Lonely Planet Puerto Rico

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
Better than nothing
Very UNHAPPY with this book
Very UNHAPPY with this book
Mostly accurate and reliable, with a few oddities

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
Ginger Adams Otis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

Puerto Rico | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Insight Guide Puerto Rico (Insight Guides)
Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Rand McNally Puerto Rico Easyfinder (Rand McNally Easyfinder)
Puerto Rico Off the Beaten Path, 3rd: A Guide to Unique Places
Puerto Rico Road Map 2007 / Mapa de Carreteras de Puerto Rico 2007

ASIN: 1740597818

Book Description

Bask on the dazzling white sands of Playa Flamenco. Forge through lush jungle in El Yunque. Wind your way through the cobblestone maze of Old San Juan to sizzling salsa joints that don't quit until dawn. Our best-selling guide helps you find the authentic Puerto Rico, with detailed regional coverage for the perfect getaway.

• EXPLORE FURTHER - discover Vieques' glowing bay, Culebra's wildlife sanctuary, the Rio Camuy caves and the romantic colonial town of Ponce

• CATCH THE BEAT with our dedicated music and dance chapter, tips on where to take salsa lessons and reviews of the island's hottest clubs

• ENJOY LOCAL FLAVORS - from roadside friquitines to the hottest SoFo restaurants, dining options for every taste and budget

• GET ACTIVE - special outdoors chapter reveals the best spots to surf, dive, hike, sail and swim

• TALK THE TALK - handy language chapter includes Spanish basics and regional variations

Customer Reviews:

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico.......2007-03-17

This book is out-dated, because some restaurants in the book don't exist any more.

Better than nothing.......2006-09-15

I bought this book 2 years ago for a trip to Puerto Rico. It was a bit outdated than. I traveled there again 9/2/06 to 9/11/06, this was my fifth time, so I have a bit more knowledge than the first timer. For the most part every bit of information about Rincon is inaccurate. Everything closes the week of labor day until around the end of October, so do not go there during those dates, you will have wasted your day. Well not everything is closed, Rincon proper is still open. And you can always watch the surfers at sandy beach or go snorkeling at steps beach (rent your gear at Taino Divers, they are still open). In fact there is a great coffee house that stays open,(better than starbucks and they have soy milk!) it is called Taino international cafe, try their frozen coffee drinks, they also have WiFi.

Prices have gone up for the camuy caves and the ferry ride to Gilligans Island, but only by a couple of bucks. There is a lot more traffic than the last time I went there, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time, otherwise you would have wasted a day in the car, when you could have been happier sitting at a beach. I stayed on the west coast, so I was traveling mostly going east, but from what I could tell the traffic was equally bad going west. I believe most travel guides say it takes 2 1/2 hours to travel from San Jaun to Rincon, bank on it taking ATLEAST 3 and perhaps up to 5. So leave very very early.

Anyway, I think this book is better than having no book, the directions are generally the same, some places do not exist anymore, but just call up before you venture out. Pretty much you will find a decent amount of people that speak English (especially in Rincon, where almost everybody is from the states, talk to them they have good stories, most of them went to Rincon for a vacation and stayed).

Very UNHAPPY with this book.......2006-05-04

We just came back from a 10 day trip to Puerto Rico (04/21 - 05/01, 2006) and we have to COMPLETELY disagree with the previous review. In fact, we were thinking about burning this LP copy. Don't get us wrong, we own several copies of LP for China, Eucador, South America, Guatamala, and etc. But we have serious reservation about recommending this one to anyone else. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Several budget restarurants in Old San Juan no longer exist. They include St. Germain, Brenda's Cafe, and Los Amigos. It became very frustrating after going to several places and finding out 3/4 of them were closed.

2. The same happened in Ponce, but for hotels. Two out of three hotels listed on pg. 166 (center of Ponce, by the Plaza las Delicias) were not there - they simply don't exist.

3. Now, telephone numbers. we can't say that all of them in the guidebook are wrong, but the ones we called are either disconnected or a wrong number. This goes for the UA Cinema 150 in San Juan (pg. 105), which we found out at a Holiday Inn in Isla Verde that it was torn down a year ago. Or the Museo de Art Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, which doesn't open on Monday, as the guidebook indicated - in fact, no museum in San Juan opens on Monday!

4. We can list more annoyances, like the lack of good maps for most of the cities described, or bad driving directions...

We are not saying that this book has no value, but when you finds enough inconsistencies and errors, you has to wonder what else is wrong, and more importantly, whether or not you can actually trust and rely on the guidebook. And in that respect, our answer is NO.

The take home message: carefully compare this book with another. If you do decide to buy this LP, always call the places ahead to see 1) if it still exist, and 2) if the number is correct.

On a side note, at one point during the trip, we thought that we would probably have had more luck with a coqui as our guide than using this guidebook! =)

Very UNHAPPY with this book.......2006-05-04

I just came back from a 10 day trip to Puerto Rico (04/21 - 05/01, 2006) and I have to COMPLETELY disagree with the previous review. In fact, I was thinking about burning this LP copy. Don't get me wrong, I own several copies of LP for China, Eucador, and etc. But I have serious reservation about recommending this one to anyone else. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Several budget restarurants in Old San Juan no longer exist. They include St. Germain, Brenda's Cafe, and Los Amigos. It became very frustrating after going to several places and finding out 3/4 of them were closed.

