PR Day 2: Fajardo and Seven Seas Beach

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OUR VILLA
You can see the ocean from our rooftop. Framed by a line of rooftop patios, it’s a gorgeous scene. Our villa is as large as a house. Set off a gated street, its one of about 10 that line up side by side. Each is a different color. The brightness extends into the villa. Walls are yellow, green and red. It is vibrant and tropical. The first floor is mostly an open living room, with a small galley kitchen and half-bathroom. Part of the main level is taken up by the garage, which is a great place to store kayaks. The wide staircase leads up to two bedrooms with double-size bunks on the left, a bathroom, a large laundry room, and a spacious master bedroom suite. The same tile runs through the home tying it all together. Another flight of stairs leads up to the rooftop patio, which is huge. On the main level, off the back, there is an enclosed patio with mosaic tiles. Palms and bourganville line the edges, making it a private haven. I love it. There’s a counter from the kitchen window. I envision great evening parties out here with rum drinks and delicious food. Ah. At $1,100 for a week (plus $80 for cleaning), it’s well worth it.

Clint and Jenny are in the master suite; Jesse, the baby and I in one bedroom; and, as the lone girl, Jessica has the other bedroom. The three teenage boys are sleeping on the fotons in the living room. It’d be easy to sleep 12 in the bedrooms alone, as each bed can take 2 and there’s a pull-out that can be used as a chair or bed in each room. Wow! Fotons and bunks are a great way to furnish a vacation place. There is a high chair and a pack N play — it was nice not to have to bring either. Clint and Jenny were so worried after the first night that their bed was going to collapse because its so ricketty, that they set the mattress on the floor.

The kitchen has a blender (perfect for pina coladas), electric can opener, pots and pans, and other various dishes. We had to buy our own garbage bags. Because there is no dishwasher, we also opted to pick up plastic plates, cups and silverware to cut down on the amount of time someone needs to be hunched over the sink. This is a vacation after all.

The villa supplied 13 beach towels for us to use; if we lose one, we pay $25. And while there is a washer and dryer, there is no detergent. We also have to furnish our own soap and toilet paper. I usually stay at hotels (or go camping), so I’m not used to providing all this myself. There is an assortment of body washes, soaps and lotions under the sink that former travelers must have left behind.

We're locked in, which makes me feel safe but also secluded. When baby and I woke up from our nap today, I packed up and headed out to hit the beach. Once I got to the gate, I discovered the only way out was with a key. I was locked in. It's the closest to being in prison I've ever been. I didn't like it at all. I turned around to face the row of villas, and felt like Josey and I were the only two people left in the world. What an unpleasant experience. It's too bad the villa association doesn't have a key pad for entry and exit on foot. We have one key and one gate clicker to share between the nine of us.

To rent it yourself: Contact Lizzie Irizarry and/or Julio Alicea at AI properties
787-649-2045
PO Box 363942, San Juan PR 00936
Villa location: 987 Las Cabezas Road, Fajardo PR 00740

BEACH
With naps, a grocery store run and rental car drop-off, Jesse, Josey and I didn't get out to the beach until late afternoon. I was so ready to be out there. We headed for the far west side of Seven Seas, which was about a 10-minute walk. A hard-packed dirt path towards the back of the beach was okay for pushing the stroller along on. It still got caught in some places, though.

This large public beach has lifeguards, a huge parking lot, bathrooms and food stands; however, there were no food stands open today. It's well shaded with towering palms and these fabulous conifers with the longest needles I've ever seen. There is some seaweed on the beach, and a little in the water. The teens weren't too thrilled about snorkling out there, saying it was cloudy with low visibility. The sunlight was golden and warm, and the place looked fabulous to me after months of Minnesota's bleakness. It was the perfect kind of light for photographing.

It was a blast introducing Josey to the ocean. She didn't like lying flat on the water as she swallowed too much water, but she loved being held and bouncing up and down in it. I am delighted with the Body Glove my mother-in-law bought. It covers most of her skin (easing my mind about the amount of sunburn she could get), and it keeps her warm.

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Photos

View from the roof
This view from the rooftop stole my breath our first morning in Puerto Rico. How gorgeous. You can see the ocean.

Patio
I love this patio. It's the perfect spot to unwind.

Mosaic floor
The floor of the patio is sprinkled with the petals of the bourganville plants surrounding it.

KItchen window
There's a great window and bar for serving.

Jenny in the galley kitchen
There's no dishwasher, so we had to wash dishes by hand. We bought plastic instead.

Baby crawling
This tile floor runs through the entire house.

Villa
Our villa is one of several lined up on two sides of a short street that ends at a small playground. The entire place is gated.

Street
The colorful buildings are so picturesque.

Garage
There were kayaks and chairs in the garage for us to use.

Playground
Swings and a slide occupied the end of the street in our gated community.

Comments

[mom]

Clint looks like Jesse
The villa looks swell, bet you were glad you had laundry, huh? Looks like Jesse in the kitchen pic.