Puerto Rico at Its Rustic Best

A review of Caribe Playa Beach Resort, a small and rustic hotel right on the Caribbean Sea in Puerto Rico's Southeast Coast, also known as Porta Caribe.

A short plane-ride (or longer ferry-ride) away from mainland Puerto Rico, the island of Culebra is a lost-in-time retreat which has a special appeal to those who can forego the fancy resort-life in exchange for a more rustic experience. This three-day itinerary will help you get acquainted with Puerto Rico's unpolished jewel.

Puerto Rico's panaderías , or bakeries, are far more than a place to get cakes and pastries in Puerto Rico. A panadería can be anything from a hole in the wall that sells bread and basic groceries to a full-blown restaurant and mini-mart. It’s a good way to experience a slice of daily life (and local bread), no matter what part of the island...

There's a place by the beach in rustic, quaint Guayama that's known for one thing: its pastelillos. This is a typical 'Rican street food, and no one makes 'em quite as well, or as large, as these guys. Welcome to the home of the footlong pastelillo.

You don't have to go far out of San Juan to experience Puerto Rico at its greasiest, crispiest best. Just get in a car or taxi, head out to Piñones, and pick your favorite seaside shacks, stall, or small restaurant.

A different type of event from the typical Christmas festivities, "Christmas in the Mountains" is designed to get people outdoors, outside of the city, and into beautiful mountain-and-lake scenery in Utuado, Puerto Rico.

Públicos are passenger vans that travel to the far reaches of Puerto Rico and also operate in Vieques and Culebra. Cheap and accessible, they make for a truly 'Rican travel experience ... if you have the time to enjoy it.

From San Juan to San German, Puerto Rico's big and small towns hold an annual festival to honor their patron saint. These Fiestas Patronales are weeklong celebrations that take place throughout the year. Click here to learn more.

Acampa specializes in taking visitors into the interior of Puerto Rico and exploring its natural beauty. Explore caves, rainforests, islands, underground rivers, and even an old plantation.

A visit to Heladeria Lares in Puerto Rico is more than a trip to the local ice cream shop.

A review of the rustic, authentic, diverse and delicious row of around 60 roadside kiosks along Route 3 in the town of Luquillo.

A review of Casa Cautiño Museum, an elegant reminder of 19th century sophistication in Guayama, Puerto Rico.

Take a trip back in time at the Hacienda Buena Vista Coffee Plantation in the mountains of Puerto Rico, and visit one of the last remaining working examples of water-powered coffee production.

A review of El Trapiche, a typical seafood restaurant in the Porta Caribe town of Guayama.