Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The público stand is just off Plaza de Recreo on Nueva. Expect to pay about $5 if you are
headed north to Aguadilla or $3 to go south to Mayagüez (you can access San Juan from
either of these cities). Both trips take about 40 minutes.
In spite of what your map might suggest, the easiest way to approach the town is via the
valley roads of Hwy 402 and Hwy 115, both of which intersect Hwy 2 south of the Rincón
peninsula.
Getting Around
Now for the bummer: Rincón - despite its mantle as an 'alternative' beach haven - has
little provision for nonmotorized transport. A spread-out community with minimal public
transport, Rincón has few sidewalks and almost no facilities for bicycles (the nearest bike
rental is in Aguadilla;
Click here
). The only reliable way to get around the area is by rented
car, taxi, irregular úblicos or - if you're energetic and careful - walking. You will pay $18
or more for a taxi from either the Aguadilla or Mayagüez airports. Car rentals can also be
found at both of these destinations (
Click here
and
Click here
) or you can try
Angelos (
787-823-3438; Hwy 115 Km 12)
, in the town itself.
Mayagüez
POP 89,080
Like many of Puerto Rico's midsized cities, it takes some digging to discover the charm of
Mayagüez. The 'Sultan of the West' is largely a transportation point for visitors to the west
or those making the weekend junket to the Dominican Republic. The commonwealth's un-
derrated and slightly disheveled dock town is the island's third biggest - behind San Juan
and Ponce - though it has few comparable attractions. Still, savvy travelers will sense some
vibrancy here, mostly thanks to a hard-partying student population and some ambitious res-
toration projects, many of which were completed before hosting the 2010 Central Americ-
an and Caribbean Games.
Founded in 1760 by émigrés from the Canary Islands, Mayagüez had an inauspicious
early history considering its current size and importance. The emerging economy was
based on fruit production and agriculture, and even today the city remains noted for the
sweetness of its mangoes. In the mid-19th century Mayagüez developed a contrarian nature
and sheltered numerous revolutionary thinkers including Ramón Emeterio Betances, archi-
tect of the abortive Grito de Lares (
Click here
). Disaster struck in 1918 when an earth-
quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale all but destroyed the central business district, but
the city rose from the rubble.
