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The Insider's Guide to Travel, Food and Wine
The official travel magazine of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Global Writes provides an ever-expanding library of illustrated trip reviews by professional travel journalists with advice on the best vacation ideas and itineraries, plus tips and recommendations on global destinations, hotels, B & B's, cruises, restaurants, food, wine and more. To plan your next adventure -- or just dream about one -- become an insider through the travel experiences of IFWTWA members worldwide.
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Wines and Spirits
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A dozen bartenders competed in the flair competition at the rum festival
Statues are common in San Juan such as the well-known Plazuela de la Rogativa
The sky above El Morro is commonly filled with colorful kites
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Rum-running and Standing Still: Puerto Rico's Taste of Rum Festival
Story and photos by Michael Cervin
Most people forget that Puerto Rico is actually part of the U.S., and they do not even think about this historic and vibrant Caribbean island as a travel destination. But part of the allure of traveling here is that English and Spanish are the two official languages, the currency is U.S. dollars, and there's more to do on this small island than there is in most states. And then there is the rum.
Puerto Rico has been a part of the U.S. since 1898, when Spain ceded ownership to America after the Spanish-American war. Officially a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is a brief two-hour jaunt from Miami directly into the capital, San Juan. Puerto Rico has long been a mix of Spanish, African and Indian cultures and that is clearly evident in the culinary choices available. Yes, Columbus stumbled across the island in 1492 searching for a passage to the West Indies and mis-identified the area, thinking he was in India. Yes, Spain was the dominant power for several centuries, realizing the island's strategic positioning in the Caribbean. But today the area is home to the majority of pharmaceutical products produced in America, and is also a destination point for many cruise ships. There are pockets of cattle ranching and coffee plantations as well, scuba diving, and a heavily forested interior. But most closely associated with Puerto Rico is rum, which has been produced from the sugar cane plantations as early as the 1860s.
Some of the four dozen rums available for tasing at the festival
The Taste of Rum Festival, held in San Juan each March, is currently the only rum and food event in the world. The Festival, held at the old prison (now the tourism department) is just steps from San Juan Bay, where rums from the entire Caribbean are represented, along with local food, local bands, salsa dancing and a bartender flair competition. This eight-hour festival allows anyone to sample all the rums and food they want for an unbelievable $45. Most consumers probably think of rum in terms of mass-produced rum with a cartoony captain on the bottle--and though that's fine, rums, like wine, have a sense of place. The sugar cane used, the water, the barrels, all have an impact on just how rums can be so different. Puerto Rican rums, for example, by law must be aged a minimum of one year in barrel; they are American bourbon barrels, which aid in developing the complexity of the spirits. Over 75 percent of all rums consumed in the U.S. are from Puerto Rico alone. When visiting San Juan you can stop by Casa Don Q at the waterfront for a tasting and a small display of how rum is made. For those more adventurous, a ferry will take you across the bay where you can visit the Bacardi facility and take their tour, which lasts just under an hour. The tours are free, and best of all you're given two drink tickets to sample the rums they pour.
The streets of San Juan are noted for their bold colors
Old San Juan is where most people spend their time, and the Spanish Colonial architecture, along with industrial and Art Deco influences, bold color palettes, and narrow cobblestone streets, give San Juan an elegant yet playful feel. The thing to note, however, on Sunday mornings (assuming you're up early from the night before), is that almost everything is closed until about 11 a.m. The Sheraton Hotel offers reasonable rates, views of the bay, and has a casino in the lobby. The rooms are large by most standards and you can walk everywhere. Or, experience El Convento, a convent turned hotel just six blocks from the waterfront, but in the heart of the town. All the rooms face a quiet interior courtyard. The old section of San Juan is easy to identify as you'll see blue-colored cobblestoned streets, originally brought over from Spain, when the city was first constructed.
