San Juan, Puerto Rico and a Return to Vieques

“I’ve got a Caribbean soul I can barely control…” – Jimmy Buffet

“Meet me in Old San Juan, where everything is muy chévere!” – Anonymous

It has been six years since we last came to Vieques. And in that time we have traveled the world, lived overseas, and are no longer travel virgins. It is now 2016 and time to return to this sleepy little island.

We flew from Seattle to Miami, and then directly to San Juan, Puerto Rico. But before we ventured onward to Vieques, we had to make time to explore Old San Juan. We booked a couple nights at Hotel El Convento. Built in 1646 it first served as a home for an order of Carmelite Nuns who lived in poverty and silence. The nuns vacated the property in 1903 and it was left for ruin. It was saved in 1962, purchased by Robert Woolworth, heir to the Woolworth fortune, and turned into a luxury hotel. Everywhere in the hotel is a feeling of sophistication and elegance, all the while keeping the Spanish features of the original convent. And it is situated just steps from the Old Town.

As soon as we checked into our room, we were off to explore Old San Juan. Built in 1521, Old San Juan still has the feel of those early colonial days. The streets are narrow with buildings stacked right on top of each other. The homes painted bright tropical colors many with Juliette Balconies and fancy ironwork. The streets are laid with these captivating blue cobblestones, found only here in San Juan. The cobblestones came from the ballasts of the sailing vessels and are made from furnace slag, called adoquines. They say the blue, which intensifies with moisture, is a tribute to the blue waters that surround the island.

Whenever there are forts, we find them. And there are two very well preserved forts in Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro is an imposing structure built at the point of land overlooking the entrance to the harbor. This fortress consists of 6 levels facing the Atlantic Ocean, all of which were designed to create a devastating artillery fire over enemy ships. Construction on the fort began in 1539, and in 1595, while still under construction, the fort was attacked by none other than Sir Frances Drake. The Spanish were able to repel that attack, and many others over the years to follow. And today visitor roam about this well preserved fort.

Castillo San Cristóbal was built to defend the city from the land and was the largest fortress in all of the Americas. Besides the well preserved fort, there is also a museum on the property holding artifacts and telling the stories of battles of yesterday.

And of course whenever we visit a new city, we must sample the food.

First we had to try Mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish made from mashed green plantains, garlic and chicharrón (fried pork skin) It was DELICIOUS!!!!

and the National Dish of Puerto Rico, Arroz Con Gandules. It is rice with pigeon peas (grandules) mixed with onions, peppers, garlic, and cilantro, plus sometimes pork or chicken. Again, truly delicious.

And sample food and drink we did!!!

We loved Old San Juan, but now onward to Vieques and relaxation time. We chose Vieques Air again, but this time we flew out of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the main airport in San Juan. And we weren’t there at midnight, but during the early morning and the airport was bustling. We still had to be weighed and were led out to the plane, same model as before, a Britten-Norman Islander. To our surprise, our pilot was young and never once had to refer to a manual for instructions. Our flight to Vieques was smooth and uneventful. We made our way to Maritzas Car Rental and picked up our Jeep Wrangler, four wheel drive and able to get us to the far corners of the island. For accommodations we again chose Evamer Studios and Bungalows, but instead of the tiny room or the upstairs room with the leaky windows and doors, we selected the larger suite at the top of the property, complete with a large deck, bedroom, sitting room and bathroom. Lovely.

And then we set about reaquainting ourselves with the beaches and sites of the island.

Everyday we were on a beach, soaking up as much sun as possible. The beaches were still gorgeous and uncrowded.

Horses still roamed wild.

We even invented a game, similar to horseshoes, but instead of the iron shoes we used coconuts. Two posts were pounded into the sand about 30 feet apart. A circle drawn in the sand around each post. Each contestant had three small coconuts. The goal was to get your coconuts the closest to the post. Points counted if you place them within the circle. We played this game for hours. People would pass and watch, quite the hit!!!

We explored the fort in Isabel Segunda, El Fortín Conde de Mirasol, also known as Fuerte de Vieques. Built in 1845 and restored in 1991. There is a little museum and the views from the fort are breathtaking.

And we found the remains of the old lighthouse, Puerto Ferro Light, also known as Faro de Puerto Ferro. It was built in 1896 and help guide many a ship through the Vieques Passage. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1926. The remains sets on a rugged outcropping of rocks, high above the rough surf below.