A trip around the center of Puerto Rico

Some months ago we visited Puerto Rico on a nice vacation. A good friend of mine, Manuel ‘Manny’ Santiago invited us to snap some pictures. Manny invited us over our forum but he kept the destination to himself. An eager group of some 10 photographers decided to meet in Arecibo and from there we would end up in our destination. After an hour driving around winding roads between the mountains, we ended up on the edge of the modern Puerto Rico as we know it. Among us, we had cellular phones with some 4 different carriers and none of us had a single bar of signal.

We were in the town of Ciales, Puerto Rico and we had to drive a good 5 to 7 minutes spiraling down to reach a small and cozy valley. It is so remote, that we were told that running water and electricity arrived there less than 10 years ago. So we’ve had the chance of seeing a new born barrio growing slowly and at the same time, Puerto Rico’s natural wonders in RAW. From Ciales and thru windy roads, we ended up between the town limits of Adjuntas and Orocovis. We’ve had to stop there and by the edge of a cliff we started to take pictures of ”Los Tres Chorros”. This spectacular waterfall is quite hidden as you can see from the pictures. It is located in a gorge with no access that we know. Lucky most of all were carrying more powerful lenses to bring this beauty of Puerto Rican mother nature closer. We hope you enjoy these pictures of Ciales, Jayuya and Villalba. Hoy about a courtesy Like on Facebook? Thanks in advance.

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Note from the Editor

It is imposible not to have fun during one of our photography trips in Puerto Rico.

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Feel free to leave your comments below.

Photo by: Angel Vazquez

During the celebration of the 4th of July, residents and visitors of the Ocean Park Beach in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, witnessed a beautiful gift from mother nature. Dozens of Leatherback Sea Turtles known in Puerto Rico as Tinglares, rushed their way to the ocean. The Leatherback Turtle or Tinglar, is on the list of endangered species.

This scene is very contrasty with another one from a few weeks when residents of the town of Maunabo were outraged after finding the carcass of an adult Tinglar in their local beach. Only 1 or 2 of the Tinglares seen on this video will make it to adulthood. Lets take care of our nature. We should consider ourselves lucky that out of the few places the Leatherback Turtle select to nest, Puerto Rico is one of them.

Go Shopping in Puerto Rico

Shopping in Puerto Rico
There are all kinds of places to shop In the San Juan metropolitan area, from the many stores scattered throughout Old San Juan’s historic district to the modem Plaza Us Americas, largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. Below are some of the city’s main shopping areas.

OLD SAN JUAN
Old San Juan offers a little bit of everything, from folk art and local crafts to designer jewelry, trendy clothing, shoe boutiques, and outlet shops. You can f nd famous brand names like Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, Dooney & Bourke, Tommy Hilfiger, Rolex, David Yurman, Faberge, Versace and many others. If you’d like to plan a shopper’s walk­ing tour, start at Plaza San Jose and make your way down Cristo Street, where the highest concentration of stores are found. Turn left on Fortaleza Street and follow it to Plaza Colon; head up the hill one block and turn left on San Francisco Street, taking it back to Cristo Street. You’ll pass many, though certainly not all, of the old city’s best-known shops, galleries and restaurants. If you have a car, the ideal place to park for this tour is the Ballaja lot at the top of Cristo Street.

CONDADO / ISLA VERDE
Oceanside strips here are lined with clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, surf shops, restaurants, and gift shops. Directly in front of the Ventana al Mar Plaza in the Condado, 1054 Ashford Avenue is billed as the Caribbean’s most expensive address, with such famous shops as Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Cartier, and Christian Dior. Slightly to the east, the stores at Plaza Sara showcase L’Occitane body products, Furla handbags, Prada shoes, and Calypso resortwear, among other brands. La Galeria at El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde. A dozen sophisticated stores and gift shops are located off the hotel’s legendary lobby.

ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue of Las Americas Expressway features several clusters of trendy stores. Turn east off the expressway toward Carolina in the Hato Rey district and you’ll find several high-end clothing boutiques. Turn west off the expressway toward De Diego Avenue in the Puerto Nuevo district and you’ll be in the heart of upscale home decorating shops.

MAIN SHOPPING CENTERS IN OR NEAR THE SAN JUAN METRO AREA
Most of the island’s major malls are open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

BELZ FACTORY OUTLET WORLD PUERTO RICO
Km. 18.4, Road #3, Canovanas    787-256-7040
www.belz.com

• Puerto Rico’s f rst enclosed factory outlet mall, designed in an Old San Juan style and featuring top designer names like Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Liz Claiborne, and Guess. There is also a food court and Caribbean Cinema complex. The new Expressway 66 linking Carolina to Rio Grande ends at the mall entrance, making it a pleasant half-hour drive from the metropolitan area.

