4 days in Puerto Rico - our experience this year

With so much up in the air after the Hurricanes, I thought I would report back after our time in Puerto Rico before our cruise this year on RCCL Jewel of the Seas.

DH and I cruise once a year and our preference is to sail out of San Juan. More ports in 7 days and when you embark you already feel like you are on vacation. The weather is very consistent, unlike sailing out of Florida in December or January.

We are typically booked over a year out. Over the years we have extended our time precruise in Puerto Rico from one day to multiple days. This year we spent 4 days precruise in OSJ.

Like most people, after Maria hit, we had many discussions about what to do and tried to read as much as possible so we were informed. We were set to arrive in PR on 12/06 and had booked our reservation at Hotel Casablanca in OSJ sometime over the summer. We talked about shortening our time in PR but decided to move forward with our original plans. I confirmed with Hotel Casablanca 2 months before leaving via Facebook. They were quick to respond, had our reservation, were running on generator power and anticipating our arrival.

JetBlue canceled our flight out of JFK at 9:45 am on 12/06 and moved us to a 6:30 am flight. We confirmed again with Hotel Casablanca 2 weeks before and they had power restored. Our flight left JFK with out a hitch and arrived in PR on time. Our bag was one of the first ones off the plane and before we knew it we were in the taxi line and on our way to the hotel. Our taxi driver spoke a little English. She said things were starting to pick up again slowly. At the time we were there she was still with out power and water at her home. She was still keeping her head up.

We arrived at Hotel Casablanca around 11:30 am. Check in was not until 3:00 pm so they offered to hold our bags. We headed out to find some lunch. We stopped at Pirilo Pizza Rustica on Fortaleza Street. We have eaten here before and enjoyed the tripleta pizza and a couple of cold beers. Walked around a little and ended up in Plaza de colon. Enjoyed some coconut ice from one of the vendors before heading back to Casablanca.

Our room was on the 4th floor. While there the elevator was not working. Didn't bother us but if you have mobility issues you might want a room on a lower floor. They will bring your bags to your room for you if you need help. If you want a hairdryer you need to ask. They are not left in the rooms. We had a balcony room which allowed us to enjoy some time reading outside. There are safes in the rooms now. Rooms are on the smaller side but clean and comfortable. They are eclectically decorated. Bathrooms have shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.

For dinner tonight we chose Punto de Vista on the roof of the Hotel Milano. It's located across the street and a few doors down from Casablanca. If you are curious about the menu there is always a representative outside the hotel with a menu. The view is great, they have BOGO mojitos during Happy Hour and the mofongo is fantastic. David, Mimi and Melvin took great care of us the 3 times we ate there during our visit. We had the pork and churrasco mofongo, PDV sampler, sausage appetizer and the Mallorca ice cream sandwich.

We also ate dinner one night at Cafe Puerto Rico. We enjoyed the diced pork with onions, chicharones, tostones and arroz con gandueles.

We enjoyed breakfast a few times at Cafe Mallorca. This is definitely a locals place. We may have been the only tourists there but they made us feel welcome. Fantastic cafe con leche and Mallorcas con jamon, huevo and queso. I would also recommend Cafe Manolin. We went here based on a recommendation from the manager at Greengo's. Caficultura was delicious but $40 for breakfast was a little pricey for our blood.

Greengo's Mexican cafe was amazing! We were hesitant to eat Mexican food while in PR but could not have been happier with our choice. Gilbert, the manager, is awesome! He gave us great advice on the menu as well as some other places to eat in OSJ. He was nice enough to talk with us for about an hour. For dinner we enjoyed the pork nachos, pork chimichanga "wet" (with enchilada sauce and cheese). They have BOGO house margaritas until 7:00.

During our stay we always plan to take one day and go snorkeling on a catamaran excursion out of Fajardo. Before we left we had booked our trip on the Spread Eagle. The day before they called and canceled siting mechanical issues with the boat. We called around and ended up rebooking with Traveler. They picked us up in front of the Sheraton Old San Juan. The trip to the marina takes about 30 minutes. We enjoyed a great day on the water. Snorkeling equipment was provided. Water, soda and juice were available all day. Lunch was sandwiches and salads. The bar opened after everyone ate. The other companies we used in the past had open bars all day.

