It was another lazy morning, and then we loaded up the car for a day trip down to Cabo Rojo. We chose the scenic route, around Mayagüez to avoid traffic; the road meandered along the coast for some of the drive.
Along the way, we stopped at a random gas station to air up the front-left tire; the tire pressure warning light had been on since we picked up the rental car... 2 AM didn't seem like the time to try to get that fixed, the other night.
It took a solid hour to traverse nearly the entire west coast of the island. Cabo Rojo is a region, a town name, the name of a nature preserve, and where the salt flats are located.
We stopped at the Interpretive Center to look at a map. The center (and the observation towers) were closed, and it didn't appear to be just because it was Monday.
Striking out at the first stop, we continued another 15 minutes or so down the road, stopping to see the views of the salt flats a few times.
The weather was absolutely perfect for spending a day walking around and exploring: approximately 80F and sunny, with a steady ocean breeze.
Sabrina, Karyn, and Christie decided to walk the last 3/4 of a mile or so, rather than endure the bumpy road from the back seat of the Kia.
Shannon and I enjoyed some muddy offroading to the end of the dirt road, also stopping along the way to take some photos.
We managed to get the last parking spot, in a puddle, and then opportunistically relocated once someone else left. It had been such slow going that we only had to wait about 10 minutes, during which we studied the map and the signs to come up with a route plan.
One of the top attractions at the southwestern tip of the island is
Los Morrillos lighthouse.
We decided to take the scenic trail in a loop that included the lighthouse.
The trail offers some spectacular views as it wanders along the cliffs, with nothing but the occasional "peligroso acantilado" (dangerous cliff) sign for safety.
One of the other attractions is the natural stone arch, at the edge of a sheltered cove. There were a handful of people swimming, below.
From the stone arch, it was a short stroll along the cliffs, overlooking the ocean, towards the lighthouse.
There were several iguanas sunning themselves while enjoying the views.
The lighthouse was built in 1882, apparently. It's in remarkably good shape for being 140 years old, in this climate.
Just past the lighthouse, we got a panoramic view of Bahia Sucia ("dirty bay"?) and Playa Salinas, with some of the salt flats in the distance.
We followed the trail back down to the beach area, then sent Karyn and Christie to find us a spot on the beach, while Sabrina, Shannon, and I walked back to the car along the dirt road, to get the cooler with our lunches/snacks/drinks and hopefully move the car closer.
The beach didn't seem that crowded, but somehow the small parking lots at the end of the road were nearly full. We managed to get the last space, and returned to the beach with supplies. Christie and Karyn had secured a perfect location, with a log for seating and an overhanging tree for shade.
Here is the view from the log-seat, and a photo that Christie took while on a beach walk. We somehow managed to not get any long shots of the entire beach, apparently.
After nearly two hours at the salt -flat beach, we packed up and began the rough ride through the potholes and mud, back towards the Airbnb.
Along the dirt road, this little guy hitched a ride for awhile, and admired himself in the side-view mirror.
We made one more stop on the access road, so I could get my phone from the trunk and also to take this last photo of the salt flats, while standing on the upper rungs of a metal gate.
Once we were back on the edge of civilization, we stopped at the Boquerón Bakery to use the bathroom, get some coffee, and practice our Spanish (not in that order).
Throughout the day, we had seen storm clouds to the north, and we slogged through some moderate rain on the drive back up to Rincón. It had clearly rained along most of the west coast, at some point today, but we had somehow managed to miss all of it.
Back at the house, we regrouped, cleaned up, had a cocktail overlooking the sunset, and hunted the internet for dinner venues.
We settled on
Tamboo restuarant, which was up near the lighthouse park from yesterday. It was easily the most touristy place we've been yet, but was also quite good.
After dinner, we returned to the Airbnb and retired to the roof patio for a dessert sampler of pastries from the Rimicon Bakery. I think we finished them all, so I'm not sure what we're going to do tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, we have no specific plans, which means we'll just be hanging around the beach in front of the condo. The weather forecast is the same every day, so it should be beautiful with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon.
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