Vallarta Food Tours’ “Experience Mexology” Food and Drink tour was one of the absolute best tours we have ever taken in all of our travels. Over the course of 4 hours, we wandered around Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone with an incredibly knowledgeable, English-fluent guide named Luis Alba, experiencing 6 handcrafted cocktails and enjoying 6 scrumptious food tastings.
We met Luis in Lazaro Cardenas Park, also known as “The Mosaic Park” because of its incredible tile work. Luis promised – and delivered – on a comprehensive and scrumptious eating, learning, drinking experience, as he took us to a variety of places, from holes in the wall to fine restaurants. It was a fantastic way to get to know Puerto Vallarta, feel connected to the culture, and get some restaurant recommendations.
Luis Alba, our tour guide, pours a sample
Drinks
Food
Tour Details
The tour is described on the website this way:
Enjoy 6 handcrafted cocktails and 6 food tastings!
Drink And Eat Your Way Through Downtown Vallarta. Tacos and Tequila are at the top of everyone’s list when they come to PV. This tour gives you both in one fun and food-filled evening. This 4 hours walking, drinking and eating tour has no less than 6 cocktails including tequila, pulque, mezcal and local agave spirit: racilla. Eat tacos, drink tequila, learn about the differences in the spirits, laugh and just have an amazing afternoon with a group of like-minded travelers on this insider experience around the Romanic zone!
The mountain village of Las Marias, Puerto Rico, throws a huge block party every March, the Festival de las Chinas Dulces, to celebrate the abundant variety of sweet oranges that grow on the island.
They call oranges “chinas” (pronounced CHEE-nahs) in Puerto Rico, though the Spanish word for “orange” is “naranja” (pronounced nah-RAHN-hah).
We spent a sweet afternoon drinking china coladas and orange juice, eating china bread and other Puerto Rican delicacies, sipping Puerto Rican coffee, learning about island agriculture, and perusing the products of myriad artisans. The music was traditional, colorful, and energetic, coming from two main bandstands, and the crowds extended for blocks in several directions. We even took home an orange tree to plant in our Cabo Rojo yard!
We just got back from a whirlwind 4-day trip to Colombia. Wow!
We chose to visit Colombia because Avianca Airlines was having an introductory sale for routes from San Juan, and our current base is Puerto Rico. Why not? We had never been to South America and knew zero about Colombia, except for reading about the Medellin Cartel’s narco wars in the news in the 1980s. Flights were only a couple of hundred dollars, some non-stop, to Bogota, Medellín, and Cartagena. We chose Bogota, the capital, because we hadn’t visited a city in a while. We decided to spend four days there in early December – our first perfect choice, made totally by accident. Then we bought a guidebook, read a little, and booked a couple of organized tours.
Where to Stay?
Our first revelation about Bogota was that lodging was incredibly inexpensive. We chose the historic, walkable Candelaria district as our base. We prefer vacation rentals over hotels, allowing us to spread out and feel truly at home, while living in real neighborhoods instead of tourism centers. We found a delightful apartment at the edge of Candelaria on Airbnb: a chicly furnished corner studio with two walls of windows overlooking the sprawling city and the Andes Mountains beyond. The cost was an unbelievable $33 a night, plus taxes and fees. Booking Fiori dela Candelaria was our second accidental perfect choice.
Selfie in Candelaria
The property manager, Angela, offered an airport pick-up for a reasonable price, and we took her up on it. She was on time, her partner driving a tiny car (the first of many we rode in), and she filled us with helpful information on the drive from Bogota International Airport. She settled us into the hillside apartment, then took us up to the roof garden, where we were greeted by a stunning 270-degree view of sprawling Bogota. We were in awe even as we shivered in the biting wind.
What We Discovered
Bogota is Chilly
This modern city of 8 million people is nestled amid the Andes at 8,000 feet above sea level. Lisa had a headache the first day. Fortunately, we had lived in the Denver foothills for a few years, so our bodies easily adapted to the altitude. But that altitude also brought cooler temperatures – highs reaching the mid- to upper 60s during the day, and mid-40s at night. Coming from hot Puerto Rico, this was a bit of a shock. Pack sweaters!