We had a fantastic time in Puerto Rico again this year. As good a time, if not better than we had on the cruise. Most shops and restaurants in OSJ were open. Most areas had power, some still on generator. There were crews out every day working to restore the power. There was some visible damage on our trip from the airport and our trip to and from the marina. Almost all of the traffic lights were out so driving was interesting. We walked around a lot and never felt unsafe. The flow of tourists was not what we have experienced in years past. The restaurants that were open were pretty empty. When you would be hoping to get in at 8:00 pm on a Friday or Saturday night, there were only 3-4 groups in most restaurants. Everyone we talked to was super friendly and upbeat. We will value the connections we made for years to come!

I would be happy to answer any questions. It is our hope that people will continue to start returning to PR. They need our money to get back on their feet. We are counting the days until we return next December.

-Kristi

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With so much up in the air after the Hurricanes' date=' I thought I would report back after our time in Puerto Rico before our cruise this year on RCCL Jewel of the Seas.

 

DH and I cruise once a year and our preference is to sail out of San Juan. More ports in 7 days and when you embark you already feel like you are on vacation. The weather is very consistent, unlike sailing out of Florida in December or January.

 

We are typically booked over a year out. Over the years we have extended our time precruise in Puerto Rico from one day to multiple days. This year we spent 4 days precruise in OSJ.

 

Like most people, after Maria hit, we had many discussions about what to do and tried to read as much as possible so we were informed. We were set to arrive in PR on 12/06 and had booked our reservation at Hotel Casablanca in OSJ sometime over the summer. We talked about shortening our time in PR but decided to move forward with our original plans. I confirmed with Hotel Casablanca 2 months before leaving via Facebook. They were quick to respond, had our reservation, were running on generator power and anticipating our arrival.

 

JetBlue canceled our flight out of JFK at 9:45 am on 12/06 and moved us to a 6:30 am flight. We confirmed again with Hotel Casablanca 2 weeks before and they had power restored. Our flight left JFK with out a hitch and arrived in PR on time. Our bag was one of the first ones off the plane and before we knew it we were in the taxi line and on our way to the hotel. Our taxi driver spoke a little English. She said things were starting to pick up again slowly. At the time we were there she was still with out power and water at her home. She was still keeping her head up.

 

We arrived at Hotel Casablanca around 11:30 am. Check in was not until 3:00 pm so they offered to hold our bags. We headed out to find some lunch. We stopped at Pirilo Pizza Rustica on Fortaleza Street. We have eaten here before and enjoyed the tripleta pizza and a couple of cold beers. Walked around a little and ended up in Plaza de colon. Enjoyed some coconut ice from one of the vendors before heading back to Casablanca.

 

Our room was on the 4th floor. While there the elevator was not working. Didn't bother us but if you have mobility issues you might want a room on a lower floor. They will bring your bags to your room for you if you need help. If you want a hairdryer you need to ask. They are not left in the rooms. We had a balcony room which allowed us to enjoy some time reading outside. There are safes in the rooms now. Rooms are on the smaller side but clean and comfortable. They are eclectically decorated. Bathrooms have shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.

 

For dinner tonight we chose Punto de Vista on the roof of the Hotel Milano. It's located across the street and a few doors down from Casablanca. If you are curious about the menu there is always a representative outside the hotel with a menu. The view is great, they have BOGO mojitos during Happy Hour and the mofongo is fantastic. David, Mimi and Melvin took great care of us the 3 times we ate there during our visit. We had the pork and churrasco mofongo, PDV sampler, sausage appetizer and the Mallorca ice cream sandwich.

 

We also ate dinner one night at Cafe Puerto Rico. We enjoyed the diced pork with onions, chicharones, tostones and arroz con gandueles.

