Last Day in Puerto Rico and Wrap Up

I spent Tuesday at the beach on the Condado, but was back to the hotel before Mike and ready to have a nice evening. We went out shopping before dinner and he bought me a beautiful Coach bag (you'll see it in the photos below). We had a little wine & cheese at the manager's reception, then went out to dinner at Dragonfly. It is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant that serves tapas. It was yummy!

We had a couple of hours before our flight yesterday. We started our free time with a quick run through El Morro, a Spanish fort constructed in 1539. It was an impressive site that deserved much more time than we were able to afford it. The fort has 6 levels, all with amazing views and history. Next we stopped at El Galpón so I could buy a hat I found on Tuesday. It is very pretty and suits me better than the typical baseball hat.

Here are some photos of Tuesday and Wednesday:

Finally, it was time to leave our trip behind and head home. The flight and drive home were uneventful.

Wrap Up

We had a lot of fun on our trip to Old San Juan and Culebra. Here's a wrap up in case you find yourself on the island in the future.

Hotels

• El Convento: In the heart of Old San Juan, this hotel is charming and unique. The rooms are relatively small. The views outside the hotel and in its courtyard are amazing. It is a gem, and worth staying there at least once. The downside: customer service on check-in was unacceptable. Do not expect rooms to be ready by 3 pm checkin.
• La Concha: The "sister" hotel of El Convento where I went to the beach. Mike has stayed in this hotel on previous trips. It is sexy New York chic. If you want a beautiful hotel with modern, luxurious rooms and beach access, this is the place to be. The Condado has some high end shops to enjoy. The downside: You may get bored with the offerings on the Condado. Old San Juan is a taxi or bus ride away. The taxi is ~$25 each way. The bus runs about twice and hour and is easy to use (route B21 to Old San Juan, then 10 minute walk to shops; bus C53 from bus station to come back -- no fare through December 31, 2008).
  

Restaurants

• Aquaviva: Located on Calle de Fortaleza, this restaurant specializes in Latin/Seafood. We at there Saturday night and were very impressed. See here for photos or here for the Frommer's review.
• Patio del Sam: Located on Calle San Sebastian, food is basic and priced well. We ate there Sunday night and had a fine meal.
• Dragonfly: Located next to Aquaviva on Calle de Fortaleza, has excellent tapas in Latin-Asian fusion style. An upbeat atmosphere and great food. See here for photos or here fro the Frommer's review.

Shopping
Since Old San Juan is a popular port, there are many outlet (and regular) stores in the area. You'll find Coach Outlet, Ralph Lauren Outlet, Harry Winston, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, and more.

Culebra

• Getting there: We flew Air Flamenco ($105/pp/rt). The flight is about 25 minutes long. The plane accomodates 8 passengers.
• Getting around: We rented a Jeep through Carlos Jeeps ($65/day). It was a great way to see the island on a day trip.
• Beaches: We went to: Playa Zoni (see video here -- not ours), a beautiful quiet beach on the east side of the island; definitely my favorite. Playa Tamarindo Grande, good for surfing and solitude; we ended up there when searching for Playa Carlos Rosario. Playa Flamenco is the most popular beach on the island.
  

I guess now we are back to the real world of working, etc... Have a happy day!