Piñones

Introducing Piñones

Of the many arresting cultural contrasts visible in Puerto Rico, none is as striking as the abrupt transition from modern San Juan to pleasantly ramshackle Piñones, gateway to the east coast. The two worlds are linked by Punta Cangrejos, a small bridge on Rte 187 that spans Boca de Cangrejos (Crabmouth Point); once you cross it, ‘resort-land’ quickly becomes a distant memory.

Do as the visiting sanjuaneros do on weekends and saunter along the sandy curves that are backed by spiky pine groves, nosh on seafood snacks and coco frío (ice-cold coconut milk) sold at roadside stands, and soak up the strong Afro-Caribbean culture that permeates Loíza Aldea and Carolina, two neighboring towns that maintain strong indigenous identities in the face of urbanization.

Both a state forest – Bosque Estatal de Piñones – and a neighborhood of its parent municipality, Loíza Aldea, further to the east, Piñones presents an alternative to the high-rise condos and casino hotels of Isla Verde to the west, and the massive pharmaceutical plants of Carolina to the south. During vacations and on weekends, this entire stretch is filled with sanjuaneros and locals enjoying lots of African-influenced music, food and drinks.

Friquitines, also known as buréns in Piñones, are food kiosks of all shapes and sizes (and states of hygiene) that line the coastal road. Proprietors roast plantains, whole fish, codfish fritters and skewered pieces of seasoned pork over wood fires (it’s a good idea to avoid oysters, seviche and other raw or lightly cooked dishes). Reefs just offshore create good surfing conditions and protect bathers from the full force of ocean swells, and on the days the ocean’s just too rough, there’s the recently completed Paseo de Piñones, a first-rate nature trail and bike path along the beach and through the forest reserve.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009