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I am told we should arrive early, as the locals (should) and do get preference over tourists.
This is nonsense. Everyone is treated equally. Gringos actually might get a little extra leeway. Just get there 15 minutes or so ahead of time. During a weekday, as long as it's not a holiday, you'll have no problem. Even the weekends aren't bad.
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We are young (early 20's) and love going out for drinks, trying new foods, etc.
The bar and restaurant scene on Culebra is limited to just a couple places, but they are pretty decent, but not exotic.
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Would you recommend renting a car and parking it at the lot in Farjardo($5/day from what we have gathered) or catching a taxi (quoted $180 roundtrip)? The prices will be comparable with all costs, I believe.
The taxi prices appear to have gone up a lot since I've used them last. The last few times I've been to Culebra I drove and parked, and it might be cheaper. Although some gringos get intimidated by driving in PR. The parking lot is just down the street from the ferry.
Let me know if you would like any more suggestions on where to stay, etc. I have spent a lot of time around the SJ area, and Culebra, and am happy to share my experiences.
This is nonsense. Everyone is treated equally. Gringos actually might get a little extra leeway. Just get there 15 minutes or so ahead of time. During a weekday, as long as it's not a holiday, you'll have no problem. Even the weekends aren't bad.
The bar and restaurant scene on Culebra is limited to just a couple places, but they are pretty decent, but not exotic.
The taxi prices appear to have gone up a lot since I've used them last. The last few times I've been to Culebra I drove and parked, and it might be cheaper. Although some gringos get intimidated by driving in PR. The parking lot is just down the street from the ferry.
Let me know if you would like any more suggestions on where to stay, etc. I have spent a lot of time around the SJ area, and Culebra, and am happy to share my experiences.
You'll have fun!
David
Thanks for the input, David. We are mostly looking to detox from the 9-5 office humdrum.
Here's are rough layout (we tend to do what strikes us when we explore a new place but wanted to have a rough schedule of things to do):
Aug 27th- land at SJU around 1 PM. Pickup rental car and explore San Juan / Old San Juan (fort, etc.) / local beaches. Stay in San Juan.
Aug 28th- Explore San Juan.
Aug 29th- Head to Farjardo and check out rainforest hike
Aug 30th- Bio Tour in evening; Stay in Farjardo
Aug 31st- Park rental in Farjardo ferry lot. Catch 9am ferry to Culebra
Sept. 1st- Culebra
Sept. 2nd- Culebra
Sept. 3rd- Culebra
Sept. 4th- Catch ferry back to Farjardo; Stay in San Juan
Sept. 5th- return rental car at SJU; flight home
Are we missing any "must see" or do places/things? We tend to like nature-oriented adventures, local foods joints, some good drinks, and neat historical spots (not museums, though). We plan to do some snorkeling in Culebra, too.
You'll have fun, but that's the depth of the slow season, and on the fringe of the depth of hurricane season. Many eateries may be closed. It will definitely be quiet. There's more going on in Vieques (but still, not a whole helluva lot).
I've heard the same thing about the ferry but I'm glad to hear it isn't true. the island is looking to privatize the ferries so tehre may be hope for bringing them into the modern world of internet reservations. It would also be nice if there was a ferry directly from san juan. you aren't allowed to bring your car rental to the islands so renting a car just to get to vieques is wasteful but sadly necessary. there is a hotel in fajardo that will pick you up
Everyone has different things they like, so it's tough for me to say. Personally I enjoy just wandering the streets of Old SJ, higher up the hill, farther away from the cruise docks and tourists. It's kind of fun to just wander around at night and bar-hop in some of the little local dives. Keep somewhat alert, and make sure you don't stumble into La Perla by accident.
There are some great restaurants in Old SJ, but it seems to be hit or miss. I have better luck in Condado, where two of my favorites are. I have a short attention span for authentic PR food, all deep fried, plantains, etc. But some of that as a little garnish to a nice Latin or Caribbean fusion sort of meal can be nice. I have some favorite restaurants in PR, but they're not PR food. If you want genuine PR local food you can try Casa Blanca in Santurce. Not a great neighborhood, but you should be OK if you just are smart. But it's that tasty but greasy chicken/plantains/beans sort of stuff.
