Looking for good private tour guide

[scomar]

I want to know if anyone has used a good private tour guide in San Juan? If it someone you have actually used please send me an e-mail with name and contact info. I have found one in Jamica and one in Honduras that were great through the good people on CC. I don"t think we can post names on here so just email me at hvac62 at yahoo dot com

 

Thanks in advance

 

Scomar

[RigleysMommy]

Hey - we just got back from San Juan this September and we had the MOST AMAZING Guide ever - His name is Albert Aguirre and you can reach him at surfcabs@yahoo.com or (787)317-6907 - we were lucky enough to find him as we were walking off the ship and we had one of the best days we've ever had on a cruise with him. I wrote a really long review about our day with him and I'll post it here below so you can see it. We too found a good guide in Jamaica (Phil Lafayette) but couldn't find anyone before leaving for San Juan, we were so glad that Albert found us, I recommend him 100%. Here's my SAN JUAN review:

Puerto Rico Perfection!! I searched and searched for things to do in Puerto Rico before leaving and couldn’t find anything reasonable through the ship or independently. I had expected a somewhat boring day but this turned out to be the gem of our entire cruise. I was so impressed that I will make every effort to spread the word about our great day so that others can also have a day of Puerto Rico Perfection. The key to our day’s success was a chance encounter with a tour guide as we were walking through the cruise terminal. His name was Albert Aguirre of Surf Cab Tours and he approached us to offer a tour of the rainforest. I liked him instantly and felt comfortable with his demeanor and professionalism. There were 4 of us in our party and he said that for $50 each he would be our personal tour guide in a 2008 air conditioned tour van. He required a minimum of 6 passengers though so he asked us if we minded waiting a couple of minutes while he tried to find a couple of other people to join us otherwise, he would have his colleague pick us up. In about 3 minutes we were on our way with a nice couple and their two children, making 8 of us in total. We fit comfortably in his clean and tidy vehicle with AC as promised. Albert amazed us with his charming banter and ability to answer any question we asked about PR from politics to religion, history, current events, real estate etc. He has made PR his passion and knows it inside an out, from the best surf spots to the names of the different plants, flowers and animal species that inhibit the rain forest. He drove us to El Yunque rain forest where we paid the $2 per person entry fee, he took us to the waterfall where he turned out to be a very proficient photographer taking excellent shots of each of us in front of the falls using our cameras, he then turned into a ham and made a hilarious hat out of some large leaves and a stick he found on the ground, we took turns wearing the hat for more memorable pictures. Next was the observation tower, 100 steps up and wonderful views of the valley and mountains around us. Beyond that, a rest stop with washrooms followed by the entrances to the hikes. We chose the 45-60 minute hike which included the option to swim and play in the waterfall in the middle of the hike. We are 4 fit adults but we like taking pictures and we enjoyed our time in the falls, we were shocked to learn that we had actually taken 1 hour and 45 minutes by the time we reached the end of the hike. Albert was calm and easygoing about our tardiness and still promised we’d have time to tour the beaches area and get some traditional Puerto Rican food. The drive through the beaches area was surprising, I had no idea that the beaches were so beautiful, the drive was lovely with Albert’s narration and we just soaked it all in. We arrived at a hot spot for local food where we had the unique experience of drinking from freshly chopped coconuts and eating delicious local food that I can only try to describe as crab corn dogs and cod flatbread – deep fried goodness! Everything was cooked over an open fire and the smell of the food, the fire, the traditional music and the smiles on the faces of the women cooking in the kitchen is an experience we will never forget! We didn’t feel rushed at all but we were aware that we needed to be back on board by 3PM and Albert wanted to give us a tour of the historical part of San Juan city so we finished our meal (which I think cost us about $5 each) and drove back to San Juan where Albert described each interesting building and area of the city. He told us about Ponce de Leon’s burial place, the bar where the first Pina Colada was served and the architecture of the fortresses, churches and buildings. We needed to stop for some supplies and he found us a drug store and still had us back to the cruise port with a couple of minutes to spare. I could not possibly overstate what an exceptional day this was. I had walked off the ship that morning with very little expectation of the day and walked back on feeling truly blessed by an amazing experience. I asked Albert’s permission to post his contact details, he is welcome to discuss tours and make arrangements in advance of your arrival and if you don’t have a party of 6 he will be sure to find a few more willing to join you – call him, you won’t regret it! Surf Cab Tours – Albert Aguirre, tour guide, surfcabs@yahoo.com – fully bilingual, Spanish/English (no accent in either) (787)317-6907.