Every city has its defining feature, and hands down, San Juan's is the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, the original walled foundations that preserved the city from attacks. On the best of days, the walk to El Morro is rewarded with the expansive grass in front of the fort populated with kids and adults flying kites, punctuating the sky with bursts of color. The fort itself, still standing for over 500 years, is remarkably intact, and though it is run by the National Park Service, it is one of the few places you can touch the walls and feel history.
The sentry stations at El Morro have stood guard over the Atlantic for over 300 years
The fort, listed as a World Heritage Site, is jaw-dropping impressive: massively thick walls which rise up from the rocky shores of the island, stunning views of the Atlantic and the coastline, and seven stories of well-preserved history to explore. You can stand in the single-manned sentinel towers where the Spanish kept look-outs, sit in the church near the main gate, and walk the same steps that slaves and freemen walked for hundreds of years. The admission is a mere $3, and that includes admission to San Cristobal, which is part of the fort on the other side of San Juan, about a 15-minute walk. San Juan has no stop lights and driving around the constricted streets is done by courtesy. But since it is easily walk-able, ditch the car, and explore on foot.
While in Puerto Rico it's important to explore the local foods like mofongo, mashed green plantains usually mixed with beef and served in the large pestle they are mashed in; bacalaito, thin pieces of deep-fried cod fish; and tostones, another version of smashed green plantains which are deep-fried twice and served like chips. Yes, there are places that serve traditional American food, but that would be missing out on what the islands have to offer. In San Juan, The Latin Roots is a restaurant/night club where you can try local foods and take free salsa lessons to dance like the locals until the wee hours. Racies also dishes up flavorful food with staff dressed in traditional African clothing. Aqua Via is an excellent seafood restaurant, with fresh fish from the bay and a terrific ceviche sampler.
The original fire station in Ponce has been turned into a museum
To limit your visit to the east coast will do you a disservice. Puerto Rico has a stunning diversity of flat white sandy beaches, tropical rainforests, coffee plantations, caves and zip lines, and Puerto Rico is known for its bioluminescent bays. A two-hour drive to Ponce in the south, the second largest city, not only takes you through the verdant mountain pass but then drops you off facing the warm Caribbean seas. Once there, the Castillo Serrallés is Puerto Rico's version of Hearst Castle, though not nearly as lavish. Built in 1932 on a hill overlooking all of Ponce and the ocean, this hacienda is a testament to what the early and powerful Serrallés family built out of sugar cane and rum. The home is a look into how a wealthy family lived. The furnishings are true to the period and include an art deco bathroom and the visually stunning hand-carved formal dining room, which sadly was rarely used. The views from here are spectacular. including all of Ponce, the shore, and even the small islands off the coast. In Ponce, the Parque de Bombas is the original firehouse, built in 1883 and clearly visible from anywhere, with its bright red and black exterior; it now houses a fire museum. For lunch or dinner, try Lola located at the Ramada Inn, and sample their signature dish, Filete de Dorado; mahi mahi slathered in a lobster sauce and served with three-cheese risotto; it is rich and satisfying.
There are 78 cities in all of Puerto Rico, each with its own church, central square and unique celebrations and traditions. Therefore you can conceivably stay a long time on the islands and experience a varied world of wonder. There's far more to these islands than this story could possibly present. So consider having your own uniquely American experience in Puerto Rico.
If You Go
www.gotopuertorico.com
Stay
Sheraton Old San Juan - San Juan, 787/721-5100, www.sheratonoldsanjuan.com
El Convento - San Juan, 800/468-2779 www.elconvento.com
Eat
Lola - Ponce, 787/813-5033, www.ramadaponce.com
Raices - San Juan, 787/289-2121, www.restaurantraices.com
Agua Via - San Juan, 787/722-0665, www.oofrestaurants.com
Do
El Castillo Serralles - Ponce, www.castilloserralles.org,
The Latin Roots - San Juan, 787/977-1887 www.thelatinroots.com,
Castillo San Felipe del Morro- San Juan, www.nps.gov/saju
© Story and photos by Michael Cervin, 2010
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