Bogota is Cheap
We paid U.S. prices for the tours we pre-booked, but everything else was incredibly inexpensive. Doing the conversion from 4,000 Colombia pesos to 1 U.S. Dollar was challenging, but the fact is, once you land in Colombia, you’ll find your travels extremely economical. And Bogota is the most expensive city in Colombia!
Bogota Loves Christmas
We were in the city on Dec. 7, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which it turns out is the official start of the Christmas season in mostly Catholic Colombia. We woke up at 5 AM to a huge fireworks display coming from Plaza de Bolivar, the main city plaza. That night was the Night of Little Candles (Noche de las Velitas), when families across the country (and Colombian ex-pat families around the world) light clusters of little candles on their balconies or doorsteps (and on church steps and parks and plazas) to honor the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, and make wishes. Colorful Christmas lights came on in full force all over the country, on highrises and apartment windows, parks and boulevards, sparkling reds and pinks and blues. Families walked about on the pedestrian-only Seventh Avenue (Carrera Septima) eating snacks, buying toys, singing carols, and enjoying street performers. Fireworks continued all over the city until well after 3 AM.
Candle lighting around a chalk drawing of JesusFireworks over Plaza Bolivar
The next day, on the actual feast day, the party continued throughout the city with artisan and food vendors, jugglers and clowns, choirs in the churches, and singers on street corners. Cyclists pedaled on the Ciclovia when a main artery was closed for miles to accommodate recreationalists. Crowds swelled as the day wore on. The next morning, the fireworks started again at 4:45 AM, and our host Angela told us the festivities would continue in full force until Christmas.
Bogota Has Incredible Museums and Culture
We visited the Botero Museum, gifted to the city by the artist Ferdinand Botero to bring art to the masses for free. This world-class museum contains many of his works, plus his personal collection of art by notables such as Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Nearby, the Gold Museum taught us about the rich history of gold in Colombia, how it was used by indigenous people to honor their chieftains and shamans, and how European explorers sought to exploit it for their own enrichment, setting off Colombia’s violent history.
The Gold Museum displayed many artifacts that told the story of Colombia’s history.
We visited the Military Museum of Colombia, which has many U.S. connections. We tried to get into the Museum of Coins (the Mint) but it had just closed for the feast day. There are art museums, a Mexican Cultural Center, theaters, and we were blown away when we heard an orchestra and choir rehearsing behind closed doors as we stood outside the awe-inspiring Bogota Metropolitan Basilica.
Colombia Is Foodie Heaven
The coffee, of course, is world-renowned, and deservedly so; we brought two pounds home. But we also tried shots the classic Colombian alcoholic drink Aguardientes, which has a fruity sweetness tempered by a tongue-biting touch of anise. There are excellent craft beers, though we didn’t partake. We tried arepas, pan-fried corn cakes. What else? Ajiaca, a soup with several types of potatoes, chicken, and corn, with avocado and capers thrown in. Pinchos, a mixed kebab with a potato at the end. Lemonade with coconut, a creamy paradise for the tongue reminiscent of a Mexican horchata with bits of toasted coconut on top. Coca tea, with and without fruit, which has healing properties. Aromática, a tasty fruit tea that can be drunk with or without alcohol, supplemented by panela, the country’s signature cane sugar. Learn more here.
Bogota’s Markets Rival Mexico’s
We spent many happy hours walking around marketplaces, first the touristic type that can be found in La Candelaria’s parks and pedestrian avenues, which boasted a wide variety of stunning indigenous art and the usual ticky-tacky tourist stuff. Then we crossed to the other side of Plaza de Bolivar and found a local marketplace, the kind where tourists like us can scoop up bargains in housewares, clothing, toys, holiday items, shoes, bags, you name it – as long as they hold on tight to their wallets and phones and aren’t afraid to barter.
Watch For the Videos!
Messy Suitcase will be bringing a series of videos to YouTube to share our Colombian journey. Subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to be notified!