[cruisingforsix]

Hi, I just e-mailed surfcab for a tour. We will be in San Juan in Jan. and our ship does not leave until 8:30 so we wanted to see as much as we can. We were there about 5 years ago and walked all over osj and around el morro, but was sorry we missed the rain forest. It sounds like a wonderful trip. I hope i hear from them soon.

[cruisingforsix]

Hey - we just got back from San Juan this September and we had the MOST AMAZING Guide ever - His name is Albert Aguirre and you can reach him at surfcabs@yahoo.com or (787)317-6907 - we were lucky enough to find him as we were walking off the ship and we had one of the best days we've ever had on a cruise with him. I wrote a really long review about our day with him and I'll post it here below so you can see it. We too found a good guide in Jamaica (Phil Lafayette) but couldn't find anyone before leaving for San Juan, we were so glad that Albert found us, I recommend him 100%. Here's my SAN JUAN review:

 

Puerto Rico Perfection!! I searched and searched for things to do in Puerto Rico before leaving and couldn’t find anything reasonable through the ship or independently. I had expected a somewhat boring day but this turned out to be the gem of our entire cruise. I was so impressed that I will make every effort to spread the word about our great day so that others can also have a day of Puerto Rico Perfection. The key to our day’s success was a chance encounter with a tour guide as we were walking through the cruise terminal. His name was Albert Aguirre of Surf Cab Tours and he approached us to offer a tour of the rainforest. I liked him instantly and felt comfortable with his demeanor and professionalism. There were 4 of us in our party and he said that for $50 each he would be our personal tour guide in a 2008 air conditioned tour van. He required a minimum of 6 passengers though so he asked us if we minded waiting a couple of minutes while he tried to find a couple of other people to join us otherwise, he would have his colleague pick us up. In about 3 minutes we were on our way with a nice couple and their two children, making 8 of us in total. We fit comfortably in his clean and tidy vehicle with AC as promised. Albert amazed us with his charming banter and ability to answer any question we asked about PR from politics to religion, history, current events, real estate etc. He has made PR his passion and knows it inside an out, from the best surf spots to the names of the different plants, flowers and animal species that inhibit the rain forest. He drove us to El Yunque rain forest where we paid the $2 per person entry fee, he took us to the waterfall where he turned out to be a very proficient photographer taking excellent shots of each of us in front of the falls using our cameras, he then turned into a ham and made a hilarious hat out of some large leaves and a stick he found on the ground, we took turns wearing the hat for more memorable pictures. Next was the observation tower, 100 steps up and wonderful views of the valley and mountains around us. Beyond that, a rest stop with washrooms followed by the entrances to the hikes. We chose the 45-60 minute hike which included the option to swim and play in the waterfall in the middle of the hike. We are 4 fit adults but we like taking pictures and we enjoyed our time in the falls, we were shocked to learn that we had actually taken 1 hour and 45 minutes by the time we reached the end of the hike. Albert was calm and easygoing about our tardiness and still promised we’d have time to tour the beaches area and get some traditional Puerto Rican food. The drive through the beaches area was surprising, I had no idea that the beaches were so beautiful, the drive was lovely with Albert’s narration and we just soaked it all in. We arrived at a hot spot for local food where we had the unique experience of drinking from freshly chopped coconuts and eating delicious local food that I can only try to describe as crab corn dogs and cod flatbread – deep fried goodness! Everything was cooked over an open fire and the smell of the food, the fire, the traditional music and the smiles on the faces of the women cooking in the kitchen is an experience we will never forget! We didn’t feel rushed at all but we were aware that we needed to be back on board by 3PM and Albert wanted to give us a tour of the historical part of San Juan city so we finished our meal (which I think cost us about $5 each) and drove back to San Juan where Albert described each interesting building and area of the city. He told us about Ponce de Leon’s burial place, the bar where the first Pina Colada was served and the architecture of the fortresses, churches and buildings. We needed to stop for some supplies and he found us a drug store and still had us back to the cruise port with a couple of minutes to spare. I could not possibly overstate what an exceptional day this was. I had walked off the ship that morning with very little expectation of the day and walked back on feeling truly blessed by an amazing experience. I asked Albert’s permission to post his contact details, he is welcome to discuss tours and make arrangements in advance of your arrival and if you don’t have a party of 6 he will be sure to find a few more willing to join you – call him, you won’t regret it! Surf Cab Tours – Albert Aguirre, tour guide, surfcabs@yahoo.com – fully bilingual, Spanish/English (no accent in either) (787)317-6907.

