Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 800-468-4553;
www.copamarina.com
;
Hwy 333 Km 6.5; r $190-400, villas $859;
)
This full-service resort is the most upscale vacation retreat on the southw-
est coast of Puerto Rico, just east of the balneario on a shallow bay. It's relatively pricey but
worth it: the immaculate grounds include a pair of beautiful pools, tennis courts, and two
upscale restaurants. There's even an on-site dive shop and a 24-hour service desk. Most of
the plush, elegantly outfitted rooms open to ocean breezes and swaying palms, making it
idyllic for honeymooners, who drag beach chairs into the shallow waters under the shade
of the palm trees. The only drawback is the resort's isolation but, for those who enjoy peace
and quiet, it can also be its greatest attribute.
Eating & Drinking
Alexandra
FUSION $$
( 800-468-4553;
www.copamarina.com
;
Hwy 333 Km 6.5; dishes $15-35; lunch
&dinner)
If one dish could represent the menu at this upscale resort restaurant, it'd be lob-
ster tail in mango and mustard sauce. Savory, inventive and decidedly upscale, the fusion
Caribbean and New American dishes here are as elegant as the linen-draped dining room.
The food is a match for the dreamy location, and the atmosphere is completed by doting
waiters and couples who toast special occasions. Reservations are recommended.
Cafeteria El Aleman
CAFETERIA $
(106 Ochoa; dishes $1-8; lunch & dinner)
If your dream of the Caribbean includes
sipping a high-octane rum drink out of a coconut, this tiny red-roofed roadside cafeteria is
the answer to your prayers. Patrons park themselves on stools at the shoulder of the road,
choose their coconut (and their poison - the house recommends Cutty Shark) and order
thick, homemade sandwiches and sundry
comida criolla.
Getting There & Away
Públicos vans stop on the plaza in Guánica, a few blocks west of the shore. Getting between
Ponce and Mayagüez costs about $7. During summer and on sunny weekends vans connect
to the beach at Caña Gorda or the ferry dock to Gilligan's Island, but don't count on it.
If you're driving to Guánica, follow Hwy 116 south from the expressway.
