Sometimes it is best to take advice from TripAdvisor postings and travelers' blogs with a grain of salt. It is best to check the posting date and then be suspicious of words and phrases like "best ever" and "so amazing". We now have first hand experience with that kind of advice.
So many postings appeared about the southern side of the island when we looked up "best beaches in Puerto Rico". We certainly had already experienced some great beaches here in the eastern end and on the island of Culebra. However, we wanted to swim at the best even though it was about a two hour drive away.
It was cloudy when we set off and it wasn't long before the torrential rain hit. However, like most rain events in Puerto Rico it passed quickly and the sun came out. We drove through both urban and rural areas and again experienced the aggressiveness of many Puerto Rican drivers. Passing on the inside lane appears to be acceptable, as is passing on the shoulder if an inside lane is occupied.
The scenery through the mountains was beautiful with colourful houses seemingly jutting out of those hills with cattle grazing on the slopes. Banana trees were a common sight.
After two and a half hours of driving we arrived at Ponce where we stopped at a Burger King to ask directions to the beach. A crude map drawn on a sales receipt got us nowhere and so we asked the GPS to find us a beach. After another half an hour we ended up at a small beach at the Guanica Dry Forest. Since we expected to find white sand and crystal clear water, we were sorely disappointed. The beach was nothing spectacular. Even so, we all went for a swim and had some good laughs about being in the water after such a long drive as we watched an approaching thunder and lightening storm.
After our quick dip we looked at the time and decided we had to get moving if we wanted to be back in Fajardo before dark. The drive back was easier than the drive down and even more scenic as we took a winding, narrow, cross country route through the countryside. (Our driver, Joanna may disagree as there was some necessary white knuckling along this route).
The driveway to our condo was a welcome sight after such a long day in the car. However, it was indeed a great Christmas Eve family outing and a day that will engender lots of laughs when one of us says, "Remember that Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico when..."
1 comment:
Thanks for the pictures, they really are a wonderful add on to the narrative. The hills did look pretty. Continue building on the adventures of your family event in Puerto Rico.
BB
Post a Comment