Hi , we just booked a tour with Albert on your recommendation. I just wondered how long the tour was as we are doing it the day the ship leaves. we don't leave until 8:30 pm so i'm sure we'll have plenty of time.we were in san juan about 5 yrs.ago but did not get to see everything we wanted so this sounds like a wonderful tour. Thanks!

[RigleysMommy]

The great thing about a private tour is that they cater it to your schedule.

We got off our ship at 10AM (since we didn't have anything booked) and had to be back on board for 3PM but Albert maxed out our trip, we saw El Yunque and did the long hike (2 hours), visited the beaches, ate local food, did a driving tour of Old San Juan and even stopped to pick some things up at a pharmacy, we never felt rushed.

I'd love to hear how your trip goes, don't forget to post a review when you get back - have a great time and tell Albert that Heather from Canada says Hi!

 

 

 

Hi , we just booked a tour with Albert on your recommendation. I just wondered how long the tour was as we are doing it the day the ship leaves. we don't leave until 8:30 pm so i'm sure we'll have plenty of time.we were in san juan about 5 yrs.ago but did not get to see everything we wanted so this sounds like a wonderful tour. Thanks!

[mizLORInj]

I second having Albert as your tour guide. We just got back from Carnival Liberty and Albert was our rain forest guide while in San Juan. He was waiting outside as he said he would be, and got 4 more people so the 6 of us had plenty of room in his van. Explained options in the forest and let us choose what we wanted to do. Very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend him. I think the total time spent was ~4 hours.

-Lori

[gaelan]

We are arriving in San Juan on Wednesday December 16th on the Carnival Liberty. I liked the recomendation for a private tour with Surfcabs :D but alas we are only two. We are looking for other couples to form a full tour group.....any takers? We have contacted Albert @ Sufcabs to check our options. Can be contacted at gaelan01@cox.net

 

Brian

[gaelan]

Looking for a minimum of one more couple to fill out a private tour. This tour was recommended by others on this web site and ...The tour consists of the El Yunque rainforest with waterfalls, observatory towers and some hiking. ( optional ) A coast drive with beautiful views and a complete tour of old San Juan. The cost is $50.00 per person. 6 people minimum.......We have four and can accomodate a couple of more couples.

 

Date is December 16,2009 off the Carnival Liberty......

 

Contact me at gaelan01@cox.net

 

Brian

[carraizo99]

Chack out Bruno tours just outside the pier.

[AlanaK]

Hi:

We are planning on booking this tour and I was wondering whether the rainforest is extremely hot/humid?

Also, we have a two and four year old with us and I am wondering whether they would be able to make it through the rainforest? Is it possible to bring an umbrella stroller? Is it too far to walk with small children? Thoughts-- please...help!

[blindbandit]

Hi,

 

We also booked Albert on 1/28/10. There were six of us. He was knowledgeable and very accomadating. My mom was with (age 82) us and sometimes she waited in the van and he was very solicticous. I've been to Puerto Rico before on cruises and by far this was the best visit ever!

[RigleysMommy]

I wholeheartedly agree, you just couldn't ask for a more pleasant tour guide. I was so happy with our day that we can't wait to go back to Puerto Rico to spend another day letting Albert guide us around his island. I had no expectations of a great day since the reviews of PR were pretty pathetic but he gave us our best day of the cruise and probably one of the top 3 best cruise excursions EVER (we've done 3 cruises so far). You can't go wrong booking him.

I'll post his contact details again - surfcabs at yahoo dot com

[RigleysMommy]

Hi:

We are planning on booking this tour and I was wondering whether the rainforest is extremely hot/humid?

Also, we have a two and four year old with us and I am wondering whether they would be able to make it through the rainforest? Is it possible to bring an umbrella stroller? Is it too far to walk with small children? Thoughts-- please...help!

