Honey Moon in Puerto Rico For Two Weeks. What Do my Future Wife and I, ABSOLUTELY have to see and do

In My Humble Opinion
1

The future Mrs Skywalker and I are getting married Oct 9th 2010. We are taking a two week honey moon to puerto rico.

We are staying one week in a cabin in the jungle outside of Mayaguez and one week in what is billed as a mountain waterfall retreat in the mountains outside of Cayey. We will be renting a car for two weeks so we have access to the whole island. We are definately checking out the bioluminescent bay, the Rio Camuy Cave Park and the radio telescope close by.

Please give us your opinions about what is a cant miss!

also I am very interested in trying this pitorro rum I hear is distilled there, any ideas how to ask for this moonshine?

2

I haven’t been, but on my life’s to-do list is visit Puerto Mosquito, a bay where the water is filled with bioluminescent organisms that light up when disturbed. It’s actually on Vieques Island, just off of Puerto Rico proper.

3

Cabo Rojo has a bioluminescent bay, but it has lost part of its shine due to pollution. It’s still there, though, but probably not as “ooooh” as it once was.

I’m just glad you’re spending time away from Old San Juan. I mean, as much as I love that area, I would prefer people to go outside the city and look around. Personally, I enjoy just roadtrips and looking at the scenery.

Still, I’d recommend spending a morning or an afternoon in Old San Juan. Visit the forts, see the old buildings.

Since you’re in the “isla” and not the “área metro”, I’d say visit Ponce. It has historical buildings, some tourist areas around like Castillo Serrallés, Hacienda Buena Vista (coffee plantation), and Parque Ceremonial Tibes (Taíno and earlier arqueologic park).

For museums, there is the Museo de Arte de Ponce in the south (the famous painting Flaming July is there), and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in Santurce (part of San Juan).

Other nature-type places you can check are El Yunque (rainforest park), and Cabezas de San Juan (in Fajardo, a mangrove park).

In the west (around where you will be in Mayagüez), there is the Faro in Rincón and parque Guajataca in Isabela/Quebradilla.

Check around because I’m not sure if some of the places I mentioned will be open, or if they require prior reservation.

Also, go to the beaches. I’m partial to the west ones (most of all Crashboat, in Aguadilla).

I’m not sure how you can get around pitorro, as I’ve never tried (I don’t even like normal rum).

4

You have to see the forts San Cristobal and El Morro. And there’s the much smaller San Geronimo.

5

Things to see: Each other naked.

Things to do: Have sex.

You did say “honeymoon”, right?

6

“Honeymoon in Puerto Rico” happens to be a famous song by Puerto Rican bandleader Bobby Capó. It’s the second item in this page.
Some clarifications and additions to KG’s post:

[ul]
[li]The Ponce Museum is closed for major renovs since last year and Flaming June is temporarily on loan to the Tate, but it should be back up in time for your trip.[/li]
[li]Hacienda Buena Vista in Ponce and the Cabezas de San Juan preserve in Fajardo (which also includes the historic lighthouse; you can find another one in Cabo Rojo) both are Conservation Trust properties and DO require reservations. VERY worthwile visits, indeed. The Trust also organizes other similar tours in other sites and in Old SJ and has the choice of English and Spanish tours. www.fideicomiso.org (787) 722-5844 and 722-5882.[/li]
[li] When in Old SJ do make sure you also hit the ancient churches (San José, Cristo, Catedral de San Juan, San Francisco) and that you take the tour of the Capitol Building, my humble workplace [/li]
[li]The better bioluminescent bays are available in Fajardo and on Vieques Island (east of PR); the La Parguera bio-bay, in the Southwest is is indeed impacted but if you catch it on a good moonlit night. You could also choose an overnight in a small hotel in Vieques or Fajardo to catch one of the eastern bays. One nice scenic drive in the SE is Rte. 901 between Maunabo and Yabucoa, hugging the mountain high above the sea. [/li]
[li]While in the west coast if you wish to splurge hit the Horned Dorset Primavera, a highly-rated out-of-the-way inn/restaurant in Rincón.[/li]
[li]May also, if interested in that sort of thing take one night in SJ to catch the club nightlife[/li]
[li]Don’t know if y’all are into sport fishing/diving, for both of which there are good resources in the SW (Cabo Rojo, Guanica and Parguera)[/li]
[li]You would be coming in a bit early in the season for the better pitorro producers, who’ll be probably prepping to ramp up production for Xmas…[/li]
[li]KG and myself offer our advance apologies for the quality of the traffic in urban areas and of the driving everywhere. Just remember all your defensive driving lessons.[/li]
[li]Must say, Hurricane activity peak for the Eastern Caribbean is September, which may lag into early October so make sure you insure your trip for that contingency![/li]
[li] Oh, and what Gyrate said so sensitively ;). Congrats and much success![/li][/ul]

7

I would definitely recommend Vieques. I loved it… tiny little sleepy island, with an old picturesque village on one side and a short drive over to the beaches on the other. And Puerto Mosquito.

8

I will fifth this or whatever. Bring googles, because otherwise you will wish you had. It was super awesome.

9

Santurce seems to be suddenly hot for nightlife and restaurants. You’ll be there a bit early for baseball.

Medalla beer is rather good, and fairly priced. I generally stuck to rum drinks though. Rum and tonic was my go-to, made, of course, with Don Q.

10

Yup, this is what I was going to come in and mention.

The flight from San Juan to Vieques is great, you fly low over El Yunque and get a nice view of Old San Juan and can see all the reefs under the water on the way to the island.

Vieques is amazing. Hell, just spend your whole honeymoon there. :wink: Or split it between old San Juan and Vieques, don’t get yourself some kind of insane itinerary.

Last time I was there, we all took some acid and went swimming. It was amazing. :wink:

11

The Bioluminescent bay in Fajardo is by far the most active one. The others are dying because of people swimming in them. I can recommend these guys for tours. They’re very knowledgeable and all speak English. http://www.kayakingpuertorico.com/

They also do tours of the rain forest. I’ve never taken one because my grandparent’s house is less than a mile from it and I spent every summer while growing up running around in it.