My second stop on my Carnival Cruise was Puerto Rico, specifically San Juan. But, this time, instead of booking an excursion through the cruise line, I went out on my own.
As background, Puerto Rico is not a separate country. It is actually a U.S. territory. It is located just to the east of the last island I was visiting: the Dominican Republic.
So, as soon as we docked the ship, I called for an Uber to take me to my first stop: Santaella. Santaella is "A modern Puerto Rican dining experience driven by Chef Jose Santaella. Rooted firmly in authentic dishes and local ingredients."
The restaurant was fairly nondescript from the outside and was sort of situated in an alley, which I wasn't expecting. Walking inside, it was so bright and airy with natural light and giant plants being a wall focal point.
I started with "Pulpo Espagnol" - grilled spanish octopus with fingerling potatoes, smoked paprika mayo, boiled egg, chistorras and green olives. jerez reduction. I loved this octopus; I love all octopus. This was so interesting to me with the boiled egg. The mayo packed a wollop of a kick.
I then did the "CAMARONES EN CREMA AL AJILLO" - jumbo shrimp in garlic cream sauce, plátano, yucca and sweet plantain Puerto Rican "trigongo" with bacon. This was a perfect balance between light and heavy for lunch. It was filling, but felt so fresh. I also wasn't sure about trigongo, but it was so well seasoned and balanced that "bland" was nowhere to be found.
Next up was an Uber to Casa Bacardi, which is the world's largest rum distillery.
This visit started with a drink at the bar, which I tried the pina colada. The piña colada was invented in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is now the island's national drink.
Casa BACARDÍ opened in 1962, and as part of the "Legacy Tour," I learned about the history of the world's most awarded rum.
We enjoyed a guided bus tour around the property, learning about the process and the origins of the company.
At the end, we returned to the visitor center where we enjoyed some samples and a sweet treat.
The Casa Bacardi Special Reserve is ONLY available at Casa Bacardi. "Casa BACARDÍ Special Reserve is our exclusive blend, only crafted at Casa BACARDÍ Puerto Rico," reads the website.
"This rum has a combination of 8 to 12 years of aging. It has a finish in oloroso sherry cask. The tasting notes are: caramel, honey, maple, caramelized walnuts, butterscotch and sweet fresh fruits. You can enjoy it neat or on the rocks with your friends and family, at a special occasion."
After this, I called another Uber to head back toward San Juan, as we ventured a bit into Catano.
I'm a National Park nerd, so I had to stop at the San Juan National Historic Site, which featured La Fortaleza and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Old San Juan was founded in 1521 by Spanish settlers. The first fortification, La Fortaleza (The Fortress), began construction in 1533 and currently serves as the governor's mansion. The Castillo San Felipe del Morro, or El Morro, was the second fort built on the islet of what is now Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra.
Then, I walked all around Old San Juan with its beautifully colored buildings. I tried to stop at Barrachina, which claims to have invented the pina colada. But they were super busy. I also wanted to go to La Factoria, which is an award-winning bar, but again, very busy.
Next up was a stroll down Fortaleza Street and a stop at Zippops.
Zippops are gourmet paletas, which are frozen treats usually made with natural fruits like mango, strawberry, and sometimes a hint of spice.
It was so hot, and I just walked a billion miles so I was looking for something cold and light and sweet.
The strawberry banana flavor popped out to me. It isn't the most adventurous, but it was certainly satisfying.
Have you ever been?