LAS CATALINAS MALL 787-745-4105
Luis A. Ferre Expressway (52), Aguas Buenas exit •A new concept in commercial centers, located on an old sugar plantation complete with chimney in the cre-ole city of Caguas. Over 100 stores and a food court.

MONTEHIEDRA TOWN CENTER 787-720-6165
South of San Juan on Las Americas Expressway, Montehiedra exit (9410 Los Romeros Ave.), R(o Piedras
• Montehiedra features a variety of stores, a food court, movie theaters and a children’s play area.

PLAZA CAROLINA 787-768-0514
www.plazacarolinamall.com
East of the airport on Baldorioty de Castro Expressway, 65th Infantry Ave. exit Fragoso Ave. and Loiza Expressway, Carolina, minutes away from airport and Isla Verde
• Plaza Carolina is a large modern shopping mall which features Sears, JC Penney, 195 specialty shops, a movie complex with 12 screens, and a food court.

PLAZA DEL MERCADO Rio Piedras 787-763-3438 Santurce 787-723-8022
•For a true taste of Puerto Rican culture, try these marketplaces. Vendors at the plaza del mercado sell local foods, herbs, religious paraphernalia, and much more.

PLAZA DEL SOL 787-778-8724
Exit #10 (2nd exit after toll, south 1 mile),
De Diego Expressway (22), Bayamon
•With over 120 stores, including Banana Republic, Gap, Charlotte Russe, and Old Navy, Plaza del Sol is a great place for fashions. Other stores include Wal-Mart and Home Depot. For family entertainment, there are restaurants, a food court, and a 14-screen theater complex.

PLAZA ESCORIAL 787-778-3724
Km. 6.1, Route 3, Carolina
•Center for major discount stores such as Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and, across the avenue, Costco. Also numerous stores and shops, restaurants, movie theater complex, and indoor children’s park. A short drive from the airport.

PLAZA LAS AMERICAS 787 767-5202
www.plazalasamericas.net
Las Americas Expressway, Charddn and Roosevelt Ave. exits (intersection of Roosevelt Ave. and Las Americas Expressway), Hato Rey
• Plaza Las Americas proudly holds the title of largest shopping mall in the Caribbean, and it is also the most elegant. There are over 300 stores, including Macy’s, Chico’s, Coach, Reinhold Jewelers, Tumi Luggage, and Brooks Brothers. When you tire of shop­ping, you’ll find 13 theater screens, 35 restaurants, and a bowling alley/entertainment complex.

PLAZA RIO HONDO 787-795-490
Comerio exit, De Diego Expressway (22), Bayamon •Conveniently located, this mall features some 110 stores, such as K-Mart, Marshalls, Capri, and Kay-Bee Toys as well as Ponderosa Restaurant, Blockbuster, and a Caribbean Cinema theater complex.

PRIME OUTLETS PUERTO RICO 787-846 5300
www.primeretail.com
Barceloneta exit (#55), De Diego Expressway (22), Barceloneta
•At Puerto Rico’s Prime Outlets center, a 45-minute drive from the San Juan metropolitan area, you’ll find world-famous brand-name stores with savings and a great variety of merchandise in a colorful village setting. For non-shoppers, there is a Caribbean Cinema theater complex, a food court, and a free-standing Ponderosa Restaurant.

SAN PATRICIO PLAZA 787-792-1255
www.sanpatricio.com
San Patricio and Roosevelt Ave., Guaynabo •This remodeled shopping mall offers 150 specialty stores, a Big K-Mart, a large food court, four family restaurants, and a nine-screen movie complex.

SAN PATRICIO TOWN CENTER 787-977-8484
B-2 Tabonuco Street, San Patricio, Guaynabo •A newly opened small mall with restaurant, spa, com­puter and fashion stores, ice cream shop and more.

SANTA ROSA MALL 787-622-9600
Km. 7.1, Route 2, Bayamon
• Home of Sears, Western Auto and other stores, plus the island’s only rooftop skate/entertainment center. Located next to the El Deportivo stop of the Urban Train.

OTHER MAJOR SHOPPING CENTERS AROUND THE ISLAND
Aguadilla
Aguadilla Mall
Arecibo
Plaza del Atlantico
Los Colobos Shopping Center
Plaza Fajardo
Plaza Guayama
Hatillo
Plaza del Norte
Oriental Plaza, Plaza Palma Real
Isabela
Plaza Isabela
Mayagiiez Mall
Ponce
Plaza del Caribe Centra del Sur Mall
Plaza del Oeste
Vega Alta
Centra Gran Caribe Mall
Plaza Vega Baja
Yauco
Yauco Plaza

