Ferry to Rincón
If you decide to be as daring as I was and backpack the Caribbean with absolutely no limitations and only adventure in mine, then once you get to Puerto Rico you will probably start to think what in the world did I get into. You might think that I'm full of BS when I say Haiti and the Dominican Republic was much easier to navigate but once you get to the west of the U.S. territory, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Getting to Rincón
So now you have taken the 12 hour "Booze Cruise" from Santo Domingo to Mayagüez. You wake up, go out to the balcony and see Puerto Rican land. And then you realize...how in the world am I getting to Rincón.
I was so much in love with Santo Domingo from the very last minute I spent there, that I completely forgot I was traveling to La Isla del Encanto. I didn't even have the hostel's address I was staying at in Rincón. Nor did I have a cell phone or anyone I knew that I could call.
Damage Control:
1. First, I needed an address. I saw a guy in front of me who had a smartphone, so I went up to him and asked him if I could borrow his phone. He gladly handed it over and luckily I remembered the name of the hostel.
2. Second, I asked around if it was feasible to catch a cab. Everyone told me I would probably have to end up selling all my things to even get half way there. And since all my valuable things were stolen in the DR, I had nothing left to sell.
3. Last solution: BEG! I went to the ferry's management to try to make an announcement to ask if anyone was driving to Rincón BUT they said I couldn't do that because it would be disturbing the passengers, blah, blah, blah.
Freaking out, just a little bit, I sat down with a girl I met from New York on the ferry. We began to brainstorm how I was going to get to my destination. I just started asking people that were passing by if they were going to Rincón.
And then the Gods spoke.
The guy I borrowed the phone from approached me to say he checked his phone and saw I was going to Rincón and he was more than happy to take me there.
Rent a Car
The first thing you have to do when you get to Puerto Rico is rent a car. (San Juan is an exception) It is very difficult to travel in the west, northwest and south of the island without reliable transportation. There is little or no public transportation in these parts. I checked a couple of rental places like Budget but because of the under 25 policy, extra fees are charged.
I ended up in Añasco Car Rental. There were no extra underage charges, making it a total of $40/day including insurance.
Carr. #2 KM. 143, 787-826-7578 or 787-925-7578
Things to know
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When traveling in car, you MUST have a map (s) or a GPS. My friend and I had three different maps and we still managed to get lost ... many times. ​
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Some roads you encounter while driving won't be on the map, which can get a little frustrating.​
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​Que Pasa! is a current and relevant magazine that has information on places you can visit around Puerto Rico and all the activities happening year round such as fiestas patronales.
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Puerto Rico has some of the most mesmorizing panoramic views I have ever seen. Watch out for signs that say Ruta Panoramica. Be ready to take out your camera!​
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Many of the places I have listed to visit are waterfalls and natural attractions, which means you will be driving up and down mountains on very, very narrow streets. It is an adrenaline rush because of the extremely curvy roads and thinking every minute about not crashing into another car. It would be best to list two drivers on the rental car contract, even if you have to pay a little more. I was the only driver and drove for 2 weeks straight. I was exhausted!