Cataño: Bacardi, Love Locks and a Fun Ferry

We took a ferry from Old San Juan to Cataño, across the bay, to see what’s there besides the Bacardi Rum Factory. Turns out, lots! Including shout-outs to autism, love, and love is love.

We strolled along the Boardwalk to Puente Rosado or the Pink Bridge, a pier recently created to give visitors a place to lock their padlocks and leave a piece of their love in Puerto Rico, and pledged our troth amid crashing waves. (Please don’t throw the key in the sea.) On the way, we discovered the Muelle del Orgullo (Pride Pier), vibrantly designed with the colors of the rainbow to honor the LGBTQ+ community, and the Muelle Autismo (Autism Pier), painted in bright colors and puzzle shapes to celebrate neurodiversity and the autism community. As the parents of two queer, neurodiverse adults, we were happy to find this level of love and respect on our adopted island!

Across the street from the ferry, we found several bars and restaurants with water views that specialized in cocktails from the legendary rum maker. Of course, we had to try one!

But the best part was really the short ferry ride, offering expansive views of Old San Juan, El Morro, the container port, the cruise port and the mountains beyond. Lisa considers it the Staten Island Ferry of San Juan. Find out why in this fun video!

Enjoy Photos of the Day!

Info

Puerto Rico Ferry
Cataño Destinations
Themed Piers
Cataño Waterfront Promenade
MAP to Puerto Rico Ferry Terminal 

Tour of Old San Juan, Part 1

No trip to Puerto Rico is complete without at least a day in Old San Juan, a mélange of Old World elegance and vibrant 21st-century Caribbean culture. It’s so interesting, we had to create two videos!

San Juan was built for walking, so we’ll start out by heading to our favorite parking garage, Dona Fela, so you don’t waste an hour looking for a place to put your car. Then we’ll visit the cruise ship port and explore the narrow streets, nooks and crannies of beautifully preserved Viejo San Juan, which just celebrated 500 years.

There is so much to see and do, for every age and stage: explore history, culture, shopping, eating, drinking, praying, gallery hopping, even flying kites!

Check back in a couple of days for the second half of our video.

INFO

Old San Juan 
Maritime Museum (Museo del Mar)
Book Museum (La Casa del Libro)
Map to Old San Juan
Map to Dona Fela Parking Garage 

Visit Messy Suitcase’s Old San Juan Playlist to see our other videos.

Exploring the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England

When we took a Thames River Cruise from London to Greenwich last fall to see the Royal Meridien, we discovered the National Maritime Museum, one of a quartet of the Royal Museums in Greenwich. The others are the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where the Meridien resides, and two others that will have to wait till next time: the historic ship Cutty Sark and the Queen’s House.

The National Maritime Museum takes you on an exploration of British naval history and Imperial arrogance, with a ship simulator, nautical oddities, and interactive games. We loved the giant message in a bottle and the colorful exhibit of ship figureheads. Admission was free.

What a fun discovery! Greenwich deserves more than a day.

Enjoy the video!

Thames River Cruise Photos

Links

Info:

National Maritime Museum

City Cruises

Thames River Sightseeing

Uber Boat

Map

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