Puerto Rico FAQ
Actively planning a relocation after several trips down to Rincon. Where is the best place to find real estate deals? I've been visiting the online classifieds but I now there are alot of signs around town. Also, looking to secure some kind of job.
by Maureen Purdue, NJ
Have you tried Island West? The specialize in real estate in Rincon. Their website is: http://www.island-west.com/
Although it is 2009 and we have a multiracial president, is racism a big factor in Rincon, or Puerto Rico in general?
by Sue, Hawaii
Nothing major, but some Puerto Ricans just don't like gringos (white people). Really not that big of a deal, it's more like passive aggressive rudeness, like trying to cut in front of you in line, pretending like they can't understand you when you speak Spanish, etc.
Are there any Cornish Rex cat clubs in Rincon? I love the Cornish Rex cat club here in California.
by Shawn, CA
No, there are no Cornish Rex cat clubs in Rincon (at least that we know of). You should start one!
Are there any gyms/fitness centers in Rincon?
by Pam, New York
Unfortunately, there are no gyms in Rincon. There is a free weight room at the stadium/track and I heard that there is a nice gym in Aguada (15 minute drive)
Can you recommend places in Rincon, PR that deliver food? Bike is on a flat--my only transportation & I am new to the area...healthy as possible is my first choice ;-)
by Serena, Puerto Rico
The only place I know that delivers is PizzaLand. Their number is 787-823-0606. I like the vegetarian pizza with light cheese, that's probably as healthy as you'll get for pizza ;).
Can you tell me if there is any decent hospital and where are they located?
Yes, I gave birth at Bella Vista in Mayaguez. It's a great private hospital and I recommend it. I've heard horror stories about the public hospitals here in Puerto Rico, so I would recommend a private hospital if at all possible
Do you know what theaverage surf height will be in Aug?
by Jared
There isn't much surf in Rincon unless a hurricane is passing by in August. There are waves on the North Coast and on the East Coast that time of year but I haven't traveled for waves in the summer.
Have you done any bicycling in Aquadilla/Rincon and, if so, maybe you can let me know about how the terrain is?
by Dogfish
Stefan and I have 3-speed earthcruisers (an earthcruiser is just a beachcruiser with gears) that we ride around town. We find it necessary to have gears when biking in Rincon, since there are plenty of hills. Keep am eye out for the crazy drivers, but other then that, bicycling in PR is great fun!
Hi i've been following you guy's since you started the site and wanted to thank you for all the cool tips & insight's to PR and living in Rincon. My question is if money wasn't an object which part of Rincon or the Western coast would you want to live??? I've been to Rincon several times and I can't deciede which part puntas, down town, corcega, barrera, ensenada etc... Thank you for any help and keep on updating when you get time. Rick from MN.
by Rick, MN USA
We live in Barrio Pueblo (downtown) and absolutely love it. Everyone complains about power and water outages around Rincon (especially Puntas), but we have NEVER had our water go out and power is usually restored within an hour or two if it does go out. We are less then a mile from the beach/grocery stores/etc, yet we are tucked away in the valley were we can disappear into our own little tropical oasis.
Hi, I work at Starbucks in Washington. I was wondering if they had one in or around Rincon that I could possibly transfer too. If not do you think you could get a job at a coffee shop with Barista experience?
by Reed Harvey, Washington
There are Starbucks on the island, but none near Rincon. There are a couple of coffee shops in town, and Banana Dang is our favorite. Email/call the owners (Mario and Than Than) and see if they have any job opportunities. The phone number to Banana Dang is: 787.823.0963. Good luck!
Hi. I just ran across your site while I'm researching moving to PR. I am a 34 year old single woman and I would love it if you could help me narrow down a neighborhood that is safe, fun and preferably easy to get around without a car...
Personally, I prefer Barrio Pueblo, which is the center of Rincon or perhaps Corseca. In both Barrios, you could walk/bike to the beach, grocery store, etc. Barrio Puntas is where a lot of people end up moving to as it's the party/tourist spot, but the crime/drama in that part of town is not something that I want to deal with. Nothing major, just petty theft and drunk tourists.
How is the drinking water there? I assume you have a well. Do you use a water treatment system?
by Timothey
The water is actually quite good in PR. I wouldn't drink the tap water
regularly, but it hasn't killed me when we run out of bottled (I would
say that it is no better or worse then the tap water in California).