We continue our walk through the cacao farm Finca Hekiti in northwestern Puerto Rico as we watch the cacao get harvested from the bean pod, learn the process of converting the pulp into chocolate, and taste the final product!
We visited Finca Hekiti on an “Airbnb Experience” to learn where chocolate comes from. We learned so much more about the conservation of the forest and the life within it, that we are releasing this video in two parts. It’s long, but if you are interested in chocolate, and in forest sustainability and diversity, take the time to follow Finca Hekiti’s Co-Founder & Co-Director Ricardo Albarracín on this tour of the nine-acre farm in northwest Puerto Rico.
This is how the Airbnb Experience we signed up for (at a cost of $35 each for 3.5 hours), entitled “Educational Farm Tour in a Cacao Forest”, was described:
“We will receive the guest, walking through the cacao forest, learning about the farming practices when it comes to fine grain cacao, learn about the importance of agroforestry, permaculture and nature conservation. Depending on the tree production during the time of your visit, you will have the opportunity to view the cacao fruit, taste the fruit fresh from the tree and perhaps have the opportunity to harvest or plant cacao. We end the experience tasting the cacao fruit pulp and artisanal chocolate tasting.”
But Finca Hekiti is much more than a chocolate farm. It’s a passion. Hekiti Eco-Agroforestry Education Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agro-ecological farm focused on the conservation and management of existing forests and their biodiversity in the Las Marias and Añasco mountains. It’s dedicated to education in agroforestry, agriculture, tropical fruit varieties (primarily fine grain cacao), forest inventory, fauna and flora. Oh, and chocolate! Come learn with us!
Puerto Rico is more than beaches and rum, 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.
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 in 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.
We took a tour of Hacienda Muñoz in San Lorenzo, half an hour up the mountains from San Juan. Its coffee has won the Best Coffee People’s Choice Award at the Puerto Rico Coffee and Chocolate Expo for three years running. Is it really that good?
The tour focused on the coffee-growing industry and its history, as well as the methods used to grow, process, and roast coffee. The detail was sometimes excruciating, as we stood on the hillside in the hot sun listening to our impassioned guide go on and on and on.
While small, it’s a much larger operation than Hacienda Iluminada, the small hacienda we toured last fall which focused its tour on sustainable practices and integration into the forest. Here, we saw neat rows of coffee plants planted in full sun. In addition to its coffee fields, Hacienda Muñoz operates a small café, where we enjoyed fresh turkey sandwiches on baguettes, and a larger restaurant.
Lisa bought a bag of medium-roast coffee, and it was indeed exemplary.
The cost for the tour was $20, or $10 for kids and those over 60. It included a tasting.
Finding good pizza is a top priority no matter where we stay. We lived for almost two decades in and around New York City, and consequently are VERY picky about our pie.
Fortunately, we have found that the New York-Puerto Rican connection means that the island has more than its share of excellent pizza.
You can choose from Brazilian or NY Style pizza. This was our favorite when we lived in Ocean Park in the 1990s, and we were thrilled to discover when we returned in 2021 that is still here and still excellent. Info: No website Map: 3038 Av. Isla Verde, Carolina, 00979
UPDATE: This pizza shop closed on early 2022, sadly.
Isabela: Junior’s Pizza at Jobos Beach
Outdoor dining. Good cocktails. A great variety of ingredients and personal pizzas are available, so you don’t have to agree on toppings or sauces. It’s not on the beach, but a block up, with its own parking lot, which is convenient. they even made us a pizza once when they were officially closed, but the pizza guy was still hanging out after a private event. That is customer service! Info: No website. Map: goo.gl/maps/wSZMjRhDZJYxxPKZ8
Cabo Rojo: Papa’s Pizza
Because of COVID, we only ever had carry-out, but it was only three blocks from our apartment. It was consistently excellent. Info: facebook.com/papaspizzacaborojo Map: #49 Calle Rios Rivera, Cabo Rojo, 00623
Island Pizza Chains
Marco’s Pizza is good. Williams Pizza sucks. You can find the US chains like Papa John’s if that’s your thing.
I hope you enjoyed our guide to Puerto Rican food! Please add your recommendations and thoughts in the comments!
