Honeymoon Day 1: Luquillo and Naguabo, PR

Our first stop after picking up our luggage and rental car was the kioskos at Luquillo Beach! There are over 50 small food kiosks offering everything from drinks to seafood to burgers to finger food. We had received a recommendation to dine at #2- La Parilla- and we were so glad we did! 

Stuffed pork wrapped in bacon with rice and beans for Joe. Amazing.

I got stuffed mahi mahi and shrimp in a fondue sauce with a side of mofongo (not pictured). Perfection. And since the Luquillo kioskos are practically ON the beach, we got to stare into the ocean while we waited.  

Luquillo Beach (the free portion) was our first dip into the ocean on the trip!

After a quick swim we headed out toward Naguabo, stopping at Walmart and a grocery store to pick up some provisions. 

We arrived at Casa Flamboyant and were absolutely STUNNED by the views. 

Our private terrace overlooking the mountains.

We unpacked, settled in, explored the property a bit and then headed down the mountain to Noelia's- a small bar/ restaurant and the ONLY thing open for miles. Lucky for us, it was DELISH!

Sorry for the less than optimal pics- my camera died and we were stuck with our DROID cameras. 

Shirley from Casa Flamboyant recommended the rabbit empanada- SO. GOOD.

I got a crab enchilada with rice and beans. Joe got a kingfish steak (not pictured). 

And then, it was back to the guest house to do a whole lot of this....

Tips from Day 1: 

-We relied on the GPS in our rental car A LOT. It was an extra fee, but we would have been in serious trouble without it. It was worth every penny. If you're driving around on the island alone, get one!

-The kioskos in Luquillo are well worth the trip! Check out puertoricodaytrips.com's review here.

-Casa Flamboyant is a little piece of heaven. Shirley, the owner, is as sweet as can be, and the resident dogs (Blackie and Soma) are great too! Stay here if you can!

-Go local or go home! We pride ourselves on being pretty good at avoiding tourist traps (unless it's really something spectacular). Sometimes stepping a bit out of your comfort zone can yield the best results.