 

 

I found the Rainforest was cooler than the city by a few degrees, the city was scorching so it was a pleasant adjustment in the rainforest. I didn't find it to be too humid, it was damp (of course!). I found the breathing to be easier in the rainforest than in the city heat. The part of the El Yunque hike that we did would not be suited to an umbrella stroller and I wouldn't recommend trying to do it with children (I have 2 small ones myself and remember commenting that I wouldn't have done that part with them) I did see people walking it with small kids but I'm pretty cautious and there were times when I had to be careful about my own footing, I wouldn't want to be holding onto a little one and trying to do it. That being said, the rainforest is huge and has a paved road going through it. I saw people in wheelchairs and other less mobile people enjoying the views from the paved road. I would say it's still worthwhile even if you can't hike into the forest very far. You could still have a nice excursion and stay safe. There was another couple with us on the excursion (we didn't know them) and they had 2 kids with them, I would say the youngest was around 7 or 8, they hiked the shorter trail with no problems. Hope this helps

[kymbakitty]

Hey - we just got back from San Juan this September and we had the MOST AMAZING Guide ever - His name is Albert Aguirre and you can reach him at surfcabs@yahoo.com or (787)317-6907 - we were lucky enough to find him as we were walking off the ship and we had one of the best days we've ever had on a cruise with him. I wrote a really long review about our day with him and I'll post it here below so you can see it. We too found a good guide in Jamaica (Phil Lafayette) but couldn't find anyone before leaving for San Juan, we were so glad that Albert found us, I recommend him 100%. Here's my SAN JUAN review:

 

Puerto Rico Perfection!! I searched and searched for things to do in Puerto Rico before leaving and couldn’t find anything reasonable through the ship or independently. I had expected a somewhat boring day but this turned out to be the gem of our entire cruise. I was so impressed that I will make every effort to spread the word about our great day so that others can also have a day of Puerto Rico Perfection. The key to our day’s success was a chance encounter with a tour guide as we were walking through the cruise terminal. His name was Albert Aguirre of Surf Cab Tours and he approached us to offer a tour of the rainforest. I liked him instantly and felt comfortable with his demeanor and professionalism. There were 4 of us in our party and he said that for $50 each he would be our personal tour guide in a 2008 air conditioned tour van. He required a minimum of 6 passengers though so he asked us if we minded waiting a couple of minutes while he tried to find a couple of other people to join us otherwise, he would have his colleague pick us up. In about 3 minutes we were on our way with a nice couple and their two children, making 8 of us in total. We fit comfortably in his clean and tidy vehicle with AC as promised. Albert amazed us with his charming banter and ability to answer any question we asked about PR from politics to religion, history, current events, real estate etc. He has made PR his passion and knows it inside an out, from the best surf spots to the names of the different plants, flowers and animal species that inhibit the rain forest. He drove us to El Yunque rain forest where we paid the $2 per person entry fee, he took us to the waterfall where he turned out to be a very proficient photographer taking excellent shots of each of us in front of the falls using our cameras, he then turned into a ham and made a hilarious hat out of some large leaves and a stick he found on the ground, we took turns wearing the hat for more memorable pictures. Next was the observation tower, 100 steps up and wonderful views of the valley and mountains around us. Beyond that, a rest stop with washrooms followed by the entrances to the hikes. We chose the 45-60 minute hike which included the option to swim and play in the waterfall in the middle of the hike. We are 4 fit adults but we like taking pictures and we enjoyed our time in the falls, we were shocked to learn that we had actually taken 1 hour and 45 minutes by the time we reached the end of the hike. Albert was calm and easygoing about our tardiness and still promised we’d have time to tour the beaches area and get some traditional Puerto Rican food. The drive through the beaches area was surprising, I had no idea that the beaches were so beautiful, the drive was lovely with Albert’s narration and we just soaked it all in. We arrived at a hot spot for local food where we had the unique experience of drinking from freshly chopped coconuts and eating delicious local food that I can only try to describe as crab corn dogs and cod flatbread – deep fried goodness! Everything was cooked over an open fire and the smell of the food, the fire, the traditional music and the smiles on the faces of the women cooking in the kitchen is an experience we will never forget! We didn’t feel rushed at all but we were aware that we needed to be back on board by 3PM and Albert wanted to give us a tour of the historical part of San Juan city so we finished our meal (which I think cost us about $5 each) and drove back to San Juan where Albert described each interesting building and area of the city. He told us about Ponce de Leon’s burial place, the bar where the first Pina Colada was served and the architecture of the fortresses, churches and buildings. We needed to stop for some supplies and he found us a drug store and still had us back to the cruise port with a couple of minutes to spare. I could not possibly overstate what an exceptional day this was. I had walked off the ship that morning with very little expectation of the day and walked back on feeling truly blessed by an amazing experience. I asked Albert’s permission to post his contact details, he is welcome to discuss tours and make arrangements in advance of your arrival and if you don’t have a party of 6 he will be sure to find a few more willing to join you – call him, you won’t regret it! Surf Cab Tours – Albert Aguirre, tour guide, surfcabs@yahoo.com – fully bilingual, Spanish/English (no accent in either) (787)317-6907.