24- HOUR DRUG AND CONVENIENCE STORES METROPOLITAN SAN JUAN
Farmacias El Amal
Condado/Ashford Avenue    787-721-3662
Isla Verde Mall    787-253-2277
Plaza El Amal/Jesus T. Pinero Avenue    787-763-2125
Walgreens
Condado/Ashford Avenue    787-725-1510
Isla Verde Avenue    787-982-0222
San Patricio Shopping Center    787-792-2144

ISLAND
Farmacias El Amal
Ponce/ Valle Real Shopping Center     787-844-5555
Toa Baja/ Plaza Davidson    787-795-7221

Juan. A. Rivero Zoo in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

Mayagüez is home of the Juan A. Rivero Zoo and at this time, is the only Zoo in the island of Puerto Rico. The Mayaguez Zoo is home of numerous exotic & endemic birds, mammals and reptiles. Bengal Tigers, Leopards, beautiful Eagles and Owls can be appreciated here. The zoo is attractively landscaped resemblig from an African Savanah to a Rain Forest.
Open Wed-Sun from 8:30am to 4:00pm. (787) 834-8110. Scroll down if you’d like to read some fun photo facts/tips from our trip to el Zoológico de Mayagüez.

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Being ourselves visitors of other zoos in the states, we were amazed that this particular zoo is a photographers friendly one. The vast mayority of the animals in exhibition are caged in a way where they receive a proper amount of sun/available light making our shooting much easier. First, if you are going with your family, the traditional zoo pictures can be 100% improved. Take pictures of your kids and their surrounding so 15 years later they will recognize ”That was at the Mayaguez Zoo!”; However, approching the animals photograpically visitors have two choices.
1st, Taking pictures showing caged animals? Ask yourself if that’s what you want to have on paper when printed. Go beyond the conventional a make your zoo snaps more interesting.

2nd, based on the pictures shown here: Do you think we had special privileges to achieve them? The answer is no, they were taken as visitors like you but with a slight difference, we wanted to show animals as much as we could like if they were in the wild. Here a few tips:

1- If you are using a film camera, get at least 800 speed film. This will increase your chances of getting sharper images under evenly distribuited light. If you are using a digital camera, increase the ISO (see your camera’s manual if in doubt).
2- Approach the animal(s) in a subtle way, even though they are used to have people lurking them, they are still afraid of you moreover a bunch of 5+ people at a time.
3- If possible, visit the zoo on weekdays when is less crowded.

4- You might wonder: How can I shoot the birds with that wire mesh on the way? Considering you are using a zoom camera, frame your subject using your digital LCD (for digital users) or viewfinder (film users). If your camera is one of AF (Auto Focus), switch the AF OFF and go M (manual focus); Leaving the camera in AF mode will make your camera to focus on the cage’s mesh instead of the animal. Focusing manually will make the mesh magically dissapear; Manually focus until you get the eyes of the animal(s) in focus. No matter the subject, when you look at a picture first thing you do is looking to the eyes. If they aren’t in focus you’ve lost the shot (
5- Remember that whatever you see thru the camera is what you’ll get in paper. We’ve seen many people with the mentality, ”I shoot now and I’ll ”crop” at Walgreens, Sams or Walmart”, unfortunately expecting a ‘miracle’ from the digital kiosk; Cropping is fine, but the more you crop the more you loose file size, thus a nice 4×6 print suddenly looks vividless and poor when enlarged to 8×10+ to share with grandma and grandpa. Our suggestion, don’t crop more than 15% of your digital files. You never know if in the future you’d like to blow that shot, then you’ll be limited.

Spectacular Sunsets in Puerto Rico

On this page you will see some of the most spectacular pictures of sunsets captured in the town of Rincón Puerto Rico. There is also one picture taken in Arroyo and Aguada, Puerto Rico. Most people take pictures of sunsets and leave once the sun disapears from the horizon. Truth is that after that is when the sky is painted with yellow, oranges and magentas. Our lovely photographer Jeannette Valle was cought in the middle of the action. We decided to include the picture here to show the scale of this nature’s show, and that this aren’t digital manipulated pictures. Desecheo Island can be seen in the background.
Many thanks to Ramón Morales (a Rincón resident) for sharing with us some of his vast sunset collection.

These pictures were taken on Road 413 in Rincón, Puerto Rico and others nearby Rincón’s lighthouse. Next time you’re around a sunset, don’t leave after the sun falls, stay a little bit longer.

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Monumento al Jibaro de Puerto Rico

Mr. Tomás Batista is a well renowned sculptor. Among his creations is El Monumento al Jibaro Puertorriqueño (Monument to the Common Puerto Rican Countryman) in Cayey. In this monument Batista reflects the humbleness and hard working nature of the typical Puerto Rican farmer and his family. The monument is located by the Luis A. Ferré highway. Approx: 60 minutes from San Juan.