 

We enjoyed breakfast a few times at Cafe Mallorca. This is definitely a locals place. We may have been the only tourists there but they made us feel welcome. Fantastic cafe con leche and Mallorcas con jamon, huevo and queso. I would also recommend Cafe Manolin. We went here based on a recommendation from the manager at Greengo's. Caficultura was delicious but $40 for breakfast was a little pricey for our blood.

 

Greengo's Mexican cafe was amazing! We were hesitant to eat Mexican food while in PR but could not have been happier with our choice. Gilbert, the manager, is awesome! He gave us great advice on the menu as well as some other places to eat in OSJ. He was nice enough to talk with us for about an hour. For dinner we enjoyed the pork nachos, pork chimichanga "wet" (with enchilada sauce and cheese). They have BOGO house margaritas until 7:00.

 

During our stay we always plan to take one day and go snorkeling on a catamaran excursion out of Fajardo. Before we left we had booked our trip on the Spread Eagle. The day before they called and canceled siting mechanical issues with the boat. We called around and ended up rebooking with Traveler. They picked us up in front of the Sheraton Old San Juan. The trip to the marina takes about 30 minutes. We enjoyed a great day on the water. Snorkeling equipment was provided. Water, soda and juice were available all day. Lunch was sandwiches and salads. The bar opened after everyone ate. The other companies we used in the past had open bars all day.

 

We had a fantastic time in Puerto Rico again this year. As good a time, if not better than we had on the cruise. Most shops and restaurants in OSJ were open. Most areas had power, some still on generator. There were crews out every day working to restore the power. There was some visible damage on our trip from the airport and our trip to and from the marina. Almost all of the traffic lights were out so driving was interesting. We walked around a lot and never felt unsafe. The flow of tourists was not what we have experienced in years past. The restaurants that were open were pretty empty. When you would be hoping to get in at 8:00 pm on a Friday or Saturday night, there were only 3-4 groups in most restaurants. Everyone we talked to was super friendly and upbeat. We will value the connections we made for years to come!

 

I would be happy to answer any questions. It is our hope that people will continue to start returning to PR. They need our money to get back on their feet. We are counting the days until we return next December.

 

-Kristi

 

 

 

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We are leaving for cruise next Sat on Royal Freedom. It is our first time visiting San Juan on Jan 11th. Me and hubby want to walk around OSJ on our own and visit the forts. My 3 adult kids and spouses want to take ATV excursion. I am little concerned about safety of island since I have read about so many without power and now so many police calling in sick. I almost convinced my kids to just walk around OSJ but I have not yet cancelled the ATV excursion through RCL. They like to be adventurous but I also want them to be safe.

We are leaving for cruise next Sat on Royal Freedom. It is our first time visiting San Juan on Jan 11th. Me and hubby want to walk around OSJ on our own and visit the forts. My 3 adult kids and spouses want to take ATV excursion. I am little concerned about safety of island since I have read about so many without power and now so many police calling in sick. I almost convinced my kids to just walk around OSJ but I have not yet cancelled the ATV excursion through RCL. They like to be adventurous but I also want them to be safe.

We felt just as safe this year as we have the past 7 times we have stayed in PR. If the ATV excursion is up and running, I am sure they are ready for tourists. Especially if it is something booked through the cruise line. Walking around OSJ and seeing the forts on your own is definitely doable. People are still with out power but in our experience, this has not affected how they are acting towards tourists. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and happy to see us. Even the people we encountered on the streets while we were walking around. We never felt unsafe.

You obviously want to be aware of your surroundings just like you would when visiting any city. Use common sense and trust your gut, just as you would if you were visiting NYC, and everything will work out fine.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

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We will be staying at Hotel Milano. How much was your taxi to your hotel? Do you remember if Punta de Vista resturant had American food, how much food and bottled water is and if you can pay with credit card? Thanks

We just got back from an extended post cruise stay in San Juan. Before the cruise, we stayed at Da House Hotel. We were told if we needed wifi to go to the Casablanca a block away, as they shared owners. Punto de Visto was the best mofongo we ate the entire trip! Glad you had a good time.