 

 

Hi...I tried to PM you, but for some reason, there wasn't an option to do so.

 

I emailed this man to see if he was available for a tour the first week of April when we go to San Juan. We were going to just walk around Old San Juan, but after reading your post, I thought we should check him out.

 

I wanted to ask you about tipping. Do you mind telling me what was the tipping policy for this man? I have not yet researched tipping in San Juan, per se, but I suspect it is pretty much the same everywhere in the Caribbean (10-15% for tour guides...?).

 

I like to have all of our cash in envelopes for these things so we aren't left surprised and needing to get cash in a pinch!

 

Thanks!

 

Dawn

[KKCruisers]

I second having Albert as your tour guide. We just got back from Carnival Liberty and Albert was our rain forest guide while in San Juan. He was waiting outside as he said he would be, and got 4 more people so the 6 of us had plenty of room in his van. Explained options in the forest and let us choose what we wanted to do. Very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend him. I think the total time spent was ~4 hours.

-Lori

 

 

Hi, I am thinking of booking Albert also and was wondering what you did in the Rain Forest on his tour. You said he gave you choices, what were they?

Thanks,

[LoneStarCruisinCouple]

Good morning to all and we are Lisa and Gary ( Lone Star Cruisin Couple ) from Sugar Land,Texas and we as well after reading your post about Albert have already booked him for our cruise on The Liberty September 4th,out of Miami. We are The Loco's On The Liberty Loungin"Laughin"Lovin" In The Caribbean and are looking forward to a fun filled fun packed adventure while we are in San Juan as I like you were not seeing an awful lot as to do and wasn't really expecting much,but now after talking back and forth with Albert we can hardly wait to set sail. I think the fun part is all the planning and getting to meet all of you wonderful folks as it is not only the cruise,but also the folks that you cruise with that makes cruising cruising. We have a bunch of folks that we had cruised with this past September on The Splendor and had so much fun we are now on The Liberty and can't wait for all those BBC's to start flowing. Again Thanks ever so much for your post re: Albert and Puerto Rico Perfection. By The By if you would like a terrific tour guide In Saint Thomas can highly recommend Henry Christopher with EEE Tours!! Thanks again Gary and if any of you that are sailing on the Liberty get a chance stop in on our thread Liberty Roll Call 9/4/10...Who's Going?? By Sgt Jeff. Stop in and say hi and tell us about your cruise and also about Albert as Lisa and I would love to hear from you. Gary Have a great and wonderful day all!!:rolleyes:

[Maere]

Well---I am really glad to see this....just sent a note to see if Albert is available when we are there in May......thanks so much!!

[princessh]

We will be in port on Sept. 25. It will only be my husband and I. We would love to take the tour with Albert. If anyone else is interested, please pm me!!!!

[Lolasmom]

After reading the great reviews about Albert, we decided to book with him as well for our cruise in April. There is just my DH and myself but when I contacted Albert about his tour he said he already had a family of four scheduled for our date so, with our booking our minimum 6 is now complete and confirmed.

