We traveled to Rincon, Puerto Rico in February for a long-weekend getaway and refresh. We were fortunate to have great weather while we were there with only a little afternoon rain shower to get us off the beach for an hour or two. Rincon is on the western side of the island and is most known for its surfing. It’s a fairly small town, but it’s packed with character, bright colors and delicious food- so good that it’s the place where I finally caved and tried fish tacos- and yes, I loved them. Yes, I also realize I’m behind the curve on that trend.
During our trip, we stayed at the Lazy Parrot. We looked into renting an apartment or house, but ultimately decided since it was only a long weekend we should stay at a place that we wouldn’t need to go grocery shopping while there. Eric has stayed there many times before, it’s a quaint little hotel with a great restaurant, swimming pool, friendly staff, and perfect location to get to the beaches.
Our main priority while we were there was to soak in as much vitamin D so we spent the majority of the time at the beach. Domes was our go-to spot since it was great for surfing, lounging and whale watching. Yes, whale watching. We got a great surprise on our first day there when a humpback whale decided to put on a little show just off the shore. It was such a treat to see and was definitely a very warm welcome to the island. One thing about Domes Beach, there’s a large reef there so it’s not somewhere you can just run into the ocean without looking where you are. I’d also recommend Maria’s Beach and Pools Beach. Maria’s is another great one for surfing and Pools is great for lounging and swimming.
For fish tacos I’d recommend Jack’s Shack, the food truck between Maria’s Beach and Domes. They made the perfect afternoon snack when we didn’t want to fully leave the beach but were approaching the hunger point of no return. Another great lunch spot is The Beach House, it overlooks the beach and has plenty of outdoor seating. We always order Miami Vice’s when we are on vacation (half strawberry daiquiri and half pina colada) and they make a great one. It’s also a great spot to grab a drink post-beach before cleaning up for dinner. We went during Valentine’s so we picked La Copa Llena at the Black Eagle for our special dinner night. They don’t take reservations so be sure to plan that into your timing, but it’s well worth the wait! My steak was marinated and cooked perfectly, and our salad was literally the best one we’ve ever had. I hate salads, but I was not shy at all with eating this one, so tasty.
For breakfast, make reservations at the English Rose. It’s easily the best breakfast in Rincon, and while the straight up-hill drive seems like you’re going the wrong way, we can assure you, you’re exactly in the right spot. The views are great and the food is even better.
While we mostly stayed at the beach, we also went horseback riding and snorkeling. We went the day it rained so the water was a bit murky but the fish we saw were still so cool. We happened to get caught in a huge school of fish that made a circle around us while we floated in awe of them.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip and will be going back for more when we get the chance. Despite the disaster of delays and cancellations with our flights- that was the one front we weren’t so lucky with that weekend, but we didn’t let it slow us down.
Have you ever been to Rincon? What are your travel recommendations?
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