Puerto Rico Travel

The Cathedral of San Juan isn't a mere tourist attraction. And it's not an ordinary church. This is the one of the oldest churches in the Western Hemisphere, the seat of the archdiocese in Puerto Rico, and an iconic landmark of Puerto Rico.

But it's not just its historical prominence that makes the Catedral de San Juan Bautista a must-visit stop in Old San Juan.  This, as a friend of mine put it, is the Grande Dame of the city. It's long been looted and pillaged of its riches trappings (thank you Earl of Cumberland), but it does have two very interesting attractions: the tomb of a man who became famous for hunting after a mythical fountain, and the wax-encased mummy of a Roman martyr. And it's one of three churches on Cristo Street alone, making this one seriously sacred stretch of road.

On your tour of Old San Juan, plan for a stop at this elegant gothic-inspired house of worship, which has been watching over San Juan for almost 500 years.

If you're in Puerto Rico this week, you're in luck, because so is Restaurant Week. And I'm concluding my reviews of participating restaurants with BLT Steak at the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.

I became a fan of this place as soon as I sank my teeth into one of their custom-made popovers (comes with recipe), an appropriate teaser for the rest of the meal. After munching on this treat, I glanced over at the chalkboard menu (updated daily) to decide my meal, which ended up being a chilled tuna tartare (I know, it's a typical starter, but it's flawless here), a cooked-to-perfection porterhouse, and a trifle that was inhaled more than it was eaten.

For Restaurant Week, BLT is offering a three-course meal comprised of Caesar salad or grilled double-cut bacon for an appetizer; a 6 oz prime filet, pan-seared snapper, or airline chicken breast for entree; and peanut butter chocolate mousse or caramelized cheesecake for dessert. Not a bad way to spend $39, no?

There are very few things in Puerto Rico that would remind anyone of France, but Bistro de Paris is one of them. The menu, featuring all the most popular staples and some of the more exotic ones, is extensive and traditional French (no messing about with fusion fare here).

The place looks like it was crane-lifted out of a sociable corner of the city and transported straight to the island. It's elegant without getting too stuffy inside, and the outside terrace is a pleasant alternative for an evening out.

And their $39 prix fixe menu for Restaurant Week offers a nice variety, from onion soup, escargot or scallop mousse for an appetizer to lamb, trout Meunière, or mussels marinière with fries for an entree, to chocolate mousse or apple tarte tatin for dessert.

Continuing my restaurant reviews leading up to Restaurant Week (you can see an updated list of participating restaurants here), I'm focusing on two restaurants that are the creations of one of Puerto Rico's most celebrated chefs: Roberto Treviño. No stranger to the global culinary circuit, Chef Treviño brings his signature flair for inventive cuisine to two very different eateries in Condado.

If I had to pick one in which to have a memorable dinner, it would be Budatai. The Asian-fusion fare here is just too good to pass up. From the tropically inclined sushi rolls to the churrasco with flat noodles, the food here is delicious and delightful. Not far away, Bar Gitano leaves Asia far behind and puts the Treviño twist on classic Spanish food. The meal I had was at once quintessentially Spanish and distinctly New World, with flavor combinations and techniques that you would never expect. The squid-ink dusted calamari and pinch0-style garlic shrimp skewers attest to the marriage of traditional Spanish fare and Treviño's whimsy.

These two restaurants are fine additions to Restaurant Week, and two more reasons to enjoy this terrific culinary promotion, which starts on May 14.

In honor of Puerto Rico's first-ever Restaurant Week, which is right around the corner, I'm going to spend the next few days reviewing restaurants that are participating in the promotion. For those who don't know about Restaurant Week, this is a foodie- and budget-friendly event that has been held in cities around the globe. The deal is this: participating restaurants offer up an affordable prix fixe set menu to entice visitors to either try them for the first time, come back to sample something new from the menu, or simply have another reason to return to an old favorite.

And one of the restaurants that is offering a prix-fixe menu for the week is Picoteo, the elegant Spanish tapas bar and restaurant at the El Convento Hotel. The knock on El Picoteo has always been that it's a bit pricey, and it is, but it also offers superlative cuisine in a charming setting. And hey, if price kept you from visiting before, Restaurant Week gives you the perfect opportunity to try it out!

