Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AROUND SAN JUAN
Cataño & Bayamón
Together, Bayamón and Cataño have a denser concentration of strip malls than any other
area in Puerto Rico, which may be one reason why tourists don't seem to be flocking across
the bay. Other reasons could be the heavy industrialization, traffic that could make you pull
your hair out and air that's often fouled with noxious chemicals. Nonetheless, there are a few
things worth seeing in Bayamón and Cataño, although nothing warrants staying overnight.
To get here, you can take the ferry from Old San Juan and enjoy a quick harbor tour along
the way. The Tren Urbano links Santurce, Hato Rey and Río Piedras to Bayamón; from Old
San Juan/Condado you can catch bus B21 to Sagrado Corazon station and the start of the
train route.
If you head about a mile north of town to where Hwy 165 meets Hwy 870, you can follow
the latter to a secluded picnic site amid the dramatic setting of Isla de Cabras.
Sights
Bacardí Rum Factory
LANDMARK
( 787-788-8400;
www.casabacardi.org
;
Hwy 888 Km 2.6; tours 9am-4:30pm
Mon-Sat, 10am-3:30pm Sun)
Called the 'Cathedral of Rum' because of its six-story dis-
tillation tower, the Bacardí Rum Factory covers 127 acres and stands out like a petroleum
refinery across from Old San Juan, near the entrance to the bay. The world's largest and most
famous rum-producing family started their business in Cuba more than a century ago, but
they began moving their operation to this site in 1936. Today the distiller produces some
100,000 gallons of rum per day and ships 21 million cases per year worldwide.
In exchange for two free drinks, you'll be escorted on a tram tour that lasts about 45
minutes. To get to the Bacardí factory, take a público (about $3 per person) or walk 15
minutes from the ferry terminal in Cataño along the waterfront on Calle Palo Seco (Hwy
888). At Km 2.6 north of town, look for the Cathedral of Rum and other Bacardí factory
buildings to your left, rising above the landscape. Free tours visit a reproduction of the ori-
ginal factory every 30 minutes on the half-hour.
