Rincon, Puerto Rico Guide

Rincon Puerto Rico  is a small coastal town  on the island's west side, with a population of 14,000;  One road leads into it and it has no stop lights.    It's a popular because of surfing, beaches, scuba diving and deep sea fishing.  Its tourist season starts around before Christmas and continues to Labor Day.

 Rincon is half an hour from Aguadilla Borinquen Airport, and 2.5 hours from Luis Munoz International Airport in San Juan.  You need a car to get around Puerto Rico.  Distances are far and public transport is dismal.  The best time not to get into San Juan, Puerto Rico is Friday afternoons, or on weekdays around 5 o'clock.  Traffic on the eastern side is terrible.  It's bumper to bumper from 3 to 6, and if there's an accident or a distraction,  congestion gets worse.

  I  have traveled around the states, Europe, Caribbean Islands, and Central America.  Puerto Rico has the feel of a state.  You see the same car companies, fast food restaurants, and stores.  Fifteen minutes from our villa there's a Walgreens, Sam's Food Club, Kmart and  others.  What I like about about Puerto Rico: it feels like  a foreign country as well.  Puerto Rico is a U.S.  territory, but  it's safer  than any  Latin American country.  You don't need a passport, but you do need your city sense.

Puerto Rico  is bilingual.  Almost everyone understands  English, and about 65 percent speak English.  You see the same movies from the US in Puerto Rico.  Movies in Puerto Rico have Spanish subtitles.  Half of business signs are in English.  

Rincon is a town in the country. My neighbors raise cows, chickens and pigs.  Yet, everything you need is close:  A hospital,  supermarkets, restaurants and beach shops are within  10 minutes from Villa Orleans. 

In Rincon there are many things you can do for fun.  Water sports are the key:                                                                                             

• Diving:  The waters off the coast of Rincon are fabulous.  There are several dive shops renting out diving equipment.   Taino Divers has daily excursions to Desecheo Island.  They provide food and drinks.  We go snorkeling to Desecheo every summer and the waters are eye candy.  150 ft visibility, all the tropical fish you see in pet shops and  more.

• Beaches: Puerto Rico beaches circle the island. Miles of beaches surround Rincon.  You can hike from one end to the other.  Along the beach you see pelicans, occasional iguanas, dolphin, and from January to March, whales.        

• Snorkeling: You can snorkel in front of Villa Orleans, but when strong rains come, the water gets cloudy.  The coolest area to go snorkeling in Rincon, is called Tres Palmas Marine reserve.  There is a place called Steps Beach.  The shore line is a slab of rock, but once you get past it, you're in an Elk Horn coral forest.  

• Surfing:  Occasionally we  get surf at the villa. The better spots are closer to the Atlantic:  Domes, Maria's Beach, and Tres Palmas.   During the winter, when cold fronts come through, so do the waves, averaging 5 to 6 feet  in height, at times reaching 15 to 25 feet.  You can surf all along Rincon's north coast.  There are a number of places that rent our surfboards, but it's better to bring your own.  During surf season surfboard rentals can get scarce.  Surfboards rental is about $25 per day.

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• Jet skis rent out for about $75/hr.  You can get those in town, as well as kayaks and surfboards.  Kayaks are $10/hr.  We have boogie boards at the villa.  Most beach rental shops are 10 to 15 minutes away.   Malibu Surf Shop rents surf boards for about $25 a day.  In season they rent out quickly.  So does West Coast Surf Shop as well.

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• Sailing: Katarina Sailing has a morning and sunset cruise.  In the morning they take you snorkeling and offer food.

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• Horseback Riding:  Two places offer horseback riding:   1) Rincon's Pintos "R" Us;   2)Tropical Trail Rides  in Aguadilla.  It's a 40 minute drive from Rincon.  I took my son for his birthday.  It's a 2 hour excursion, on a secluded beach.  Several trails take you to the beach.  We passed several flat cement structures the guide identified as former missile silos.  Take your bathing suit, and at the half way point you can swim.  It was way cool.  

• Restaurants:   The places I visit:  Smilin' Joes.    Their staff is attentive and their food is excellent.  Entrees run about $24.  Try their Linguini with Shrimp, Grilled Mahi-Mahi, and their Churrasco Steak.      Smilin' Joes is at the Lazy Parrot.  Try the fried calamari, and shrimp with sauces. Their  sesame-ginger Churrasco steak is world class (so is their key-lime pie, but ouch, what calories!).  

•          There's a Chinese restaurant called Golden Mountain, on road 402, on the right going into Añasco. Their food is tasty and reasonable.  Try their dishes with cashews and Sesame Chicken.  Prices range about $7 per order and  feeds two.

• Bars:  Many owners know each other.  To avoid competing with one another, Happy Hours are staggered.  These bars serve food.

          Tamboo Tavern:  Beachfront Bar.  Monday: open mike night/jamming night    Friday: live music  Saturday: dj’s  Happy Hour: 7-9 pm everyday

          Calypso Café:  Beachfront Bar.  Open 7 days a week 11am –close    Sunset Happy Hour: 5-7pm

          Rock Bottom:  Happy Hour: 4-7pm  Monday – Friday

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• Grocery Stores: There are 4 supermarkets in Rincon.  I like Econo. It has a nice selection of foods and  prices are reasonable.
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• Hospital:   Across the street is the hospital.  Their emergency room is inexpensive.  Visits cost between $60 to $90.
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• Casinos:  There are two:  The Holiday Inn, and Mayagüez Resort, the better one.  Our guests from Portland won $250 quickly and left while they were ahead.
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• Tennis Courts/Gym:  Less than 8 minutes are  public tennis courts, and a gym.
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• Golf: In Aguadilla,  Punta Borinquen Golf Club is the nearest golf course.  Guests like this facility.
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• Zoo:  There's a  Zoo in Mayagüez.  It's great for kids. 
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•  Coffee Shops: There is one coffee shop, with Wi-Fi.     Banana Dang up on 413: serves smoothies, veggie and non veggie breakfasts.  They are good.  They have three computers if you forgot your laptop.  

  

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