Domplines, Rellenos & Estrellaos

Ham, cheese and egg estrellaos

IF you fee like you would like to try some local food, you should take a trip to El trigal in Ponce, PR. El trigal is a typical place where you can go to try some fried food. This place is very frequented by the locals, including me whenever I'm visiting my hometown. At this place you can try Domplines (something similar to fried dough), rellenos de papa (fried mashed potato ball filled with meat), Estrellaos (the domplin filled with different types of meats or ham, egg & cheese) & more.

If you will be visiting this place, you should go early in the morning since it opens very early in the morning but usually closes by 11:00am -12:00pm.

There's no easy way of explaining how to get to this place. El trigal is located on the corner of calle (street) Reina Isabel and calle California. IF it helps, el trigal is located at: 18.01145,-66.623309. Parking on the street is ok, and yes, both sides is also ok.

Enjoy!

Gilligan's Island

Cayo Aurora, more commonly known as Gilligan's Island is located off the shore of Guanica, PR. The island is easily reached by boat, and even Kayaking since its fairly close to the main land. There is a ferry service to the island working off a local dock. The ferry is constantly going back and forth between the island and the dock.

The island is a natural reserve that counts with white sands,
crystal clear waters, coral formations surrounding the island, plenty of mangroves and picnic tables. This island provides a perfect place for the whole family to spend the day. The area surrounding the island has shallow waters which are great for kids.

Snorkeling is a must. The best area for snorkeling is the whole side of the island that's facing the open ocean. Fins are highly recommended since the water current can be strong.

The island is open all week except for Mondays for clean up, unless it's a holiday weekend; in that case, the island is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday.

Here are some pictures from the island:

Getting to the Ferry:

Follow directions to Copa Marina Beach Resort on road (carretera) PR-333. Once past the Copa Marina Resort, take a right and follow the road until you see the water on your right and San Jacinto restaurant. This is where you take the Ferry to the island. Also, the following info can be entered in the GPS: 17.950106, -66.877508

Here are some pictures of the corals. The pictures don't make justice to the colors:

Bahia Tamarindo

Bahia Tamarindo is located in the small island of Culebra. This beach is not frequented by many people. Its shore has a mix of areas of white sand, some other areas of coral remains and some rocky areas. The clear waters are always calmed since this beach is protected by cayo Luis Peña. The beach is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, relaxing and kayaking. Actually the best snorkeling I've done has been in this beach. Snorkeling can be performed right from the shore. A lot of colors, coral formations and life can be seeing everywhere while snorkeling or diving.

Boats, camping, fire pits and fishing are not allowed on this beach.