 









LA met a fellow cigar aficionado, Eric, who followed him in the humidor and introduced LA to his favorite cigar brands. They had a great time trading cigar stories and deciding which brands to buy.

Eric was there with his friend, Diego, who was celebrating his 50th birthday.  They were sampling the cigars and spirits in honor of the momentous occasion, so of course, we had to join them in the cigar bar.







We struck up a friendship and met later for dinner to further the celebration at a famous jazz restaurant, Carli's Jazz Bistro.  

Carli Munoz played with the Beach Boys in the 60's and 70's and plays the piano several nights a week at this intimate jazz bar. 

Diego, Eric, LA, and Susan with Carli at the piano

Great jazz, terrific food, new friends, good wine, a 50th birthday celebration.. what else could we ask for?  A great time was had by all! 

We loved our trip to Old San Juan! So fun seeing the sights and meeting new friends. Traveling enriches our lives beyond measure. We can't wait to see what our travels have in store for us at the next stop!

Until next time....!