Puerto Ricans refer to the island’s west coast as Porta del Sol—“the sun’s gate.” My father grew up in the area, in the city of Aguadilla, and used to tell me stories of secret beaches, towering coconut palms, and roadside stops for fresh mango ice cream. Until recently most visitors here were swell-chasing surfers and sanjuaneros, but a wave of development that began in the once low-key surf town of Rincón after Hurricane Maria has rippled outward to smaller cities nearby. Visitors are getting a fuller picture of Puerto Rico beyond beloved San Juan and the resorts on the eastern shore. Keen to see it for myself, I went for a visit.
In the laid-back northwestern town of Isabela, I checked in to Casa Bajura, an airy bed-and-breakfast that opened last summer. As I strolled on the nearby beach with owner Javier De Jesús Martínez, he pointed out the circular formations carved into the rocky coast by the tides and asked if they looked familiar. Similarly shaped openings in the poured-concrete walls of the hotel bring light, sea breezes, and birdsong inside. I got a chance to study the geology of the shoreline further the next morning on a 20-minute walk to Uma’s restaurant on Jobos Beach, where I chatted with the instructors from Moku Surf shop next door before an exhilarating session in the warm turquoise sea.
Down the coast I checked in to Hacienda Verde Tahití, a pitahaya (dragon fruit) farm and eco-resort owned by Ingrid Rivas, an agronomist, and her partner, Radames Arroyo. After we dined on grilled eggplant and juicy dragon fruit, they introduced me to their goats, whose grazing keeps the lawns trimmed. Next year, they told me, three new villas in repurposed shipping containers will join the estate’s two current cottages.
Even farther south I came to the seaside village of La Parguera, a short boat ride from one of the island’s three bioluminescent bays. Near the lively main square, Parguera Plaza Hotel recently reopened following a renovation to its suites and pool area, where local musicians perform late into the night. (Enjoy, but also be forewarned.) I’d always known that the raw materials were here, but on this trip I saw puertorriqueños learning how to harness them. What has long been the west side’s quiet beat has gotten a little louder.
This article appeared in the December 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