We will be staying at Hotel Milano. How much was your taxi to your hotel? Do you remember if Punta de Vista resturant had American food, how much food and bottled water is and if you can pay with credit card? Thanks

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Thank you for taking the time to write about and share your experience. It is very much appreciated.

Keith

We just got back from an extended post cruise stay in San Juan. Before the cruise, we stayed at Da House Hotel. We were told if we needed wifi to go to the Casablanca a block away, as they shared owners. Punto de Visto was the best mofongo we ate the entire trip! Glad you had a good time.

I didn't realize Da House and Casablanca had the same owner. How did you like the hotel? Sounds like you enjoyed your stay as well!

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Thanks so much for your review. We share your love of Puerto Rico. We took our first cruise from there in 1996 and have returned as often as possible. This February we are going to stay 4 days pre and post cruise at the Casablanca. In fact, our ship, Carnival Fascination is housing Fema workers, and then going into dry dock due to return to San Juan the middle of the month. We have made up our minds that if the ship doesn't return in time for our sailing on the 25th we will just go and have a land vacation in Puerto Rico. There is so much to do and explore.

Did you have air conditioning at the hotel? We are fine with using the stairs as long as someone can carry our bags up. Did you happen to eat at Booty's at the hotel? Our favorite restaurant has been closed since before Maria (the Parrot Club) so we will need a few new places. Happy to hear you liked Greengo's , someone else recommended them also. We are looking forward to having a Margarita (or two) there and Pina Coladas at Barrachina. We will try Café Mallorca. We usually like La Bombanera but are open to trying something new.

Andrea

Thanks so much for your review. We share your love of Puerto Rico. We took our first cruise from there in 1996 and have returned as often as possible. This February we are going to stay 4 days pre and post cruise at the Casablanca. In fact, our ship, Carnival Fascination is housing Fema workers, and then going into dry dock due to return to San Juan the middle of the month. We have made up our minds that if the ship doesn't return in time for our sailing on the 25th we will just go and have a land vacation in Puerto Rico. There is so much to do and explore.

 

Did you have air conditioning at the hotel? We are fine with using the stairs as long as someone can carry our bags up. Did you happen to eat at Booty's at the hotel? Our favorite restaurant has been closed since before Maria (the Parrot Club) so we will need a few new places. Happy to hear you liked Greengo's , someone else recommended them also. We are looking forward to having a Margarita (or two) there and Pina Coladas at Barrachina. We will try Café Mallorca. We usually like La Bombanera but are open to trying something new.

 

Andrea

Greengo's was great. Cafe Mallorca was simple but delicious. Try their pastries. We ate at Bombonera last year and thought Mallorca was better.

Enjoy your visit!

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With so much up in the air after the Hurricanes' date=' I thought I would report back after our time in Puerto Rico before our cruise this year on RCCL Jewel of the Seas.

 

DH and I cruise once a year and our preference is to sail out of San Juan. More ports in 7 days and when you embark you already feel like you are on vacation. The weather is very consistent, unlike sailing out of Florida in December or January.

 

We are typically booked over a year out. Over the years we have extended our time precruise in Puerto Rico from one day to multiple days. This year we spent 4 days precruise in OSJ.

 

Like most people, after Maria hit, we had many discussions about what to do and tried to read as much as possible so we were informed. We were set to arrive in PR on 12/06 and had booked our reservation at Hotel Casablanca in OSJ sometime over the summer. We talked about shortening our time in PR but decided to move forward with our original plans. I confirmed with Hotel Casablanca 2 months before leaving via Facebook. They were quick to respond, had our reservation, were running on generator power and anticipating our arrival.

 

JetBlue canceled our flight out of JFK at 9:45 am on 12/06 and moved us to a 6:30 am flight. We confirmed again with Hotel Casablanca 2 weeks before and they had power restored. Our flight left JFK with out a hitch and arrived in PR on time. Our bag was one of the first ones off the plane and before we knew it we were in the taxi line and on our way to the hotel. Our taxi driver spoke a little English. She said things were starting to pick up again slowly. At the time we were there she was still with out power and water at her home. She was still keeping her head up.

