Last week we made an offer on a house in Cabo Rojo. Here’s the story of why, after 3 ½ years of a traveling retirement, we are (sort of) settling down.
I prefer to call it anchoring. The traveling will continue.
When we drove our Tacoma out of Colorado and embarked on our adventure in fall 2018, the world was in a different place. We were all healthy, traveling was safe, and we envisioned at least a decade of footloose exploration of the globe, until we got tired of traveling or couldn’t physically do it anymore. Our son Gavin took a gap year from high school before starting college, and we all took off on the road trip of life!
Leaving Colorado, Sept. 2018
We started in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, where we took an immersive Spanish class.
Then Guanajuato. Mexico City. A visit to Puerto Vallarta. Acapulco.
We experienced butterflies, beaches, tacos, mercados, museums, Mayan ruins, mountains, canyons, cities, villages. It was fascinating! Invigorating!
With Gavin starting at Champlain College in Burlington, VT, in August 2019, we headed to our lake house in Vermont for the summer. We hadn’t been able to enjoy this home while living in Colorado, and had forgotten how lovely it was to float on our lake in a kayak, hike in the Green Mountains, ride 30 miles on challenging country roads. We decided we would travel nine months of the year and return to Vermont every summer.
The plan was set.
Then life intervened. The day we dropped Gavin off at college, Bob’s mom called to say she had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. When she went into hospice care, we moved into her condo and cared for her through the end of her life. It was a gift.
After she passed, we flew down to Mexico City to resume our traveling life.
Five weeks into our three-month stay, Covid arrived, and everything changed. When the world locked down in March 2020, the whole family headed to Grandma’s condo. On his way there from college, Gavin caught the coronavirus. He was sick for a month, quarantined in his bedroom, and never really recovered. It turned into long-haul Covid.
Gavin in bed, thermometer in mouth
Two years later, Gavin has been diagnosed with a chronic illness called POTS, similar to chronic fatigue, and forges a daily battle to improve while slowly finishing college. This struggle will last into his adulthood. We no longer want to go off and live in Asia or Africa for months and months at a time. We want to be a much shorter plane ride away, if needed.
The constant evolution of Covid makes travel complicated and not as safe as it was when we started.
And now the war in Europe threatens the stability of the whole planet.
In the midst of all this disruption, I find I crave stability. An anchor.
We have also discovered that a life of just travel and exploration is not a full life. Part of the reason we maintain this blog and YouTube channel is to give us purpose, and a connection with those we love and the world. But we also need in-person connection. Friends. Volunteer work. Community. We have started making these in Vermont, and we cherish our friends there.
We drove west from Isabela to explore the Cara del Indio (Face of the Indian), Cueva del Indio (Cave of the Indian), and anything else we stumbled upon, including Taino and Spanish ruins, ocean arches, and one disgraced explorer.
Cara Del Indio
The Cara del Indo, a giant face carved into a hillside rock at the entrance to the coastal town of Isabela, represents Cacique (chief) Mabodamaca, a Taino leader who tried to protect his people from the Spanish trying to take the land. The chief’s giant visage welcomes visitors to Porta del Sol (Gateway of the Sun), the west coast region of Puerto Rico.
Cueva del Indio
Located farther east in the northcoast town of Arecibo, the Cueva del Indio is an impressive cave surrounded by dramatic cliffs that face the Atlantic Ocean. The cave gets its name from the pre-Columbian indigenous petroglyphs that are found in the walls of the cave.
However, the climb into the cave is a young person’s activity; we peered down into the yawning chasm, and saw a couple of petroglyphs carved outside.
Perhaps we’ll return with better climbing shoes (since we can’t bring younger bodies) and try to get in another time.
There are also seven dramatic arches you can hike to. The hike is short but difficult, on jagged rocks under hot sun with no shade. Wear good shoes and carry water.
We paid $5 each at the entrance, got a short talk with photos from the park staff person, and then we were on our own.
Ermita (Hermitage) San Antonio de Padua de la Tuna
We spotted a road sign and turned out of curiosity toward Ermita San Antonio de Padua de la Tuna, the remains of the first Spanish settlement in the northwest region of Puerto Rico. The Spanish lved here until they decided to move their community to Isabela, on the coast, but the original church remains here. Alas, the visitors center is only open on weekends, and the remains were locked up. (Ermita means Hermitage)
I did learn that the ruins of the original church have been preserved with help from the Mabodamaca Corporation, named was in honor of great Taino chieftain, and it is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.
