I recently traveled to Puerto Rico (December 2023) with my husband and grown sons, where we rambled, surfed, snorkeled, played tennis, and ate our way through our trip. The weather was glorious, consistently 28-30C (mid-80s F) and sunny, with only a few minutes of rain once or twice.
We stayed in Rincon, a sleepy surfer town on the West Coast, for the first few weeks. Rincon has much to do, yet it's also a wonderful place to lay back and relax. The uncrowded beaches are magnificent, with soft brown sand that never gets hot. The water is warm enough to bathe in for hours, being just slightly cooler than the air. There's also usually a welcome gentle breeze.
Many evenings, we'd make pina coladas (they were invented in Puerto Rico) and go to the beach to enjoy the sunsets.
Our temporary home (an Airbnb) was a 5-minute walk to the beach and into town. To get to town or the beach, we'd pass our neighbor's houses, some of whom had chickens, roosters, peacocks, peahens, and a horse.
And the cats! There were stray cats everywhere! Some were shy, but many were sweet and affectionate. They were semi-feral, but the community fed them and looked after them.
Rincon is blessed with many food trucks and locally-owned restaurants. I loved one particular laneway, with a group of food trucks where we could buy fantastic Puerto Rican fried fish balls (my favorite was with Grouper), Mofongo, Tostones, and Empanadillas.
I think Puerto Rican food tastes like a combination of Central American, Spanish, and Caribbean food.
Puerto Rico has lots of rambling options! One day, we rambled through a stunning, publicly managed forest called Cueva del Viento. The roads to drive there are sometimes harrowing, at times very narrow, one lane for two directions, alongside very steep hills! However, the rambling was gorgeous.
Gently rolling rainforest paths led us around various tropical trees and bushes over uneven footing as we climbed the gentle slopes. At times, the openings in the canopy revealed breathtaking views of more forests and valleys. The trails are well-marked and traveled but relatively quiet.
After our ramble through Cueva del Viento, we stopped at Cascada Gozalandia, and swam in a refreshing pool at the bottom of a magnificent waterfall. The natural beauty of these falls is breathtaking.
Our ramble through the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse Trail was also truly spectacular. There are wide open spaces, gently rolling hills to the Lighthouse, and steep cliffs to the sea below, with waves crashing into the cliffs and rocks.
Hidden at the trail's end is the glorious, quiet, sheltered La Playuela Beach, where the waves gently lap the shore, and you can enjoy a leisurely swim in the warm sea. Or, if you prefer, you can sit under a tree perfectly designed to shade you from the heat and sun.
Another ramble worth highlighting is Survivor Beach, near Aguadilla. This trail is a little less well-marked but offers incredibly lush greenery, tropical trees, vines, and more along the ocean that are not to be missed! At times, we crawled over rocks and hung onto vines to stop from slipping, but mostly wound through narrow paths, feeling miles from civilization. This trail winds up, down, and around, at times, high above sea level and then meanders back down.
After two glorious weeks in Rincon, we traveled to the capital city of San Juan. We rambled through the streets of this historic old city, enjoying more fabulous Puerto Rican food and glorious beaches, which were nicely busy but never overly crowded.
My favorite trail magic in San Juan was the street art in Santurce (and throughout the city) and Old San Juan, where the charming, narrow streets meandered about with colorful buildings and patios. Although Old San Juan is a little touristy (there's a harbor where cruise ships arrive), I felt transported back to an olden time, how I imagine what a simple life on an idyllic, tropical island might be like.
What I especially loved about Puerto Rico was that it's safe. I could walk freely (although, like anywhere, there are places to avoid). Puerto Ricans made us feel welcome; it's easy to navigate by car (we rented a car), and the water is clean to drink. I can't wait to go back and explore more of this fantastic island!
READ MORE > Ramble Logs, Rambler Cafe Blog
Leave a comment