Viva La Vida: Puerto Rico

Steps Beach at Tres Palmas (Rincon, Puerto Rico)

Get ready for some awesome photographs!

Last week was spent in Puerto Rico. It was my second trip this year and probably not my last. Cities visited included Rincon (home base), Aguadilla, Isabela, Arecibo, Utuado, San Sabastion and Mayaguez.

If you enjoy the water be it surfing, snorkeling, diving, swimming or just sitting on a beach with beautiful tropical water in front of you I recommend everyone visit Puerto Rico at least once. The most important factor I've found is to stay away from San Juan (a true clusterfuck of traffic and people, although the fortress is worth a once in a life time visit). When I go I fly direct from Orlando to Aguadilla (the Northwest coast) and go from there. It's a 30 minute drive to Rincon and for the most part hassle free.

My original plan was to move to Rincon for the winter months this year from mid-October to the end of March. However, some unfortunate economic factors are not allowing it so now the plan is to just visit my friends that are moving to Rincon several times this winter for some super fun surfing action!

Here's my story of Puerto Rico in a fun little photo essay. Enjoy!

Click any photo to enlarge

John, Julie and I at Arecibo. That dish is about 900 feet across. Arecibo is a fun day trip from Rincon. It's also the biggest alien telephone in the world!

Jobos at Isabela...

Can you believe this tiny little wave broke my leash. I'll never buy that brand leash again!

A local surfer gave me this coconut after a surfing session. It was so freaking good! I think the only thing that would have been better is a cold beer!

It looks like I'm drooling, but it REALLY is only coconut milk! Haha!

I broke my leash while surfing near the Aerocibo lighthouse. It was almost new. I couldn't even believe it considering the waves were small. I gave it to a local grom on the beach and continued to surf sans leash. I hate leashes anyways!

With little surf and super clear water I found summer time in Puerto Rico the perfect opportunity to try out my underwater photography skills. This was a small wave right up on the rocks, but a little bit of a different view than what you normally see.

Puerto Rico is famous among surfers for being a sea urchin nightmare. Thousands of these little feet stabbing monsters are everywhere along the coastline. I'd rather brush up against coral than step on these guys!

A Hawksbill turtle.




This video is pretty cool. I took it while I was chasing either reef squid or cuttlefish (I'm not sure which they were) and then ran into the turtle. Pretty cool moment!

Hello Blue Tangs! I kept thinking about Finding Nemo.


The same Elkhorn Coral (Dogman's and Tres Palmas) that I surfed over last March! Glad I'm good at NOT wiping out! Hahaha!

They call these things Christmas Tree Worms (attached to the Brain Coral)

You know you're near a surfing mecca when all the street signs are covered in surfing stickers. This is on the hill over looking Tres Palmas (Hwy 413, Rincon). It was just last March that I witnessed an insane swell from this very spot with 25-30' face waves.

I'm always searching for that odd angle with my photographs. Here's a little self portrait from inside a tidal pool near Dogman's.

These hermit crabs are all over the beach. This one was searching for a new shell.

I had never seen a star fruit tree before. This one is in the yard of the house my friends are moving into next month. Also in the yard are avacado, coconut, papaya and cherry trees. How cool is that!?!?!

I quickly made friends with the hammock on the patio.

This was the sunset view from the house we rented overlooking Rincon.