Travel to Caribbean

Frommer's Puerto Rico (Frommer's Complete)

Format: Paperback
Author: Darwin Porter
ReleaseDate: 31 July, 2006
Publisher: Frommers
Rating:

Map Problems
However construction projects for many sections of that highway (Rt 53) have not yet commenced. Some maps in the guide don't reflect current reality eg the pull out map shows a major highway on the SE coast.

In general we had problems navigating because every map we picked up from guidebooks and tourist brochures was wrong, each in its own special way! If driving, do yourself a favor and buy a very detailed and up-to-date map before you head out. .

A Cultural Tour of Puerto Rico for Mid-Income Tourists
The book is geared towards travellers only moderately concerned with budget. This is a good guide for seeing the cultural sights of Puerto Rico, especially in San Juan. A few pieces of information are outdated, such as bus numbers and changes in price, but the numbering system (up to three stars) is useful for the first-time traveller with little knowledge of the country. Detailed descriptions of the sights in San Juan help visitors get a sense of the city's history while the walking tour takes them around to key spots. There is a comparable walking tour of Ponce, along with a description of the Museo de Arte de Ponce which prevented me from missing out on this fine museum. Ponce is the only place where we tried one of the listed hotels. Although the book described Hotel Belgica as "roughing it," we thought the accommodations were fine and enjoyed the unusual atmosphere of an old-style hotel. The book is full of useful tidbits. For example, en route to Parguera (which should get two stars, not one), the name of the road changes several times along the way (101, 116, 315, 305, 304). No wonder people get confused. Additional information: The book should include a warning that the $5 boat trip to the Phosphorescent Bay near Parguera doesn't let you see much, so it's best to go with the friendly folks at Paradise Scuba Center (the address is listed). Additionally, the Rio Camuy Cave Park sometimes sells out of tickets by 9am (especially on weekends), so it's best to get there early. Finally, good snorkeling is available in San Juan on the west side of the Wyndham Hotel (Condado).

Why doesn't someone write a decent travel guide to PR?
But I can't because the other guides are even worse or even less comprehensive. I've used this guide for three PR vacations, and each time I want to throw it across the hotel room. What's the problem with this one? The lack of description: it gives you no feel as to what makes each beach/hotel unique. Invariably every second beach is summed up vaguely as 'one of the best beaches on the island,' even if one has brownish sand and no snorkling while another "best" beach is pristine white, loaded with fish, and secluded. It's the same with hotels, too, except there's no explanation of what the mood is like there, what kind of people stay there, what the view is like, what the rooms are like, if there's a bar to hang out in after dinner, how close the beach is. . . . It's almost comic, except when you're trying to figure out where to spend your precious time and money.

Another frustrating problem is that no one took the time to edit this guide. One beach or hotel will be mentioned in two (or three) places in entirely different tones, so it's hard to guess whether a place is just wacky or dirty (or, in the instance of La Parguera, too polluted to swim in one mention; just fine in another). Also, uninspired writing means a breathtaking mountain retreat like the Casa Grande Hotel in Utuado comes across as completely unremarkable and possibly worth skipping. Can't the writers come out and say "This place is great" or, if necessary, "This place is a dump?" A reader might wonder if these guys visited anything but bloated resorts at all. PR deserves better and I certainly expected better from Frommer's.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Caribbean travel books.

	Fodor's Puerto Rico, 3rd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)
	Rand McNally Puerto Rico Easyfinder (Rand McNally Easyfinder)
	Insight Guide Puerto Rico (Insight Guides)
	Puerto Rico Off the Beaten Path, 5th (Off the Beaten Path Series)
	Lonely Planet Puerto Rico