 

We arrived at Hotel Casablanca around 11:30 am. Check in was not until 3:00 pm so they offered to hold our bags. We headed out to find some lunch. We stopped at Pirilo Pizza Rustica on Fortaleza Street. We have eaten here before and enjoyed the tripleta pizza and a couple of cold beers. Walked around a little and ended up in Plaza de colon. Enjoyed some coconut ice from one of the vendors before heading back to Casablanca.

 

Our room was on the 4th floor. While there the elevator was not working. Didn't bother us but if you have mobility issues you might want a room on a lower floor. They will bring your bags to your room for you if you need help. If you want a hairdryer you need to ask. They are not left in the rooms. We had a balcony room which allowed us to enjoy some time reading outside. There are safes in the rooms now. Rooms are on the smaller side but clean and comfortable. They are eclectically decorated. Bathrooms have shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.

 

For dinner tonight we chose Punto de Vista on the roof of the Hotel Milano. It's located across the street and a few doors down from Casablanca. If you are curious about the menu there is always a representative outside the hotel with a menu. The view is great, they have BOGO mojitos during Happy Hour and the mofongo is fantastic. David, Mimi and Melvin took great care of us the 3 times we ate there during our visit. We had the pork and churrasco mofongo, PDV sampler, sausage appetizer and the Mallorca ice cream sandwich.

 

We also ate dinner one night at Cafe Puerto Rico. We enjoyed the diced pork with onions, chicharones, tostones and arroz con gandueles.

 

We enjoyed breakfast a few times at Cafe Mallorca. This is definitely a locals place. We may have been the only tourists there but they made us feel welcome. Fantastic cafe con leche and Mallorcas con jamon, huevo and queso. I would also recommend Cafe Manolin. We went here based on a recommendation from the manager at Greengo's. Caficultura was delicious but $40 for breakfast was a little pricey for our blood.

 

Greengo's Mexican cafe was amazing! We were hesitant to eat Mexican food while in PR but could not have been happier with our choice. Gilbert, the manager, is awesome! He gave us great advice on the menu as well as some other places to eat in OSJ. He was nice enough to talk with us for about an hour. For dinner we enjoyed the pork nachos, pork chimichanga "wet" (with enchilada sauce and cheese). They have BOGO house margaritas until 7:00.

 

During our stay we always plan to take one day and go snorkeling on a catamaran excursion out of Fajardo. Before we left we had booked our trip on the Spread Eagle. The day before they called and canceled siting mechanical issues with the boat. We called around and ended up rebooking with Traveler. They picked us up in front of the Sheraton Old San Juan. The trip to the marina takes about 30 minutes. We enjoyed a great day on the water. Snorkeling equipment was provided. Water, soda and juice were available all day. Lunch was sandwiches and salads. The bar opened after everyone ate. The other companies we used in the past had open bars all day.

 

We had a fantastic time in Puerto Rico again this year. As good a time, if not better than we had on the cruise. Most shops and restaurants in OSJ were open. Most areas had power, some still on generator. There were crews out every day working to restore the power. There was some visible damage on our trip from the airport and our trip to and from the marina. Almost all of the traffic lights were out so driving was interesting. We walked around a lot and never felt unsafe. The flow of tourists was not what we have experienced in years past. The restaurants that were open were pretty empty. When you would be hoping to get in at 8:00 pm on a Friday or Saturday night, there were only 3-4 groups in most restaurants. Everyone we talked to was super friendly and upbeat. We will value the connections we made for years to come!

 

I would be happy to answer any questions. It is our hope that people will continue to start returning to PR. They need our money to get back on their feet. We are counting the days until we return next December.

 

-Kristi

 

 

 

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Was Hotel Milano open for room reservations or just the rooftop restaurant?

Was Hotel Milano open for room reservations or just the rooftop restaurant?

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Thank you so much for taking time to post your detailed review. I made note of your recommendations of cafes.

