So let�s see if we can check boxes for a 7 day PR adventure. Stealing from the Guadeloupe's tourist board you could mix it up with a green/blue adventure

[color:"green"]The Green Adventure:
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If you like to hike and feel like you have left civilization I would plan on 1 or 2 days at Casa Cubuy. http://www.casacubuy.com/ This eco-lodge is nothing fancy, but the views are amazing. The hikes can go from easy to extreme. The waterfalls are beautiful. It is on the south side of El Yunque and the bridge over the mountain washed out, so you have to drive around the park to get to it. The Eco Lodge is only about � mile from the washed out bridge. We were there in October a couple of years ago, and were the only guest. The inn provided a great breakfast, and we had dinner down the road in a little roadside shack that was amazing. All I can say about our time in the rain forest is PHOTO Opportunity! Maybe the most relaxing 24 hours I have ever spent. We arrived late morning, hiked and played in the waterfalls all afternoon. Totally chilled, we enjoyed the sounds of the nature that night swinging in a hammock. Next morning took another short hike and then headed off for a late lunch. Could I have stayed longer� maybe another a day, but that would be it.



BTW it is a really fun drive to get there!

There are still a good number of coffee plantations on the island. At one time, PR was a major producer of coffee, but economics and big corporations kinda squelch the small farmer. Now that artisanal coffees have become popular, there appears a comeback of the little guy. There is a ton of info and tour opportunities of coffee plantations that can be pulled off the web.

We used to go to one up in the Mountains east of Mayaguez. They had an amazing Sunday brunch. A small inn was on the plantation for those who wanted an overnight stay. Paradores (Small inns or BBs) in Puerto Rico is also an interesting way to jump around the island. I did a quick google search, but could not find the Parador at the coffee plantation I was speaking of above.

[color:"blue"]The Blue Adventure:[/color]

I would have to point you to an area known as �The Shacks�. Not far from Jobos Beach, and some great roadside bar/restaurants, the Shacks offer the getaway you are looking for. Little to no off island tourists and the villas are right on the water.

When we lived on the island, my wife and I were proud renters of one of �the shacks�. Four couples went in together and split the $80 a month rental fee. It was our weekend hangout and party central.



Basically, it was a great place to snorkel, and the structure provided an indoor port of potty + shade to get the beer out of the sun. Since then all the shacks are gone, and new small villas have been built along the beach. We have never stayed in any of them, but we did check this one out when we visited last. It stands exactly where our shack use to be. Shack Villas Ok, it is a sentimental choice, but it does check the box of on the beach and no tourist.

From the Shacks, day trips into the Mountains to explore Camuy Caves, the Arecibo Antenna if you were a fan of the movie Contact, or down to Rincon for a little surf watching are all achievable. Oh yeah and Moca, the town known for lace is also close.



Most of all the Shacks offers a quiet beach, yet very close to some great food and local culture.

I assume you will fly into San Juan, although depending where you live flying into Aquadilla (BQN) Borinquen Airport may also be an option. I have seen some get great fares into BQN. This alternative would avoid San Juan altogether. Their is a Marriot hotel next to the airport for the last night. (It used to be a military hospital that was converted to a hotel - Borinquen was Ramey AFB)

I would recommend that you do mid-week departures. The weekends in PR can be fun. It seems there is always a gathering and music somewhere. I remember stopping outside of Mayaguez late one Saturday morning to fill up the car. The gentleman who ran the gas station was cooking a goat in the behind the station. Next thing we knew we were eating a plate of Arroz con Gandules, Goat & Lechon, and enjoying a few cold ones. It was the longest gas station stop ever, but what an experience.

Recommend that you do not try to hold to rigid time schedule in PR, something will always slow you down.



Make sure you do leave enough time to find a small rum shack on the beach, a cold Medlla, a 1/2 slab of ribs, and a few tostones - then enjoy your day as it slips away. The term Siempre Ma�ana will no longer be words, but a lifestyle to pursue.

Once again, PR is not a shiny glitzy place. Recent economic turns and continuing unemployment issues has made more of the ugly side surface. However, PR is a land rich history, beauty, and culture. The food is amazing, unless you are a Cardiologist. The people are so friendly, and with just a few words of Spanish a big smile of welcome is normally seen. It is definitely not a trip for those who need to feel in control. The language is different, tourism is not the only industry, and politically it is a mess � yet it is still the Land of Enchantment for my wife and I.