PR Day 5: Back to Seven Seas Beach, El Faro

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Today we took it easy. Our last three days in Puerto Rico will be packed, so I wanted to make sure the baby got her rest today. We slept in, woke up slowly and then headed for Seven Seas Beach.

ABOUT SEVEN SEAS BEACH

The beach is open daily between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with lifeguards on duty. Mondays and Tuesdays during September to March the beach is closed (no lifeguards/facilities, but you can still use the beach). The main entrance is through the parking lot (cost $4/day), but we went the way the locals do: through a missing piece of fence at the corner. From Route 3 in Fajardo, take Route 194. After you pass El Conquistador Resort, 194 becomes Route 987. Continue on 987 until you see Seven Seas Beach on your left. You know you're just about at Seven Seas Beach when you pass by a large baseball field on your right and two restaurants on your left.

The water at Seven Seas Beach is shallow and relatively calm due to the off shore reef that protects the beach. It was a great place to bring a baby. Derek spent the afternoon fashioned a sand castle complete with a moat. I worked on my tan -- when I wasn't keeping the baby from crawling straight into the waves, that is. She's lost all fear of the water and just wants to get wet.

Today, being a weekend, there was a food kiosk open near the restrooms. There were also about 10 tents set up near the picnic pavilions. Campsites are about $10 per night, minimum two nights. If you plan on camping at Seven Seas Beach, you will need to make arrangements and obtain a permit before arriving. Call 787.863.8180 for information. Call the Parques Nationales at 787.622.5200 to get a campsite permit.

Facilities at Seven Seas Beach:
Showers
Restrooms
Restaurant
Picnic Shelters
Paid parking: $4

Snorkle straight out from the beach, or head to the far left (facing the water), near the "end of beach" sign. Look for the rocks. It’s shallow there and there are some good coral formations. Or, you can walk about 20 minutes through the mangroves and come to Playa Colora or Playa Escondida. We didn't take the baby on that hike, but the teenagers went that way. Because of the tide, they had to exercise some caution.

Some information taken from: www.puertoricodaytrips.com/seven-seas-beach-fajardo/

DINNER AT EL FARO

For dinner, Jesse, Joselyn and I were on our own as the Morse family headed to the Bioluminescent Bay. We couldn't go along because only kayaks are allowed to protect the bay -- and babies aren't allowed in kayaks. We tried looking for an electric boat to go in, but couldn't find any. Supposedly there are electric boats that go in the Bio Bay off Viequez Island, but you're also allowed to get in the water there.

We decided to walk to one of the restaurants nearby; there were more open that there had been, probably because it was the weekend. First we checked out Don Carlos, which cuts into a section of Seven Seas Beach on the south side. Their prices were pretty high for dinner (although the lunch menu looked reasonable), so we kept walking. The sidewalk soon disappeared under vegetation. At the corner, we stopped and headed inside the open-aired El Faro. The place is distinguished by the lighthouse in front. It seemed nice and we weren't walking any farther up the road with the baby in the dark. Like all Puerto Rican restaurants, it took a long time to get our food. A very long time. Our baby didn't want to wait that long. Finally, we gave in and let her walk around, but then spent the wait trying to save their plants from her tiny hands. By the time we got our food, I was ready to call it a night. Jesse ate fish, and thought it was pretty good. I had chicken, and it was okay. So far, I haven't been impressed with the food in Puerto Rico.

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Photos

Seven Seas Beach
A view looking east

The beach
The sand was relatively clean on Seven Seas Beach, although I'm not sure anyone picked up the seaweed on a daily basis.

On a mission...
to explore

Swimming
The water offered great swimming for little ones. The waves weren't too big, as a reef protects the beach.

Parking lot
It costs $4 to park at the Seven Seas lot.

Don Carlos
This restaurant is actually right near the beach, although a fence separates it.

El Faro
This restaurant is located at the corner, about a mile from Seven Seas Beach.

Bar at El Faro
There is a ceiling, but no walls at El Faro.