I've never stayed there, but the Hotel Convento in Old SJ is very nice and very authentic, and right in the middle of the old city. I have eaten there a couple times and it's very nice.
I mostly really enjoy just driving through the mountains. It's a bit of work. The roads are good, but very tight and curvy, and you may often find you are traveling at an average speed of about 20 mph for hours on end. Plus the signage can be mysterious or non-existant. So it's slow going. But you'll see cool, wacky stuff, and get a real Latin-Caribbean vibe, good and bad. Plus it's very safe for the most part, and people are usually very nice. Don't be afraid to stop for a beer at one of the "Chinchorros", the shabby little dive bars in the mountains. They look a little scary, and sometimes the customers look a bit sullen as you drive by, but I've been to dozens of them and never had a problem, and usually the people are friendly and fun.
Your rent car, even from a major company, will likely have something wrong with it so check it carefully before you take it on a trip to make sure it's safe. Tires are often soft or leaking, for instance.
Vieques and Culebra have wonderful beaches, but other than that the scenery sucks there. Flat and dry and scrubby. But Culebra is nice in a boring kind of way. There are only two decent restaurants in town- Mamacitas, and the Dinghy Dock. They're both good. Mamacitas seems to have a more hip menu, while DD is more of an ex-pats-hanging-around-the-bar-scene, but not in a bad way. There's also Chuck's pizza, which is more of a local hangout but cool if you want pizza. We used to get a pizza and some beer and take it down to the embarcardero and eat at one of the benches and watch the sun set, and hang. There's also Club Seaborne, which is out of town, and has a higher-end feel to it, although I'm not sure the food is any better than in town.
I keep trying to like Fajardo, but it's pretty rough with very limited dining and lodging options. There is a really great semi-high-end restaurant in Fajardo on the outskirts of town. I can try to remember the name if you're interested.
Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to provide such a well-written response!
Side note: Do common apps such as Waze or Google Maps work well for navigating the island (ex: San Juan to Farjardo or El Yunque)? Or would it be a better idea to get the coordinates of each individual day trip/stop?
Navigation in every way in PR is a real challenge because traditional street addresses and signage don't really exist. Everything is done via landmarks. For instance, I have gotten directions to major business offices that go something like, "Take the exit when you see the Nissan dealership, keep to the right, turn left at the KFC, go around the back of the building with the blue roof and you'll see our parking lot." I have asked people what the name of the street is in front of their company, and neither they, nor any of their co-workers, will have any idea. "It's the one next to the Shell station." They, too, think it's crazy and funny.
For major things like the Fajardo ferry, Google maps will work fine. Don't know Waze.
Flying is the fastest, simplest way to get to Culebra. Three scheduled airlines service Culebra from San Juan. They fly to/from SJ international (SJU) and also to/from the smaller local airport, Isla Grande. The fare is higher flying to/from SJ International but saves you the taxi trip between airports. There is also a charter airline. The flight takes about 1/2 hour and is a wonderful way to see the coastline of the main island and get a bird's-eye view approaching Culebra.
Isla Grande is a local airport about 15 minutes (if no traffic) by taxi from SJ International Airport. Fare between airports is approx $25 (per ride, not per person). Flights vary from about $72-$150 each way (depending on airport, airline, demand, etc). They charge aditional per lb for overweight luggage (including carry-on).
If you decide to stay with the ferry, do not expect to take your mainland rental car with you. The wait and travel time for the ferry, expect to spend 8 to 10 hours of your vacation time.
I have had excellent luck with osj restaurants honestly. Caficultura is an excellent place. I'd also plug santurce, may be a little rough around the edges but it's home to some of the best new places.
As for Fajardo, it's a ferry launch. Hyannis is pretty uninteresting as well.davids right on the money there
We were mainly looking to stay in Farjardo due to its proximity to the ferry/El Yunque/bio tour.
Is there a more interesting area close to Farjardo that you would recommend staying at? We will have a rental car so we are relatively open as to where we stay for the first two nights.
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