Although we have encouraged a sense of adventure and experimentation with cuisine, we also understand that your time on the island of Puerto Rico is limited, and you might want to be pointed toward some proven winners. So here are Messy Suitcase’s recommendations for the best places we have eaten on the island. But remember, everyone has different taste!
Food trucks set up shop on weekend nights across from the beach at La Pared in Luquillo. There are only two or three, including the taco truck Mi Parcela, but they are excellent. Info: No website Map: Calle Herminio Diaz Navarro, Luquillo, Puerto Rico
La Pared food trucks
Rio Grande: Pa’l Yunque Food Park
We found this on the way home from hiking El Yunque. I enjoyed a falafel while Bob had a burger. The food park was small, accessible, cheap, and delicious. Nice shelter from a rainstorm, too. Perfect end of a hiking day. Info: facebook.com/palyunquefoodpark/ Map: 40 PR-955 00721 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Vieques: Rincon del Sabor
We only ate at the coffee place here, which serves up a good breakfast and the best shakes I have ever had. There are other food trucks with traditional Puerto Rican food, but they were closed due to COVID. Info: facebook.com/rincondelsaborvqs Map: Carretera 200 km 0.6, Florida, Vieques, Puerto Rico, 00765
Luquillo: The Kioskos
The Luquillo Kioskos (food kiosks) aren’t a food truck park, but a long row of around 60 family-owned kiosks selling food, drinks, and souvenirs, located on a service road just north of Route 3, near the Luquillo Public Beach. Right behind them is a slightly rundown beach that locals love to hang out in, blasting music and jet skiing. Tourists often get it confused with Balneario (Pubic Beach) Luquillo, which is just east but still walking distance to the kioskos for lunch.
A kiosko
The kioskos themselves are pretty rundown and some are closed, but don’t let their appearance discourage you from having a truly Puerto Rican dining experience. Most have outdoor dining in the rear with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Avoid overrated La Parrilla Restaurant on the west end, which attracts diners with its large parking lot and aggressive advertising, but provides nothing special in service, ambiance, or food quality. Our favorite restaurant here is Revolution Pizza. Info: puertoricodaytrips.com/luquillo-kiosks Map: goo.gl/maps/4rkEoCWX2h22zduJ9
Restaurants
Here are some favorites from around the island.
Aguadilla: Cinco
Creative Caribbean Cuisine, served up in a stylish atmosphere. Pricy and elegant, with excellent cocktails. The menu is unique and the food is delicious. You would find a place like this on New York’s Upper East Side. Info: facebook.com/cincorestaurant/ Map: KM. 9.2 PR-110, Aguadilla Pueblo, Aguadilla 00603
Fajardo: Las VistasCafe at Las Croabas
This restaurant served up the best meal I had in eastern Puerto Rico. Get reservations, as it’s very popular and COVID careful, even though you are dining on a rooftop with 360° views of Las Croabas Bay, Seven Seas Beach, and the islands of Vieques and Culebra. The owner, Gladys, treats every customer like her best friend. The food is exquisite. Breakfast, lunch,nd brunch only. Info: lasvistascafepr.com/ Map: goo.gl/maps/uVZ2jgMv7EFj7a138
Las Vistas Cafe and its Food
Condado: Pinky’s This is a lovely little breakfast discovery but forget about getting in on a weekend day. There’s also one on Calle Loiza. Info: facebook.com/Pinkys-112452892183010 Map: 1351 1351 Ashford Ave., Condado, Puerto Rico
Manatí: Pollo Costero BBQ
Another roadside discovery. The friendly, English-fluent proprietor let us pick a la carte whatever looked interesting in the food case, and charged hardly anything. The rotisserie chicken was mouthwatering; we speculated it could be as fresh as the chicken roadkill we had seen on the way there. (Just kidding.) Info: facebook.com/pollocosterobbq Map: Carretera 685 00674 Manati, Puerto Rico
Cabo Rojo: Annie’s Place