Arecibo Lighthouse
The less said about this lighthouse, the better. It’s a lovely building, but we didn’t get close. The cost was $12 apiece to get in, and the area around the lighthouse has been turned into a kids’ amusement park – even the lighthouse sign has a pirate in it.
If I had brought my great-niece Audrey, I would have happily paid for half a day’s family amusement. But for a geezer and her young husband just wanting to see a lighthouse? Not worth $24.
Here’s the view from the back, from the parking lot of the next beach over. Stilll not worth $24.
Christopher Columbus Statue
Why is there a statue of Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) plunked down on a hill near the ocean in Arecibo? Inquiring minds wanted to know after we saw it looming from the Lighthouse.
It’s a circuitous story involving a Georgian sculptor who created a gigantic statue in 1991 and then spent decades trying to find a community in the Americas to host it. During that time, Columbus’s stock plummeted as the world transitioned from calling him a conquering hero to a genocidal murderer. The artist’s options dwindled, the statue deteriorated, and he finally settled on Arecibo, given that all the other candidates had dropped out of the running. Sort of like Beijing hosting the Winter Olympics.
The name of the statue is Birth of the New World. Here is its history, according to Wikipedia:
Originally designed by Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli as a monument to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus‘ first voyage Birth of the New World was constructed in 1991. The statue prominently depicts Columbus controlling an anachronistic depiction of a steering wheel, with a backdrop featuring the Niña, Pinta and Santa María traversing the Atlantic Ocean.[2] Made of 2,750 bronze and steel pieces and weighting more than 1,300,000 pounds (590 tons), the monument’s 360 ft (110 m) height made it the tallest in the Western Hemisphere during the last decade of the 20th century, dwarfing the Statue of Liberty[3] and the Monumento a la Virgen de la Paz.
New York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Columbus, OH, Baltimore, and other cities rejected Tsereteli’s offer of the statue. In the end, a consulting firm estimated that the statue would attract at least 300,000 tourists per year. Given that we couldn’t even find parking or an entrance, and had to take shots through a fence by a narrow beach road, I would say that estimate might have been on the high side.
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!
Snorkeling is one of the most inspiring activities you can do. It’s a privilege to be able to float in the water alongside sea life, looking down on spectacular coral and finding yourself magically surrounded by colorful fish.
But with that freedom comes great responsibility, as Peter Parker’s gentle Uncle Ben would say. Coral is very fragile. It’s battered daily by currents, and sometimes severely damaged by hurricanes. But its greatest enemy is humanity. Whether it’s monstrous oil spills, boat engines, or the fins on your feet, coral is easily damaged and takes years to grow back. So don’t be part of the problem, and don’t damage the coral!
How to Take Care of the Reefs
Wear reef-safe sunscreen: Use reef-safe sunscreen so that you don’t put chemicals in the water that can hurt the coral. Learn more.
Maintain safe distance: Do not swim too close or touch the underwater flora and fauna.
Watch your feet: Don’t step on or kick the coral because it can destroy their growth.
Follow directions: Always follow your snorkeling guide’s instructions whenever you are in the water.
Avoid contact with marine life: Never feed, touch or remove seawater animals or plants
Swim well: By swimming well, you will be able to control your movement underwater and not step on the coral reef. If you’re not a strong swimmer or haven’t snorkeled before, wear a life vest.
Other tips: Always make sure that your snorkeling gear is adequate and comfortable.
Support Reefs: Support the conservation project in the area you are snorkeling. We joined the Rincon chapter of Surfrider.com.
(Watch Bob’s YouTube video to take the hike with us.)
One of the items on Bob’s Cabo Rojo bucket list was finding the Túnel de Guaniquilla (Guaniquilla Tunnel). We had both seen tourist accounts on TripAdvisor and other websites about how horrendously difficult it is to find, and mixed reviews on whether the search was worth it. But Bob was determined. (Guanaquila is pronounced Gwah-nuh-KEE-luh.)
“After years of looking for it during our stays outside Boquerón ( only a few miles from the tunnel), we finally found the tunnel. Not worth the mosquitoes, mud and prickers to find it.”
“Finally found it. Don’t bother.”
“I had to climb a post fence that seemed to be on private property. Very narrow, overgrown path that eventually opens up a little.”
It turns out that these people were making the mistake of seeking the tunnel as a drive-by tourist attraction on their way to somewhere else. This is how it the entrance looks from the winding road they were searching from:
Easy to miss!
