BudgetTravel

DAY 3
Josh has a real sweet tooth, so when I tell him that we're going to Ricomini Bakery for breakfast, he's delighted. We've been tipped off about the brazo gitano--sponge cake rolled with fruit and cheese and then dusted with powdered sugar. It's traditionally a special-occasion dessert, but it sure goes well with morning coffee.

La Mina Falls, in El Yunque National Forest (Joshua Cogan) PUERTO RICO REVEALED View Joshua Cogan's gorgeous photos of beaches and back roads throughout the island. • Launch the slide show

The bakery is in Mayagüez, an industrial city on the west coast, and when we finally get a taste of the guava-filled cake, we agree that all the wrong turns were worth it. We're tempted to see what else is nearby, but the laid-back surf town of Rincón is just 15 miles northwest.

Lined with towering palms, the winding Route 413--known locally as the Road to Happiness--allows us our first glimpse of the Atlantic. We stop right away at Rincón Surf & Board, a surf school and hotel that also rents surfboards. Cobby, who moved from San Diego to Rinóón to become a surf instructor, helps us rent nine-foot longboards and offers to escort us to Maria's Beach, one of nearly a dozen local breaks, which he swears is "going off."

Josh and I stick our boards nose down in the backseat and follow Cobby. The waves are chest high, perfect for us East Coasters. By the time we dry off, it's happy hour at the Calypso Cafe, an outdoor bar steps from the beach. We grab a cool rum punch each and watch the sun dip into the ocean.

At The Tapas Bar at Casa Isleña, we eat the best food of the trip so far: small plates, starting at $3, of dishes such as seared yellowfin tuna, empanadas stuffed with beef and olives, and skirt steak marinated in ginger, garlic, and soy.

We have a reservation for tonight at Beside the Pointe, a guesthouse where the beachfront location makes up for the below-average rooms. It has one of the liveliest bars in Rincón, where we drink one too many Heinekens on the deck.

Lodging

• Beside the Pointe Rte. 413, Sandy Beach, Rincón, 888/823-8550, besidethepointe.com, from $70

Food

• Ricomini Bakery 101 Calle Méndez Vigo, Mayagüez, 787/833-1444
• Calypso Cafe Maria's Beach, Rincón, 787/823-1626, calypsopr.com


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Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.