We will be going to PR two days early for our TA cruise on the Viking Sea in late March.

It will be our first time in OSJ.

Looking forward to staying at El Convento and walking OSJ , seeing the sights, eating some good food and enjoying the museums and historic buildings. Best of all it will be hot , after cold winter where I live.

Thanks for the information!

How was the snorkeling when you went?

When you went to the Plaza de colon did they have the vendors out selling their homemade crafts? I enjoy shopping the vendors at the Plaza but the walk is a struggle for my husband so I just want to make sure they are there.

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Thank you so much for taking time to post your detailed review. I made note of your recommendations of cafes.

We will be going to PR two days early for our TA cruise on the Viking Sea in late March.

It will be our first time in OSJ.

Looking forward to staying at El Convento and walking OSJ , seeing the sights, eating some good food and enjoying the museums and historic buildings. Best of all it will be hot , after cold winter where I live.

El Convento is a beautiful hotel. I hope you enjoy your stay. There is a nice tapas restaurant near there called Rosa de Triana. They have good food and fantastic Sangria. There is also a flamenco show on the weekends.

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Thanks for the information!

 

How was the snorkeling when you went?

 

When you went to the Plaza de colon did they have the vendors out selling their homemade crafts? I enjoy shopping the vendors at the Plaza but the walk is a struggle for my husband so I just want to make sure they are there.

 

 

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The water the day we were snorkeling was pretty stirred up. Not the best day for snorkeling as they had some rough seas a few days prior. The vendors were out when there was a ship in port. Not as many as we have seen in years past but they were there.

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What is a flameco show

What did you do to occupy time other than snorkeling?

We have plans, depending on what our hotel does with our reservations, to fly in the Wednesday before our cruise that starts on Saturday. We had originally planned to go the rainforest on Thursday, the beach on Friday and the forts on Saturday. Unfortunately the rainforest is currently closed.

I wouldn't mind doing a snorkeling trip like you did on Thursday or Friday, but then that'd leave a day completely open. This being our first time to Puerto Rico, I am a little sure of what to do for three days, especially with certain activities being closed/not accessible. Thanks!

What is a flameco show

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What did you do to occupy time other than snorkeling?

We have plans, depending on what our hotel does with our reservations, to fly in the Wednesday before our cruise that starts on Saturday. We had originally planned to go the rainforest on Thursday, the beach on Friday and the forts on Saturday. Unfortunately the rainforest is currently closed.

I wouldn't mind doing a snorkeling trip like you did on Thursday or Friday, but then that'd leave a day completely open. This being our first time to Puerto Rico, I am a little sure of what to do for three days, especially with certain activities being closed/not accessible. Thanks!

You could rent a car and drive to Luquillo Beach. Have lunch at one of the food shacks. Maybe head over to La Placita. You would need to take a taxi or Uber. There is a market and supposed to be fantastic nightlife. Restaurants and bars. What about the Bacardi factory? Jist a ferry ride from OSJ.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

-Kristi

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Thanks for the You Tube link. That looks fun!

We arrived on Wednesday and just had lunch and had an early dinner because we were traveling all day. Thursday we took a long walk around OSJ after breakfast. Walked to both forts' date=' did not go in, to the cemetery and down by the cruise pier. Friday was just a low key day and Saturday we did the catamaran.

 

You could rent a car and drive to Luquillo Beach. Have lunch at one of the food shacks. Maybe head over to La Placita. You would need to take a taxi or Uber. There is a market and supposed to be fantastic nightlife. Restaurants and bars. What about the Bacardi factory? Jist a ferry ride from OSJ.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

-Kristi

 

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Thanks for your suggestions! Do you know if Luquillo Beach is in okay condition after the hurricanes?

Thanks for your suggestions! Do you know if Luquillo Beach is in okay condition after the hurricanes?

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Thanks for your suggestions! Do you know if Luquillo Beach is in okay condition after the hurricanes?

We were there on Christmas Eve and it was great. A lot of the food kiosks were closed, as was the parking area, but the beach and the water itself were great.