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San Felipe del Morro, Puerto Rico

Colorful pictures from el Castillo de San Felipe del Morro.

El Castillo (Castle) de San Felipe del Morro was declared a World Heritage elite by the United Nations in 1933. El Morro is Puerto Rico’s best known fortress. Over two million visitors a year explore this construction marvel, where the history of 400 years of Spain in Puerto Rico comes alive.

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Puerto Rico, the best beaches of the caribbean

The fact that we live in a 3500sq. miles Island give us the privilege of having miles upon miles of beautiful beaches. If you already have booked a getaway or planning to do so, here we present 32 pictures of beaches in Puerto Rico. Most of them are…

in the northwest part of the Island and for your maximum enjoyment they aren’t that crowded. Icacos is a cay probably no larger than 3 miles located a few miles off-shore Fajardo (north-east aprox 1.5 hours drive from San Juan). Even on a busy seasonal Saturday we were able to take some snapshots on the north side of the cay. As you can see on the picture below, it was all for us. Aguadilla (northwest) has the best and most popular beach in the northwest area. ”Crash Boat” is the most visited beach. There are a few near the old Ramey base but ”Crash” is among if not the best. It is usually crowded during weekends and a popular spot for photographers and advertising agencies for its crystal clear waters and colorful boats. Don’t worry; it is quite relaxing on weekdays. Click and enlarge the pictures below, you can see what we mean. The first picture is a glimpse of where you are about to get taken from a deck right on the road. Another not so crowded place to visit in Aguadilla is ”Wilderness” beach, see the photos below.

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Jobos in Isabela is a great place but it is usually crowded as you can see in this picture. A few miles away (10 minutes driving) you might get some great surfing spots in ”Middles” beach, click here to see the latest surfing contest. If crowds are not a problem to you, Bienvenidos! While in Isabela if you are up for a horseback ride thru miles of beautiful sandy beaches, don’t forget to stop by Michelle and Craig’s Tropical Trail Rides.

Espinar Beach and Guaniquilla (these are basically our backyards) are GREAT beaches in the town of Aguada. The main beach (Guaniquilla) is undergoing a mayor face-lift and for the summer of 2005 hopefully it will be fully operational. Meanwhile you can enjoy any time of the week alone or with your family at Espinal beach. This one is very ”getting there friendly”, there are kiosks very close. Try their Octopus salad and shrimp tacos among others.

Festival de las Mascaras, Hatillo, Puerto Rico

When we expressed the office of Tourism of Hatillo that we were going to photographically cover part of this event, they received us with open arms.  We were told about the beauty of this event celebrated every year on December 28, but little we knew the true meaning, beauty and magnitude of this event; an event were the inhabitants of Hatillo, Puerto Rico are so proud of being part of it.

This event basically starts a few days before the big day. Participants of all ages are celebrating around the different ”barrios” (neighborhoods) of Hatillo, they start with their coloful costumes months in advance, in fact, those involved in the confection of these colorful costumes have been declared artisans by the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico; and is not for less, long hours are dedicated to the confection of these hand made costumes.

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But what’s the meaning of the masks? They are made out of ”mosquitoes” wire mesh. They keep the identity of those wearing them unknown. The masks cover the faces of all those ”under three” that Herodes ordered to kill looking for the fisrt born child. During this event there’s live music, kiosks with local food, arts and crafts and best of all, very nice and good people.

Facts for the visitors:
This event is well known around the Island, the streets leading to the town are closed around 9:00AM. The best time to arrive there is around 9:00 to 10:00AM. Traffic on the main highway 2 will become very heavy and slow, especially if you are coming from San Juan. You might find out that you got there too early, but this will save you time by being able to find a parking spot, a good spot to observe the show, etc. Our credentials opened the barricades by local police but you might not be able, however, once the town is closed it is not a long walk to it. If you are coming for the fisrt time, you might not know that there is a noise contest, that’s right, a noise contest. Contestants are up for a prize for the noisiest car. See this picture and it will give you an idea, unless you can bear the noise (we couldn’t) you should bring ear plugs, especially if you are coming with children. We got ours at Kmart and Walgreens. Once you are there with your ear plugs and cameras, enjoy this colorful event, an event that has been rated by visitors from the states as the Puertorican Mardigras. Be prepared to get showered with beer filled Super Soakers, some ”Barbasol”, pancake syrup and other sticky stuff….Enjoy!

La ”frutera”:
”Las fruteras” (fruit stands) are a common sight all over Puerto Rico. So colorful and filled with all those local futs and veggies. We stopped on this one in el barrio Arenas de Cidra after realizing and deciding to capture some of its colors. ‘El frutero’ filled with humor posed as well for our lenses.

Enjoy fresh Avocados, Pineapples, Pumpkins, Ajíes, Mangoes from your Puerto Rico.

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