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Feb. 9 – Charco El Pilon Waterfall
“To the tourist, travel is a means to an end; to the traveler, it’s an end in itself.” — Marty Rubin
Yesterday we took it easy. We hung out around the house and enjoyed our beach. I’m glad we did because the wind picked up today and the waves were so large they completely took over the beach. The water literally was up to the house. It has been fun to see how much our beach changes from day to day.
Since it wasn’t a good beach day, we decided to be a little more adventurous and do a hike around San Germán. I had read that the Charco El Pilon trail took you to a beautiful spot with crystal clear water and a beautiful waterfall. The hike goes upstream along the Rio Cain. We had to cross the river 15 times before we reached the falls. All along the trail there were amazing places we could have spent the day playing in the water, but we trekked on to the waterfalls and then up to a slot canyon, called Charco la Iglesia (Church Puddle) above the falls. Each place was more spectacular than the others.
Our morning entertainment.
We came down this road from the parking area. The true trail began here.
Here are a few pictures of the trail to the falls.
Here it is…Charco El Pilon Waterfall.
The best part of this hike…we had the place to ourselves.
The safest route to the top of the falls was up this old stream bed.
Once we were above the falls we had to repel back down to the river. It was a work out but well worth it.
Our first glimpse of the Charco la Iglesia.
Looking upstream above the waterfall and slot canyon.
I walked through the water towards the top of the waterfall. The pictures don’t show how truly spectacular this place was.
One of the many pretty butterflies we saw on the hike. This one is a Siproeta. (Stan took this wonderful picture.)
Since we hiked over three miles today we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner at Peña Blanca this evening.
Stan took a short video of me swimming in the pool.
Feb. 9 – Hike to Charco El Pilon Waterfall
“To the tourist, travel is a means to an end; to the traveler, it’s an end in itself.” — Marty Rubin
Yesterday we took it easy. We hung out around the house and enjoyed our beach. I’m glad we did because the wind picked up today and the waves were so large they completely took over the beach. The water literally was up to the house. It has been fun to see how much our beach changes from day to day.
Feb. 7 – Beach Day
“It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
The beach that our house is on in Aguadilla is an incredible glass beach. The tide goes out twice a day and leaves an unbelievable amount of beautiful sea polished treasures behind. People come from all over the world to collect these bits of old glass. You would think it would all disappear but the ocean keeps bringing more in…day after day, year after year. Beautiful polished pieces of the past.
These ladies are serious about finding sea glass…they were out there all day.
Some of our treasures so far this week.
We spent most of our day relaxing at our house on the shore. Enjoying the sounds of the sea and collecting treasures. After lunch we decided to explore a few other beaches in the area. Our first stop was at Peña Blanca Beach.
This little beach is tucked away in a residential area of Aguadilla and has crystal clear waters. During the summer the water is calm and it’s a great place to snorkel and swim, but in the winter when the wind is out of the northeast it’s a great place to surf. The wind today was too strong for us to enjoy spending time on this beach so we moved on.
Our second stop was at Punta Borinquen Beach. This remote beach is the definition of a perfect Caribbean locale. This beach is ideal for relaxing under a palm tree or catching some waves, but today’s winds made it unbearable. The large cliffs on the north end makes it a beautiful place to spend the day.
Our third stop took us to Crash Boat Beach. It’s one of the most popular beaches in Puerto Rico’s west coast and we could understand why this afternoon. It’s protected from the easterly wind making it a great place to swim, snorkel and hangout in its beautiful turquoise water. Crash Boat’s vibrant scene has dubbed it the island’s party beach, where you can hear music and get a bite to eat.
The piers at Crash Boat Beach are remnants from the former Ramey Air Force Base that was located nearby.
Looking south from Crash Boat beach towards our house.
Another beautiful evening in paradise.
Feb. 6 – Beach Day
“It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
The beach that our house is on in Aquadilla is an incredible glass beach. The tide goes out twice a day and leaves an unbelievable amount of beautiful sea polished treasures behind. People come from all over the world to collect these bits of old glass. You would think it would all disappear but the ocean keeps being more in…day after day, year after year. Beautiful polished pieces of the past.
Feb. 6 – Aguadilla, PR
“Let’s collect shells as we walk down the beach. Our treasures are many, and all within reach. Sand dollars, scallops, and snails we will find. The starfish we share for it’s one of a kind.” —Lee Nemmers
We started our day with coffee on our patio overlooking the ocean and a full moon that hadn’t set yet. The ocean was drastically different this morning than it was yesterday. The surf was up and we watched surfers along the waterfront of Aguadilla all day.
We had planned to take it easy today, but our casual little walk into town turned into a 6 1/2 mile trek from our house on the north end of town to Columbus Park on the south end. In between we enjoyed the view of the ocean, watching surfers and doing a little beach combing. The town’s waterfront is very pretty with a wonderful concrete path, called Paseo Real Marina. It runs the length of the town with lots of places to sit and watch the ocean or get something to eat or drink. Unfortunately Monday isn’t a very busy day and most of the little food kiosks were closed.
