Hello Lunatics!
I really hope you are doing well. I am now getting ready for the next 8 or so weeks of Puerto Rican Navidades (holidays) which begin, at least for me, with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Don’t ask me why. Many of my relatives have already decorated their homes with their Christmas trees and Nativity sets. Me? Nah. I am holding off. Just like I wait for after Labor Day weekend to do “pumpkin spice” anything, I wait until after Santa makes his debut at the parade at noon, on Thanksgiving Day!
What do the holidays have to do with anything? Every year, religiously, I get homesick for Puerto Rico, especially around the holidays. So, in 2021, I decided to take off for 10 days and not tell anyone I was going. I don’t recommend doing that especially if your relatives are elderly or have any type of heart condition.
Where did I go? Almost everywhere! I did stop in San Juan, I always do. It’s home. I have to because by now it’s almost a ritual. Now, the next few recommendations came from that visit and from a couple other trips I’ve taken. Let’s get started.
La Loma de los Reyes – Cayey
Cayey is about a good 40 minutes South of San Juan, off Rt. 52.
I had heard about this place before and was told I could see it from the highway, but never saw it and never visited. In 2021, after enjoying some delicious food and drinks in the mountainous area of Guavate, my sister and I stopped to check it out.
The owner, Juan Santos, is a Puerto Rican sculptor who creates beautiful pieces in the shape of the Three Kings. That’s all he does. They come in all sizes. After perusing all the pieces he had there, I asked what drove him to sculpting. He told me he was a successful man in his younger years, but felt empty inside. He said asked God to lead him to do something meaningful with his life. Sculpting in rocks was it. He seemed happy. I bought a couple of pieces – a smaller set for my Mom and a larger set for my home.
While you’re up there, take the view in – everything around that hill is beautiful. Take in the flora and enjoy the wind because it gets windy! And take lots of photos!
Cueva Ventana, Arecibo
The next place is about an hour and a half West of San Juan, in Arecibo. You get on Route 22W and follow the GPS. If you get lost, ask for directions.
The road trip is definitely worth it. After you park, there is a fee to get into the park. I strongly suggest you bring cash with you as there is a chance that internet is not reliable to do debit/credit card transactions. You always want to carry a little bit of cash with you in Puerto Rico for this and other reasons.
After you’ve paid your admissions fee, a ranger will hand you a dorky safety helmet and you go on your trekking up to the cave. It’s about a good 30-45 minutes, some areas are steep both up and down, and some are slippery. You get a fully guided, narrated experience from the ranger as you navigate the caves until you get to Cueva Ventana. That in itself is all worth the trip and the urge to turn around and leave mid-way through the journey. Do yourself a favor: stick to the plan. I promise you it’s so worth it!
El Banquillo, Ponce
Last, but definitely not least, is El Banquillo in Ponce. It’s a really good 2 hours – at least – South of San Juan. Get on 52S towards Ponce and then… follow the windy road. It’s a trek, I am not going to lie. However, once you get to the top, it is worth every curve, steep hill, downward sloped driving.
A really important thing about this place is that there are no restrooms, restaurants, or anything fancy other than some benches, picnic tables, swings, and further in, a bench overlooking the beautiful view. Some days, there may be someone selling fritters and turnovers, but nothing to get excited about while visiting.
My recommendation is to stop for food and a bathroom break before getting onto Route 149. There are plenty of local and US restaurants that you can choose from before leaving for the drive to El Banquillo. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
If you ever visit Puerto Rico, please, please, pleeease – get out of San Juan, if you can. Go to the mountains, go South, go West, go East! There is so much more to Puerto Rico than San Juan! If you have been, please tell me what did you like the most. I’d love to read it!