There are a few headline events happening in Puerto Rico this May. For one, a major artisan festival that brings artisans from around the world to exhibit their wares in Old San Juan, along with 100 local master craftsmen and artists.

For another, Restaurant Week is finally here, giving locals and visitors alike a chance to dine out at a long list of fine eateries at reasonable prix-fixe prices. And then there's Comiccon, the annual gathering of Trekkies, costumed superheroes and villains, gamers and comic book fans, at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. On the flip side of Comiccon is the Urban Fiesta party, a bacchanalia just in time for Memorial Day.

Add in the usual array of local festivals, parties and gatherings, and you've got an entertaining month on the island.

What better to way to close out my weeklong historical tour of Puerto Rico than to talk about the decades that led up to the birth of tourism on the island. The early 1900s were a difficult time in Puerto Rico. Under-developed, poor and with few prospects for growth, it was practically enslaved to the sugar industry, a cash crop that fueled the Puerto Rican economy for much of the 1920s.

In addition to its economic woes, the first half of the 20th century was  a time of political upheaval and social unrest. One man (who is justly known today as "the father of modern Puerto Rico") helped change Puerto Rico's fortunes by inviting foreign investment, curbing the island's dependence on sugar, and ushering in much-needed industrial reforms.

It would take just over 50 years after the U.S. acquired Puerto Rico from Spain that a new industry would rise on the sparkling Atlantic shores of Dorado, Condado and Isla Verde: tourism arrived with the grandeur and pomp of Rockefeller, the first Hilton ever built outside the U.S., and the brightest stars of the day. It ushered in a golden age in Puerto Rico and established the island as a tourist capital particularly for American travelers. It's a reputation that has carried on, even 60-plus years after the Caribe Hilton first opened its doors.

As the fake forces of the ghost of Sir Ralph Abercrombie's ghost storm the ramparts of the ruins of Castillo San Cristóbal this weekend, I'm continuing with my recap of Puerto Rico's tumultuous history.

After its early beginnings, the island settled into its role as military muscle for the Spanish empire in the new world. And in truth, Spain's ships could hardly have asked for a better nautical bouncer than the Castillo San Felipe del Morro guarding the entrance to the Bay of San Juan. El Morro only had one weakness. It was exposed to a land assault, and the Earl of Cumberland, George Clifford, proved it when he took the fort through a land assault. That flaw led to the construction of San Cristóbal, which would become the largest fortress ever built by Spain in the New World. And it was San Cristóbal that would be tested in 1797, when it withstood the attack that is being commemorated this weekend.

It was a major victory for Puerto Rico, and gave birth to one of Old San Juan's most elegant legends.

In honor of the upcoming reenactment of the 1797 attack on Puerto Rico, I'm spending this week on Puerto Rico's fascinating history. It's a fascinating story, replete with miracles, tragedies, global power struggles and some of history's most famous personages.

I'm starting with Puerto Rico's earliest beginnings ... at least as far as the Spanish were concerned. Because when famously lost Christopher Columbus stumbled onto Puerto Rico, he was, of course, by no means the first person to discover the islands. The land was occupied by an indigenous tribe known as the Taíno, who had settled this and other Caribbean islands.

But Columbus had little interest in the Taíno, or in Puerto Rico, for that matter. He sailed on in search of richer ports. It would be left to another famous Spaniard, one Juan Ponce de León (who became famous largely because he went looking for a fountain), who would settle the island and begin Spanish rule there. Juan didn't last long in Puerto Rico either. The Fountain of Youth lured him away, and he never returned to his fledgling settlement. But his family lived on in Puerto Rico, which slowly became one of Spain's most important military outposts in the New World.

And so began three centuries of Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.

Speaking of Hix Island House, the Travel Channel has recently launched a cool new program called "Park Secrets," and in a recent episode they went to Vieques. (You can catch a snippet and a cameo of yours truly here) . I was thrilled that they focused on Hix House, a truly unique hotel that embraces nature as few other structures do.

Hix House, the labor of love of architect John Hix, would have made Ayn Rand proud. It's luxury lies in its simplicity, in its respect for the land, and its attention to detail. It's tucked into the green interior of the island, offering a place of total escape and relaxation. It's been several years since I first stayed at Hix (although I went back about a year ago). And to this day, it's one of the most memorable places I've stayed in Puerto Rico. If you've stayed there as well, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.