A Light to Guide You to Rincon: Where the Atlantic Meets the Caribbean

 Punta Higuero Light, or Faro de Punta Higuero, is an historic lighthouse located in Rincón. It was originally built in 1892 by the Spanish, but was rebuilt in 1922 by the U.S Coast Guard.  This post is about Rincon, but if you are a lighthouse seeker, then you are in luck!  There are eleven more lighthouses in Puerto Rico - 

   

      Here's a couple of  links to information on all the lighthouses in Puerto Rico.  Each has a unique story and it would be an adventure just to visit these pieces of history: http://www.lighthousesrus.org/showSql.php?page=Gulf/PuertoRico,   http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/pr.

     Rincon translates to 'Corner' or 'Niche' and although that's a perfect description of this northwest corner of Puerto Rico the name originates from Don Gonzalo Rincon, a 16th century landowner.  Considered part of the 'Undiscovered Caribbean' Rincon has been one of Puerto Rico's favorite vacation destination for years.

    Paradise - for you surfers- Winter is high season for surfers, boarders and whale-watching and escaping the cold northern winter - it's at peak from October till April. The north side of Rincon has some of the best surfing waves in the world. In fact, back in 1968, surfing made Rincon famous - it was the site of the World Surfing Championship held at Domes Beach. Since then surfers from around the world have been visiting Rincon in search of the perfect wave. Now Rincon is a major resort destination year-round.  You'll want to consider, of course, Domes, but there's also Marias, Tres Palmas, Sandy Beach, and Pools Beach.

   Paradise but you don't surf?  For those of us with fainter hearts - or those just wanting a fantastic summer vacation spot - then the south side of Rincon has some of the best swimming beaches with calm, clear blue water.  Rincon's calm water beaches on its south Caribbean side offer the perfect spot for swimming or standup paddleboarding (one of the fastest growing sports in the world).   There's always something to do: SCUBA diving off nearby Desecheo Island, snorkeling, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, sailing, mountain biking, swimming, and maybe best of all those long walks on the beach and those unforgettable sunsets over the Caribbean.

 Let Rinco's lighthouse guide you to a perfect beach getaway!

Did you know that………

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       Puerto Rico has over 270 miles of beaches.    That’s a LOT of sand!   But, it's not just the number of beaches that make Puerto Rico a favorite vacation destination, it’s the quality and variety.  Puerto Rico has beaches with black sand and  beaches with rusted military tanks left as a memorial.  Whether it’s a surfing haven or tranquil waters, Puerto Rico has everything from the secluded and idyllic to glitzy resorts – in other words, just what you’re looking for!!   Your most difficult decision when you think of a Puerto Rico beach destination is how you’re going to decide which beach to go to! 

     We’ve already talked about some of the best beaches, but, there’s a lot more you might not know about Puerto Rico – for example –

       Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Bacardi Rum ... France has its wine. Germany has its beer. And Puerto Rico has its rum.   Puerto Rico may be an island, but it’s the rum capital of the world. 70% of the rum sold in the United States is made in Puerto Rico.  In fact, it’s the island's chief export. Puerto Rico and rum go way back ... about 400 years, give or take a decade. Ponce de Leon first brought Creole sugar cane rootstocks from La Española (Dominican Republic) in 1506. The first sugar mill was established in Añasco in 1517. Rum production began in the 1650's, a byproduct of the sugar cane industry. Bacardi and Don Q are the largest producers on the island and Puerto Rico is the only rum-producer in the world that maintains a minimum aging law for its rum.   There are three main categories of rum: light, dark, and añejo, or aged.

      Puerto Rico has a long history - According to archaeologists, the island's first inhabitants were the Ortoiroid people, dating to around 2000 BC. They were followed by the Igneri people from South America around 120 AD.   The pre-Columbian Taino culture began to develop on the island in the late 7th century. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America.  During the mid-17th century the Spanish successfully fought off numerous attempts by the Dutch, English and French to take control of their (now prized) colony.

     Puerto Rico has its own "Galapagos Island."  Off the eastern shore of mainland Puerto Rico, (roughly 50 miles away from Mayagüez) lies Mona Island, which has been compared to the Galapagos island for its unspoiled-by-man natural beauty and its colony of iguanas, which practically overrun the place. The Mona Iguana, found nowhere else on the planet, is the star of the show here.

     Are you an architecture buff?  Well, two of the oldest churches in the Americas are located in Old San Juan.  Built in the 1530s, the Iglesia de San José (or "Church of San José") in Old San Juan is the second oldest church in the western hemisphere, and a wonderful example of Spanish gothic architecture. More famous (and beautiful) is the Catedral de San Juan (or "San Juan Cathedral"), which is merely steps away on Cristo Street. The most important religious landmark in Puerto Rico, the cathedral was originally built in the 1520s but fell victim to two hurricanes, attacks, and lootings. The Cathedral also has an interesting tour which includes the remains of Ponce de León (which were removed from the Iglesia de San José in 1908 and relocated here) and a wax-covered, glass-encased mummy of a saint.

     San Juan is the second largest cruise port.  Just how popular is San Juan among cruise lovers? It's the largest hub in the Caribbean, and a major port of call for almost every cruise ship heading this way.

     Bond, James Bond….  Nestled in the forested hills of Arecibo is the Arecibo Radio Telescope The dish measures a thousand feet in diameter (the Eifel Tower is only 986 feet tall so you could lay it across the dish with room to spare!!!), takes up about 20 acres, and it’s the most sensitive radio telescope in the world.  In  the James Bond movie Goldeneye, the showdown between 007 and 006 (the bad guy) takes place there and it was used in the movie Contact (with Jodie Foster but that’s not nearly as cool as Bond, James Bond!).