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Playa Crash Boat, Aguadilla /Dean

West April-2005, By:Travel and Sports Staff
Experience Porta Del Sol (the West)
Isabela, Aguadilla, Hormigueros

When you take a trip out west to the area known as Porta del Sol, make sure you discover its major attractions: The legendary Panadería bakery in Quebradillas. Isabela, Aguadilla, Rincón (with its lighthouse park) and Añasco offer some of the world’s great surfing areas and beaches. The small towns of Moca, Aguada and Hormigueros are known for their beautiful handicrafts. San Sebastian, Las Marías and Maricao represent fascinating examples of the mountainous towns dedicated to agriculture. In the port city of Mayagüez, you can enjoy a first-rate zoo, historic theater and beautiful city plaza. The Cabo Rojo area (Joyuda, Boquerón, El Combate and Mona) entices visitors with its beautiful beaches, excellent seafood and the Boquerón Wildlife refuge, a paradise for bird-watchers. Unique architecture helps to define San German; its neighbor Sabana Grande is considered the gateway to the Luis Muñoz Marín Panoramic Route. Lajas (a major pineapple producer) includes La Parguera, which attracts divers and watersports fans. And Guánica offers nature trails in the Guánica Dry Forest (a World Biosphere Reserve) and the clear waters of Gilligan’s Island. Throughout the area, you will find a good supply of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s approved small inns and restaurants—the Paradores and Mesones Gastronómicos.

Isabela

Isabela is called the “Jardín del Noroeste” (the Northwest Garden) and is known for the delicious local cheese “quesito de hoja,” the breeding of cockfighting birds and Paso Fino horses. You may also find artisans, “santeros,” demonstrating how the hand-carved wood statues of saints (“santos”) are created, and annual events such as the “Festival del Tejido.” Nature lovers will find rivers, lakes and caves to explore. The Isabela trolley takes you to points of interest throughout the area such as Guajataca Tunnel, El Pastillo Beach, El Pozo de Jacinto and Villa Pesquera beach. You have to call for reservations. The Guajataca Forest, just outside of Isabela, has a new trail system that is well worth a stop. At the small ranger station you can pick up a trail map for an excellent self-guided tour. In addition to the lookout tower, follow the map on the well-marked trail for clear explanations of a number of both unique and typical features in the forest including 156 types of trees and 45 bird species.

Aguadilla

Aguadilla is known as the “Garden of the Atlantic.” The name comes from the colorful sponges and marine life prevalent in this area. It is also internationally known for its world-class surfing beaches. As you approach the town from the east on Rt 2, you pass the exit for the airport. If you take this exit (Rt 110), you come to the Rafael Hernández Airport, the converted Ramey Air Force Base. Now a major civilian airport, it features the longest runways in the Caribbean and services an expanding amount of commercial, private, charter and cargo traffic. The 18-hole Punta Borinquen Golf Course, which was designed for President Eisenhower, is open to the public and features holes that run right along the cliff on the water’s edge. Spectacular sunsets may be seen from “El Miradero,” a lookout point on Rt 2, and “El Parterre,” a legendary park on Muñoz Rivera St.

Hormigueros

In the center of town you will find the Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate. The church was erected to celebrate the legend of the intervention of Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate to save the life of a peasant. While working in the fields, the peasant was charged by an enraged bull. The peasant called on the saint to save his life – just then the bull tripped, and the peasant was saved. Since then, the townspeople are known both locally and internationally for their devotion to the Virgin Mary. Also in town is the Casa Marquéz. This historic home, a good example of the best architecture of its day, is maintained just as it was in the 18th century. Contact City Hall for a visit. From Hormigueros you can easily connect into Mayagüez and everything in the southwest.

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West Article Archive
2007-04 Explore the West, Porta del Sol
2005-08 Lajas: La Parguera, Rincón, San Germán
2005-06 San Sebastián, Moca, Mayagüez
2005-04 Isabela, Aguadilla, Hormigueros
2005-02 Cabo Rojo, Las Marías, Maricao, Mona
2004-12 Rincón, Sabana Grande, Lajas
2004-10 Añasco, Guánica
2004-08 Lajas, Lajas: La Parguera, San German
2004-06 Moca, San Sebastian, Rincón, Desecheo, Mayagüez
2004-04 Aguadilla, Hormigueros, Isabela
2004-02 Mayagüez, Maricao, Las Marías, Cabo Rojo, Joyuda
All Archives

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