Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Joyuda isn't on a regular úblico route, but you can drive here easily enough from either
Mayagüez or Cabo Rojo on Rte 102. Alternatively, take a taxi or hire a bike from the Wheel
Shop in Cabo Rojo (
Click here
).
El Combate
This gritty seaside settlement wedged incongruously between Boquerón beach and the
Cabo Rojo lighthouse is at the end of Hwy 3301, a short spur branching west from Hwy
301. Those with limited time can skip it - it's an untidy sprawl of tawdry guesthouses,
backyard trailer-camping sites, beach houses and restaurants, all covered in Bacardi ban-
ners. But while the down-at-heel bar scene might be a little on the rough side, the thin
3-mile-long strip of sand that affronts the Pasaje de la Mona is a perennially popular vaca-
tion spot for Puerto Rican families and college kids looking for some fun on the weekends.
Named after a 1759 colonial turf war to control the lucrative salt flats to the south, El
Combate (The Battle) retains its wayward and embattled image, sprawling at the junction
of a couple potholed roads and the sea. Ask around enough and you might run into a couple
locals who still pride themselves on being known as Los Mata con Hacha (Those Who Kill
with Axes) for their historical penchant to wield sharp weaponry against rivals from the
nearby town of Lajas.
Sleeping & Eating
This is a seasonal place, and as such has a handful of basic guesthouses and apartments for
rent that open only in summer. You won't find luxury, but visitors here spend little time
indoors.
Combate Beach Hotel & Restaurant
HOTEL $
( 787-254-7053; Hwy 3301 Km 2.7; d/q $90/110; )
A favorite oasis in El
Combate, this hotel is right on the beach about a quarter of a mile from all the development
in town. The motel-style rooms are simple but clean with private bathrooms. They're also
the best rooms you're going to get in town. There's a casual restaurant serving seafood and
comida criolla
and the whole place runs smoothly under the watchful eyes of the propriet-
ors.