We had lunch in one of the little spots on the square overlooking the water…and the road.
After Hurricane Maria several towns in Puerto Rico wanted to give some of the rundown neighborhoods a face lift. So artists came together with help from the communities to revitalize their area. This area in Aquadilla is called “Amanecer Borincano” (Borincano Sunrise). Each house looks like a colorful mosaic. You can also find many murals throughout town.
Later in the afternoon we ran to the grocery store and picked up a few things. We enjoy eating out but we also enjoy relaxing at home and fixing something to eat. Our view is amazing from our third floor patio.
The grill master at work.
We even turned on the fire pit for awhile.
Feb. 6 – Aquadilla, PR
“Let’s collect shells as we walk down the beach. Our treasures are many, and all within reach. Sand dollars, scallops, and snails we will find. The starfish we share for it’s one of a kind.” —Lee Nemmers
We started our day with coffee on our patio overlooking the ocean and a full moon that hadn’t set yet. The ocean was drastically different this morning than it was yesterday. The surf was up and we watched surfers along the waterfront of Aquadilla all day.
Feb. 5 – Aguadilla, PR
“The lower the latitude the better the attitude.” –Unknown
We’re spending our first week in Aguadilla. This picturesque oceanfront town was founded in 1775. It’s located on Puerto Rico’s northwest shore. It’s known to have some of the best surf breaks on the Island and some of the most beautiful beaches.
Check in wasn’t until three so we started our day slowly. We found a nice little coffee shop across the street from our apartment for breakfast, then we came back and enjoyed the view again from the balcony. We decided we’d stop at a few interesting places on our way west. Our first stop was at Cueve del Indio (Indian Cave).
Cueve del Indio is an important archeological treasure. It’s full of petroglyphs, made by the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico, the Tainos. These petroglyphs pre-date Columbus’ arrival to Puerto Rico in 1493, and were probably made many centuries earlier. The cave is said to contain the largest number of petroglyphs found along the coastal zone. The day was very, very windy so walking along the ledge and on the sharp rocks was a little scary. I felt like I could be blown down at any time. The site has been used for filming movies like the Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island and Perfect Getaway.
Stan looking over the edge.
You climb down into this pit to get into the cave.
There used to be a ladder that you could use to go down into the cave, but that has been removed. Now if you want to get down to the cave you have to go through this crack in the wall. We decided not to try it…too many other people around today.
The cave is opened to the water at the center of this picture.
Looking towards the Seven Arches.
Looking east toward Playita Ines (Little Agnes Beach) and Estatua de Colón (large statue of Columbus).
On our way back to the parking lot.
Our second stop was in Arecibo to spend a little time at The Bishop’s Pool. It was a great day to see the water putting on a show. Although it was hard to get a picture of the largest waves coming in.
The Arecibo Lighthouse overlooks The Bishop’s Pool.
Beach Paradise…our house for the week.
Our first night in Aquadilla…perfection.
Feb. 5 – Aguadilla, PR
“The lower the latitude the better the attitude.” –Unknown
We’re spending our first week in Aguadilla. This picturesque oceanfront town was founded in 1775. It’s located on Puerto Rico’s northwest shore. It’s known to have some of the best surf breaks on the Island and some of the most beautiful beaches.
Feb. 4 – San Juan, PR
Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport. – Unknown
This was our first time to fly in three years. I’m happy to say everything went smoothly. It’s nice to fly in the morning, the airport is less crowded and our plane was waiting for us. The only thing that could have gone smoother was our car rental. Oh my we won’t use Payless in San Juan again. All I can say is I’m glad we stayed close to the airport this evening.
We spent our first night in Puerto Rico in a posh neighborhood of Carolina called Isla Verde. This award-winning beach area is popular among visitors, because it’s close to the airport and full of fancy beach resorts. Isla Verde has golden-sand shores that are framed with tall palm trees, hotels, restaurants, and shops. It might be a great place for some to spend their whole holiday, but we look forward to getting out of the city and seeing more of the real Puerto Rico.
After checking into our apartment we went for a walk on the beach. It was nice to enjoy a rum drink and pizza with our toes in the sand.
It was a little cloudy this evening, but we still enjoyed waking on the beach.
And having dinner with a view at Ocean Breeze.
The view from our balcony this evening.
Feb. 4 – San Juan, PR
Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport. – Unknown
This was our first time to fly in three years. I’m happy to say everything went smoothly. It’s nice to fly in the morning, the airport is less crowded and our plane was waiting for us. The only thing that could have gone smoother was our car rental. Oh my we won’t use Payless in San Juan again. All I can say is I’m glad we stayed close to the airport this evening.