2. The same happened in Ponce, but for hotels. Two out of three hotels listed on pg. 166 (center of Ponce, by the Plaza las Delicias) were not there - they simply don't exist.

3. Now, telephone numbers. I can't say that all of them in the guidebook are wrong, but the ones I called are either disconnected or a wrong number. This goes for the UA Cinema 150 in San Juan (pg. 105), which I found out at a Holiday Inn in Isla Verde that it was torn down a year ago. Or the Museo de Art Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, which doesn't open on Monday, as the guidebook indicated - in fact, no museum in San Juan opens on Monday!

4. I can list more annoyances, like the lack of good maps for most of the cities described, or bad driving directions...

I'm not saying that this book has no value, but when one finds enough inconsistencies and errors, one has to wonder what else is wrong, and more importantly, whether or not one can actually trust and rely on the guidebook. And in that respect, my answer is NO.

The take home message: carefully compare this book with another. If you do decide to buy this LP, always call the places ahead to see 1) if it still exist, and 2) if the number is correct.

Mostly accurate and reliable, with a few oddities.......2006-03-17

In general, this Lonely Planet "Puerto Rico" (there are more than one; this one is by Ginger Adams Otis) is overall reasonably accurate and up-to-date as of February 2006. There are a few oddities within, however:

One is the pronounciation of the word for chicken, pollo. As many times as I've been in Puerto Rico, I've never heard it pronounced PO-lyo, as indicated on page 67. It is PO-yo, or sometimes more like PO-djyo. I never heard any Puerto Rican pronounce the "l" sound in this word.

Second, some of the hotel classifications seemed to based on the hotel's self-classifications (or wishful thinking) more than anyone's actual experience. For example, although the author's description is reasonably accurate, on page 95, Otis lumps Hotel El Milano into the same midrange category as El Convento. El Convento is truly upscale, and always has been, both in accommodations and in price. El Milano is very firmly mid-scale in all dimensions.

Of course guides like this are very hard to keep up-to-date, especially in countries like Puerto Rico where businesses are easy-come-easy-go, and change owners constantly. We found big differences in restaurant qualities in several cases, and in others, eateries she recommends were dark and locked the whole time we were there. My advice is to check with your hotel concierge or call ahead rather than depending on any guidebook when making dining choices.

The author also exaggerates the wonders of the Ruta Panoramica and various state parks in the central mountains. Some of the reservas forestales were total junk yards with burned out auto hulks literally every 300 yards for miles on end, and loads of roadside litter (alas, typical of Puerto Rico.) This is not to say that a drive through the mountains of Puerto Rico is not a must-do, because it is, but just be prepared for a big dose of reality that the author choses not to mention. Lift your chin high and enjoy the flora and fauna (mainly roosters wandering all over the road, with the occasional paso fino horse, with a long-leggedy bareback rider on board) and the gorgeous views in the distance.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Coverage of Culebra
Lonely Planet Puerto Rico-for pre trip only
Good, but not accurately updated
I was also disappointed
Disappointing!

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
Randall Peffer
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

Puerto Rico | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Rand McNally Puerto Rico Easyfinder (Rand McNally Easyfinder)
MapEasy's Guidemap to Puerto Rico
Let's Go Puerto Rico 1st Ed (Let's Go Puerto Rico)
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Puerto Rico Off the Beaten Path, 5th (Off the Beaten Path Series)

ASIN: 1740592743

Book Description

Want to dip into liquid stars in a bioluminescent bay? Climb the ramparts of a centuries-old fortress? Dance with masked revelers at Carnival? Then tap into Puerto Rico's spirited tempo with this essential guide, from San Juan's sizzling salsa clubs to the island's world-renowned beaches. <ul>

lodging and dining options to satisfy every budget and taste </li>

natural and historical treasures, including the rain forest of El Yunque and colorful Old San Juan </li>

the best spots for diving, surfing, sailing, hiking, caving and more </li>

handy Spanish language chapter </li>

30 detailed city and regional maps </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Coverage of Culebra.......2005-07-06

I used this book in planning a recent trip to Culebra, PR. This book provides the best coverage of any book in print. If you plan on travelling to Culebra or Vieques, don't leave home without it. Ths book also provides a good history of the islands as well. Makes your trip a much richer experience.

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico-for pre trip only.......2005-04-12

This Lonely PLanet Puerto Rico Book has some information in it that will be helpful to a first timer.....but I would not try to use it as a guide once you arrive. I was expecting to use the maps included in this book and they were absolutley out of date....and did not include many important roads and routes on it's maps. This is my biggest complaint about it..because I bought it thinking it was a good all around hand book especially for the maps and it just plain wasn't. It did however offer insights to general travel issues like what to see or local info....and I must admit that Puerto Rico grows as we read this.and maybe it out grew this book ..but...still... I must ask...how does Lonely Planet expect us to find these things they mention without good and up to date maps to go along ?????