So imagine our delight when we decided to hike in Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve, and when Lisa pulled out her AllTrails app to examine the trails from the southernmost trailhead, she discovered an offshoot on the map that looked like it might lead to the tunnel.
We found adequate parking at the trailhead after following Google Maps on Lisa’s phone to get to it. The sign at the entrance was not promising, as it didn’t show hide or hair of a tunnel. But we forged ahead, following Alltrails and our instincts.
No tunnel on this map
The actual tunnel is .6 miles from the trailhead, but we extended the hike by taking the trails toward the water, then came back around and trekked toward the tunnel.
We saw some really interesting plants on the way.
Then we saw the first homemade sign that said we were on the right path:
The Guaniquilla Tunnel is carved out of a rocky hillside, with dramatic cliffs on both sides of the trail leading to it. It was used for trains to transport sugar cane.
According to Expedia, this was one of the first tunnels built for Puerto Rico’s old rail network that previously crossed the island. For the first 50 years of the 20th century, trains were a popular method of travel here, but they fell into disuse and left behind landmarks such as this hidden hillside tunnel.
Anyone who thinks it’s not worth the hike has no appreciation of nature’s splendor or what man has wrought to tame it. Go!
Wear good, non-slippery water shoes and a bathing suit if you decide to visit Gozalandia Falls, because you will not be able to keep from jumping into the enticing pool at the foot of this huge waterfall! The main waterfall is truly amazing, at least 50 feet tall, and there are several places where you can climb up and jump in (at your own risk). Or just swim in the pool at the bottom, watching fish swim around your feet.
There is a cement sidewalk and stairs to lead you to the main falls and several above, plus you can just walk in the creekbed.
The drive to get to Gozalandia on narrow, winding mountain roads is not for the faint of heart, which is the only reason you might consider paying a guide to take you. Otherwise, just set out on your own and navigate carefully! It’s about 1 1/2 from San Juan in San Sebastien.
The gate is open from 10 AM-6 PM, and there is a $10 charge for parking. Go early to avoid the crowds, though the community feel of lots of people watching each other swim and jump has its own appeal. Make sure you take time to enjoy a drink and snack at the end of the day in the little restaurant by the parking lot, which overlooks a green pond populated by turtles.
Be aware that the falls can be dangerous if there’s a lot of rain, so use caution and common sense.
Amazingly, the actual Guajataca Tunnel (pronounced gwa-hah-TAH-kah) was the least interesting part of this hike. And the tunnel was fantastic! But, as always happens when you’re as open to new discoveries, we found so much more.
We hiked through the tunnel and westward along rocky cliffs, with dazzling turquoise sea to our right.
We forked left and crossed a butterfly meadow, filled with plants that attract and feed those lovely insects, such as calotropis procera, and oplonia spinosa, almendro (terminalia catappa), jayajbico (erithalis fruticose). Here are the ones we saw, plus a caterpillar of unknown type.
We later learned it was in fact a frangipani worm and not a caterpillar at all. They can grow up to 6 inches long, travel in hordes, do an incredible amount of damage, and eventually turn into big brown moths.
Puerto Rico does have its own species of monarch butterfly called the macho monarca, which doesn’t migrate. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pose for pictures, either! But here’s one from USDA.
The macho monarca can also be found in the Virgin Islands, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, St. Lucia and Jamaica.
We found a posterboard about this butterfly and its diet when we exited the tunnel back into the park.
Hiking back along the ocean, powerful waves exploded against jagged boulders rising up from the shallow sea. We passed several remnants of wooden boats that we speculated might have carried aspiring migrants across the ocean from Haiti.
We also found wooden steps, yawning caves, a few creatures, and even a lone dead crab, perfectly preserved on the sand.
LizardRed-billed oyster catcher
The tunnel itself, which connects the towns of Quebradillas and Isabela, is a remnant of the sugar cane era, when trains were used to transport sugar cane from the farms in the area.
Local artists have given walls some color with murals, and we found local artisans and food vendors.
The white-sand PlayaGuajataca beside it, protected by a glorious grove of palm trees, stretched east to a campground and river. Settle into your beach chairs and you will enjoy a lot of shade and gorgeous cliff views.
Crashboat Beach has something for everyone — a gentle surf that beckons children in donut floats as much as adults drinking piña coladas, shady areas for relaxing, warm sand for sunbathing, a fascinating old pier jutting out into the water that teens love to jump off, food trucks with pinchos (kebabs) and smoothies, and amazing sunset views. But what Lisa found most interesting was UNDER the water!
