Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408130013
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: F6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEVE SILK THE HARTFORD COURANT
DATELINE: LUQUILLO, PUERTO RICO LENGTH: Medium
The paradores puertorriquenos, invariably referred to as country inns in guidebooks and tourist publications, are a chain of sorts, albeit one composed of different links.
Perhaps something has been lost in the translation, but calling a Puerto Rican parador a country inn is rather like calling a kayak the Queen Mary. It conjures a certain set of expectations, in this case one likely to be dashed on the hard rocks of reality.
Americans acquainted with country inns in our country will be surprised - and not necessarily favorably - by the tropical hostelries of the Puerto Rican countryside. What the tourist literature says - ``A stay at any of them is an unforgettable experience'' - may be true, but the stay might be memorable for the wrong reasons.
On the positive side, nearly all the paradores are near something worth seeing - a great beach, a mineral spring, a pre-Columbian Indian site, a place of great pastoral beauty.
And nearly all the paradores are inexpensive - most rooms are well under $100 a night for a double. Just because a parador is cheap doesn't mean it's a good value. Some cost $60 a night but are not worth $60 a night.
Still, the paradores represent probably the best value for those intent on exploring the island beyond the rain forests of El Yunque, the historic precincts of Old San Juan and the sprawling, crime-ridden metropolis of modern San Juan.
The typical parador, such as the Parador la Familia in Fajardo or the Parador Vistamar in Quebradillas, is a bare-bones, motel-style retreat - a collection of sterile concrete boxes perched in scenic surroundings. The Vistamar, an American-style motel overlooking a dramatic panorama of rugged headland and wild beach, is in a particularly scenic spot, even if its rooms suffer from cookie-cutter sameness. (If you drive to that beach, don't leave anything of even nominal value in your car. Thieves abound.)
Others, such as the immensely popular Parador Martorell in the slightly seedy beach town of Luquillo, are more like state penitentiaries than country inns. Floor-to-ceiling steel bars seal the open-air porch of the small Luquillo hostelry from the surrounding blocks of condos. Guests come and go through a locked door. More steel bars cover the reception area, and still more form grids over the windows. The television sets in the rooms are imprisoned in tiny steel cages bolted to the walls.
Then there are the other paradores - the kind that are a bargain. Most of these idyllic low-cost hideaways are situated along the island's mountainous spine. The Parador Hacienda Gripinas in Jayuya and the Parador Hacienda Juanita are charming places to spend a day or two. The Parador Banos de Coamo, with its restorative hot springs and lazy atmosphere, also offers a peaceful retreat - as long as you avoid weekends or holidays. (Some believe the lukewarm mineral waters of the hot springs were the source of the legend of the fountain of youth.)
The best paradores are those in the mountains, which is a particular boon to visitors. One of the most spectacular pursuits in all of Puerto Rico is traveling the 165-mile island network of mountain roads called the Panoramic Route. Like old stagecoach stops, the back country paradores along the way offer an ideal opportunity for a break in the journey. The drive is best done in several days. The Panoramic Route consists of 40 roads and is often poorly signed, so count on getting lost several times.
As a reward for braving the vagaries of this mountain ramble, there's nothing like a stop at Hacienda Gripinas or another of the mountain paradores. The frogs will be waiting.
by CNB