Good, but not accurately updated.......2004-01-02

I just reviewed Let's Go PR and Explore PR by Harry Pariser and returned from PR a few days ago. I agree with previous reviewers about this edition - some of the information is not accurate and was not updated. But this might be because the publication year is 2002. I really liked Let's Go - this had by far, the best and most comprehensive info on lodging, eats, and getting around. I would not use Explore PR - this is not useful at all. I would say Let's Go had mostly everything that Lonely planet PR did - except for maybe the background info on culture, history etc. I will consider travelling with both a Lonely planet and a let's go in the future. If you have to choose one book on PR, I would buy Let's Go. If you can take a second, bring the Lonely Planet PR. Also visit Culebra!

I was also disappointed.......2003-09-06

I have used LP guides to travel all over the world and this was a major disappointment. I won't dispute that Randall S. Peffer has spent the last 30 years getting to know Puerto Rico as the book claims. He knew it very well, it seems, when he wrote the first edition. When he went back, however, in October 2002 to update the book, I got the feeling that he may have meandered by locales he had mentioned to ensure the building was still standing, not confirming any of the facts he had originally included on his way to drink "Cielito Lindos" at the friend's house who invented them and has never shared the recipe with any other bar on the island (contrary to Peffer's statement that this is the national cocktail). We had a good time despite Randall Peffer's sloppy updating. By the way, the "aphrodisiac" restaurant in Old San Juan is called "OstraCosa" .. a play on words . . . "ostra" means oyster. "otra cosa" means "another thing" the pun was lost on Peffer despite his fluent Borricua Spanish.

Disappointing!.......2002-11-07

We bought this book on the basis of the recommendations we found here. But we didn't find it to be very up-to-date, Much of the information has changed, and the author makes strange comments about Vieques ("only a fool or a developer would want the military to leave"). All in all, we found this guide to be a disappointment. It does not have the quality of information we expect from Lonely Planet. We used several other guides and found a new guide, Explore Puerto Rico by Harry S. Pariser, to be much more accurate and with a great environmental slant.

Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling Puerto Rico (Diving & Snorkeling)

Average customer rating:

Duped and Had
Great Diving ifno for Puerto Rico

Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling Puerto Rico (Diving & Snorkeling)
Steve Simonsen
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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Puerto Rico | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
Rand McNally Puerto Rico Easyfinder (Rand McNally Easyfinder)
Puerto Rico Off the Beaten Path, 3rd: A Guide to Unique Places
Fodor's Puerto Rico, 3rd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)
Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico, Fourth Edition

ASIN: 0864427832

Book Description

One of the Caribbean's most inviting destinations, Puerto Rico offers unspoiled diving in crystal-clear waters. Jump into easy dive and snorkel sites around Culebra and Vieques, the "Spanish Virgin Islands." The Parguera region boasts breathtaking vertical wall dives, while legendary Desecheo Island offers brilliant sponge gardens and migrating whales. Above water, Puerto Rico has something for everyone, from lush tropical rainforest and glowing phosphorescent bays to the rich cultural attractions and vibrant nightlife of San Juan. This book describes 54 of Puerto Rico's best dive sites, with full-color photos throughout.

You'll get specific information on: <ul>

Dive site depth range, access and conditions </li>

Common and hazardous marine life </li>

Topside activities and attractions </li>

Diving services and accommodations </li>

12 easy-to-read maps </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Duped and Had.......2006-07-12

My first reaction to this book was one of excitment, this came from my first perusing the pictures. I was, however, severly disappointed when I actually got into the information that the book contained. The first quarter of the book is devoted to a breif and very lacking overview of Puerto Rico. Although not that useful it didn't hurt. However, there were two things that really bothered me about the book. First was that almost all of the dive sites listed need a guide. The second was that despite the fact that it claims to be a snorkel and dive guide book there is virtually zero snorkel information and of the few sights mentioned only 3, I believe, were actually not seemingly impossible to get to. In fact, my old budget travel guide for puerto rico had over three times as many snorkelnig sites, with, as I was dismayed to see, a lot of sites that were not even included in the SNORKEL and dive guide. How a guide on underwater adventure can be outshown by a general travel guide is beyond me but it is. Do not buy this book if you are planning to mix dives with snorkel and are looking for an all inclusive, it just doesn't have the info. Also, as I said most of the dives require a guide which makes the information in the book rather pointless as the guides will know where the great sites are and a quick conversation can lead you to your next guide and site. This, it seems is probably what the guy who wrote the book did, just went from guide to guide. The main dive areas are well know on the island and you aren't really getting any information that you couldn't just by being here get yourself. My vote, Not worth it.

Great Diving ifno for Puerto Rico.......2003-01-27

It covered most of the island with greta details and information. it is a shamed that it di not cover mona Island the best dive site in PR. Also, it lacks enough info on shore dive in the island. But overall it gives you enough information to keep you wanting to go back to Puerto rico to dive.

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Corcega (Lonely Planet)
Olivier Cirendini
Manufacturer: Geoplaneta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

Puerto Rico | Caribbean | Travel | Subjects | Books

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