[Mary Ellen1]

Hi there,

 

Just back from the Carnival Liberty, and we toured Puerto Rico with Albert Aguirre last Wednesday (March 10). What a great day!!! I recommend him highly. Our tour was very similar to that described in an earlier post on this thread. Right down to the crazy hat he made out of a large leaf in the rainforest -- we've got pictures of my nieces wearing it. We saw a hummingbird, lots of huge snails, and heard (but didn't see) the coqui frogs in the rainforest. Albert showed us a really cool small fern that closed up as soon as you touched it -- kind of like a venus fly trap. I forget the exact name -- something like "more y vive," which he translated as "dying to live." He was very good with my 12-year-old niece, Paige, who needed to know the names of all of the plants and native animal/insect species that we saw for a school project.

 

The Puerto Rican fritters were wonderful. And we spent nearly a 1/2-hour on the beach, wading in the surf and collecting shells. We drove (slowly -- with lots of great commentary) through Old San Juan, and stopped for pictures at a beautiful spot with a view of El Morro. Albert dropped us off for more shopping in Old San Juan, and pointed out the way to walk back to the ship.

 

We had a wonderful day, and I would highly recommend him for a tour. My husband didn't think he would like Puerto Rico, and it ended up being his favorite stop, based on the tour that we took.

 

Have fun on your cruise,

Mary Ellen

[glorog]

We just talked to Albert tonight and booked him for our stop in San Juan on April 7. He responded to an email my husband sent him earlier in the day. He already had a family of 5 booked and he added us to the reservation. We will be aboard the Carnival Liberty. We are quite excited about this tour based on the reviews we have read here on cruise critic. If he is half as nice in person as he was on the phone I am sure we will have a great time. I have arithtis quite bad and even with a new knee have difficulty with long walks to the optional part appealed to me . Looking forward to a great time. Thanks to all for your reviews it certainly made a difference to us.

[Kristin1112]

For anyone who has taken one of his tours, did he have a list of things you could choose from - or did he pretty much recommend things during the tour and you just went with what he said?

 

I dont see a website with that name on it so I wasnt sure how you decided what you wanted to do???

 

Thanks!

[Mary Ellen1]

For anyone who has taken one of his tours, did he have a list of things you could choose from - or did he pretty much recommend things during the tour and you just went with what he said?

 

I dont see a website with that name on it so I wasnt sure how you decided what you wanted to do???

 

Thanks!

 

Hi there,

 

We just went with what he suggested (see my Feb-23 post for the description he emailed me), but there were some choices. For example, you could take either the shorter, 15-minute hike, or the longer 45-minute one. We did the shorter one, but then spent perhaps close to 30 minutes at the beach.

 

His business card says "City Tours, Bacardi Tours, Rainforest Tours, Surfing Tours." He's an avid surfer. (Not sure how the timing of that would work out with the tight cruise ship schedule -- but it sounds pretty cool!)

 

If there's something in particular that you like, or want to do, ask him about it. I'm sure he'd try to find a way to accommodate you. For us, not knowing a lot about Puerto Rico, we just went with what he suggested and loved it. I feel like we saw a little bit of everything -- rainforest, beach, city, forts, etc.

 

Happy to answer any other questions. He was a really nice, friendly guy.

 

Mary Ellen

[SWPSquared]

We just talked to Albert tonight and booked him for our stop in San Juan on April 7. He responded to an email my husband sent him earlier in the day. He already had a family of 5 booked and he added us to the reservation. We will be aboard the Carnival Liberty. We are quite excited about this tour based on the reviews we have read here on cruise critic. If he is half as nice in person as he was on the phone I am sure we will have a great time. I have arithtis quite bad and even with a new knee have difficulty with long walks to the optional part appealed to me . Looking forward to a great time. Thanks to all for your reviews it certainly made a difference to us.

Do you recall how long it took him to respond?

 

We'll be there on the Glory on April 29, so I emailed him a couple of days ago. I haven't heard back yet. I should shoot him another email, but I don't want to pester him.

 

Thanks

- Steve

[Mary Ellen1]

Do you recall how long it took him to respond?

 

We'll be there on the Glory on April 29, so I emailed him a couple of days ago. I haven't heard back yet. I should shoot him another email, but I don't want to pester him.

 

Thanks

- Steve

 

Hi there - I just checked my email log. It took him 3 days to respond to me. I inquired on 12-Feb, and heard back from him on 15-Feb. I guess he doesn't check his email every day...

 

Perhaps phone is better? I don't know...

 

Mary Ellen