Puerto Rico

Every school year we get a week off in December, February and April. Last year, I wasn’t in Holliston or DC during the April vacation. My family and I went to Puerto Rico with my grandparents for the week. This vacation is a trip that I will remember for a long, long time. It was only a 4 hour plane ride, but it felt like forever as we headed towards the small island in the Caribbean. The amount of time we spent in the plane, gathering luggage, and getting our rental car was all worth it. The island of Puerto Rico was absolutely remarkable.

We landed in an airport just outside the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital. We didn’t stay there for long though. Our desired destination was down the southern part of the island; a small city by the name of Guánica. The landscape of the island changed dramatically as we drove to the southern end of the island. The northern part is lush and green with trees and shrubs. The middle of the island consists of a mountain range with a very rocky terrain. Once we escaped the valleys of the mountains the terrain was arid and dry, and filled with palm trees closer to the shore. There was little to no vegetation and it resembled a desert at first. It’s amazing to see how many different types of environments are located on such a small island (there is even a rainforest in the north eastern corner of the island!)

Once we made it to Ponce it was only fifteen minutes to our hotel, the Copamarina, in a small town called Guánica just outside the city. The weather was unbelievable down in Ponce. On the resort we were able to swim in the Caribbean Sea or in the resorts pools. The food at the resort was delectable. Every meal had a different menu with all sorts of food that made your mouth water just reading about them. The best part about the Copamarina was that is was located right along the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The water was so clear; you could see the sandy bottom even a good 100 yards out. While my sister and I were swimming back to shore, I stepped in a patch or seaweed that I was swimming over. With my luck, a jellyfish happened to be in there and felt as though I was a threat. So, of course, I was stung on my shin and it felt as though a crab had pinched me. It really wasn’t at all fun, and I don’t think ill go anywhere near jellyfish again. Other than the jellyfish incident, I really enjoyed spending part of my vacation at the Copamarina, but my family didn’t spend all of the time at the resort. We took a day trip in to the city of Ponce, and it was unbelievable.

Down town Ponce was so interesting. There were all sorts of vendors on the streets, pushing carts filled with ice cream (piraguas), jewelry and souvenirs. There was a street in the middle of the city that was completely blocked off from traffic, where all sorts of kiosks displaying food and trinkets were stationed. They all happened to be right around this huge, beautiful fountain. Ponce had many different tourists’ sites, but my favorite was the old fire station. They had old fire helmets, suites, and hatchets in the building. They displayed the old water hoses that were used to put out multiple fires. On the first floor of the fire house, there was an old fire truck that had Ponce written in capital letters down the side. We also visited the old church, but that wasn’t as fun or as interesting as the fire station. Between the city of Ponce and the Copamarina Resort, our stay down on the southern end of the island was remarkable.

For the remaining part of the week, we drove back up to San Juan (on the northern shore). We stayed at the Caribe Hilton Resort just outside Old San Juan. This hotel was set up more like a modern hotel, with elevators and long carpeted hallways. The Copamarina was more open, had tiled walkways and rooms, and was only a series of one story rooms. The Caribe had an open entrance way, with glass walls that allowed you to see through all the gift shops and straight out to the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean was not as clear and calm as the Caribbean was. The Atlantic had more waves that would roll all the way up to the beach. The hotel also had a series of hot tubs and pools. The large pool contained a small waterfall that fed into a smaller pool at the bottom. The food at the resort was more American styled, as the menus included more hamburgers and hot dogs than the menus at the Copamarina. At the Caribe we were able to see an iguana right along the walkway leading to the small restaurant. It was long and green and didn’t move too quickly when it saw my sister and I. It slowly made its way into the bushes along the walkway. Seeing an iguana was something that was new to me and my sister, so it made our day. Just like with the Copamarina, my family and I didn’t stay at the resort the entire time. We took one day where we visited the city of San Juan.

Restaurants, gift shops and people filled the small cobbled streets of Old San Juan. Even with our time restraint, we were able to make time for souvenir shopping and a nice dinner in the city. The restaurant that we went to was called La Mallorquina. It had an unbelievable selection of food for dinner and dessert. Everything about the restaurant was so welcoming and relaxing. They kept the doors to the dinning area open, so the warm breeze would enter once and a while. I can remember the dinner and night perfectly, it was that much fun. Although we were only able to go into the city for one day, it was amazing how much we were able to see and experience.

Both of the resorts were remarkable and memorable, but for different reasons. Guánica was so beautiful and relaxing. The warm ocean and the calm breeze felt so good, as did the feeling of satisfaction from your stomach after eating an amazing meal. San Juan had a very different vibe. It was more modern and busy. The food was still wonderful and the sites were still breathtaking. All in all, it was the best vacation that my family could have taken. Sure, I wasn’t able to go with my friends to DC, but Puerto Rico was a way better experience. Plus, I really wouldn’t want to take an eleven hour bus ride down to DC. If your family is ever itching for an amazing, warm, sunny vacation, tell them to consider Puerto Rico. You won’t regret it, and you’ll have many incredible memories for the rest of your life.

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