Seafood, Sunsets And Surf

Head to Puerto Rico’s west coast for quiet luxury and barefoot beach bars.

- Ron Bernthal

For New York residents Pauline and Chris Walsh, 13 consecutive years of vacationing on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico means forging new friendships not only with other vacationers but also with local residents, including starting an annual softball tournament between Chris’ Staten Island softball league and softball teams in the town of Isabela.

“We have been in love with Villas del Mar Hau and that side of the island ever since 2003, when Chris and I first visited,” Paula said. “That first year the road from Jobos Beach to Montones Beach in Isabela, on the northwest coast where the resort is located, was a dirt road. Now it is paved, with guardrails and a biking and walking path. This part of Puerto Rico never fails to amaze us with its beauty and laid-back atmosphere; we are definitely thinking of retiring here for a few months a year.”

For many couples and families, especially surfers from around the world, western Puerto Rico makes a great place for a weekend or a month of kicking back. Dress is casual even at the most upscale establishments, and a perfect morning may be spent snorkeling or surfing in the warm Caribbean followed by lunch at a beachside restaurant right on the sand, nestled under palm trees. Fried pork chops, rice and beans and a cold beer are always available, as are fresh fish and seafood, and don’t be surprised if no one — customers, servers and cooks alike — is wearing shoes.

To try surfing in Isabela, head to Playa Shacks, where the Hang Loose Surf Shop offers plenty of boards for rent and the sea is calm enough for beginners. Afterward, drive just seven minutes to Jobos Beach for lunch at Sonido del Mar, an open-air restaurant with a terrace just steps from the sea, offering delicious coconut mojitos, shrimp and lobster.