Who cares if the food is any good? Which it is, but that’s not the point. The location right next to glorious Combate Beach is the bomb, and the sunsets are not to be believed. The menu is seafood, seafood, and more seafood, with the choice of the same sauces we saw at every other seafood restaurant. The drinks are great. Did I mention the spectacular sunsets? Info: facebook.com/Annies-Place-Combate-Beach-Cabo-Rojo-1552167661708533/ Map: Playa El Combate Beach, PR-3301, Boquerón, 00622
View of Annie’s fromCombate Beach
Cabo Rojo: Coco Loco BBQ Smokehouse
Great BBQ in an unassuming outdoor setting. One-woman show. Info: No website. Map: Carr 102 km 15.9, Cabo Rojo, 00623
Cabo Rojo: El Bohio, Joyuda
Joyuda is a fisherman’s village with a bunch of excellent seafood restaurants to choose from. We chose El Bohio because of its large back deck. Which faces the ocean and provides the best sunset views. A gang of enormous gray fish hangs out in the shallow water right by the ready to jump on food craps the staff throws, which provides excellent entertainment. Families love this place. Probably any restaurant in this town would be excellent. Info: facebook.com/elbohio.restaurant, puertoricodaytrips.com/joyuda-seafood/ Map: Carretera 102 km.14.1, Cabo Rojo, 00623
Sunset View from El Bohio
Luquillo: Boardriders Surf Bar and Grill
This was our favorite restaurant while living in Luquillo. It provides two levels of outdoor seating, all with views of the crashing surf at La Pared Beach. Expect excellent passion fruit mojitos, healthy vegetarian options, and really friendly staff. Live entertainment on the weekends features sounds of roots, reggae, jazz, rumba, and more. Info: boardriderssurfbar.com/ Map: US, 25 Calle Miguel Veve Calzada, Luquillo, 00773
A lot of people expect Puerto Rican food to be like Mexican, with nachos and guacamole and burritos. But it’s a completely unique cuisine that evolved over centuries from the blending of Spanish, Taino, West Indian, and American influences with the vegetables, fruits, and meats available for consumption on the island.
Traditional Puerto Rican food includes a large selection of fried dishes, called frituras, often sold from roadside kiosks, and stuffed breads. Many are deep-fried. Here are a few stalwarts:
Alcapurrias–Yucca or plantain-based fritters filled with ground beef, lobster, crab, or shrimp.
Bacalaitos–Deep-fried, crunchy codfish fritters.
Piononos–Deep-fried sweet plantain appetizers stuffed with seasoned meat or seafood.
Rellenos de Papa – Potatoes stuffed with ground beef and deep fried to create a crispy outer layer.
Arepas–fried bread stuffed with anything from cheese to chicken or seafood.
Plaintain–a green banana that is used in cooking many, many dishes in Puerto Rico.
Mofongo–fried, then mashed and spiced, plantain, stuffed with meat or seafood and then covered in sauce.
Empanadillas and Pastelillos–pastry pockets filled with seafood, meat or cheese. Empanadillas are bigger.
Fried Cheese–Lightly fried cheese squares served with guava sauce. Lisa’s favorite.
Cheese Balls–Breaded, deep-fried cheese fritters.
Pinchos–outstanding chicken or pork kebabs with BBQ sauce.
Quesito—Breakfast pastry filled with cream cheese and sometimes fruit.
Along the coast, traditional food means freshly caught fish–dorado, red snapper, salmon, cod, or octopus or lobster, served with rice and perhaps beans. Diners have a choice of traditional sauces that seem to be found at all seafood restaurants on PR’s west coast: criollo (tomato, onion and peppers), butter, and creamy garlic. Oysters and mussels are also big, and can be consumed fresh from the sea at roadside stands in beach towns.
City Food
Cities in Puerto Rico are as cosmopolitan as any, so dinner in San Juan or Ponce or Mayagüez could just as easily mean Spanish (remember, Christopher Columbus and the first white settlers came from Spain), Mexican, Argentinean, Brazilian, Japanese, Italian, Thai, or any other cuisine. “Traditional” Puerto Rican food in a more upscale restaurant will be less greasy and add new flavors. Be adventurous!