We talked about drilling a well, but we found out that the water
company will literally slap a meter on it if they find out you have a
well (they own the actual watertable in PR...how weird is that?). So
we pay $3 for the 5 gallon jugs of drinking water and it's great.
Water is really cheap too, so the cost to drill a well, plus the
possibility of being charged for it anyways has us thinking that a
well is not the way to go...
regularly, but it hasn't killed me when we run out of bottled (I would
say that it is no better or worse then the tap water in California).
We talked about drilling a well, but we found out that the water
company will literally slap a meter on it if they find out you have a
well (they own the actual watertable in PR...how weird is that?). So
we pay $3 for the 5 gallon jugs of drinking water and it's great.
Water is really cheap too, so the cost to drill a well, plus the
possibility of being charged for it anyways has us thinking that a
well is not the way to go...
How much is property tax for a home of $120,000
by Willie, San Diego, Ca
Property taxes in Rincon, Puerto Rico are very cheap. Our home is worth more then $120,000 and we paid $19 for property tax in 2009.
How would a resident who is not fluent in Spanish best keep up with daily news and happenings in Rincon and Puerto Rico?
by Mitch, Connecticut
I'm not sure where to find daily Rincon, PR news in English (actually, I don't even know where to find daily Rincon, PR news in Spanish, to be honest!), but The Coqui is a Rincon news and event publication that is printed in English and Spanish: http://www.coquirincon.com/
I am looking to move to Puerto Rico this winter with just me and my dog. I will be buying a car right away but will need work. I have 20 years experience in flooring installation as well as other construction trades. Can i find work to survive on right away?
by Aaron
We brought our jobs with us when we moved to PR, so I'm not sure how quickly you would be able to find work. My advice would be to bring at least enough money to get by jobless for at least a month or two. Work around her can be inconsistent at best ;). Good luck!
I found your blog while searching the disgusting topic of "ticks in puerto rico"! YUCK! My family moved from Pennsylvania to Fajardo in November 2008 and the past few weeks have been a tick nightmare for 2 of our dogs. Have you found anything that really works?
by Jennifer, Fajardo
I totally know what you are going through. Getting the ticks under control is a huge problem. What finally has worked for us is using Revolution and Preventic collars:
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Preventic+Tick+Collar+for+Dogs-prod3306.html
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Revolution-prod10265.html
You have to use them at the same time and stay on top of keeping up with them. It's crazy when you put the Preventic collars on because within an hour, all of the little brown dog ticks start jumping off of your dog (it doesn't kill them, they just don't like it, I guess). So, keep that in mind when you put it on (keep them outside). We've tried everything and this is the only thing that has consistently keep our dogs tick-free.
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Preventic+Tick+Collar+for+Dogs-prod3306.html
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Revolution-prod10265.html
You have to use them at the same time and stay on top of keeping up with them. It's crazy when you put the Preventic collars on because within an hour, all of the little brown dog ticks start jumping off of your dog (it doesn't kill them, they just don't like it, I guess). So, keep that in mind when you put it on (keep them outside). We've tried everything and this is the only thing that has consistently keep our dogs tick-free.
I have a question: I know you are self-employed, but what exactly do you do?
by Josue, Florida
Stefan owns a marketing company called Reardon Corp:
http://reardoncorp.com/
Summer owns a company called Vicious Enterprises, which are online retail stores:
http://www.viciousenterprises.com/
http://reardoncorp.com/
Summer owns a company called Vicious Enterprises, which are online retail stores:
http://www.viciousenterprises.com/
I know you are both self-employed but do you know if there is any discrimination against gringos trying to get a job at a restaurant/bar/hotel in Rincon? Since you probably don't have experience applying for these jobs, when you are out to dinner do you notice a shortage of white bartenders/waiters?
by Ben, Maryland
When it comes to working in the tourist industry here in Rincon, there is no discrimination against gringos that I see (Many of the bars/restaurants in Rincon are owned by gringos). With that said, there is little to no chance that you can show up in Rincon and score a job at one of the local bars without knowing someone (It's somewhat of a cliche-y town). As for working at one of the local hotels or restaurants, I would imagine that you would have to be somewhat fluent in Spanish in order to secure a job.
I saw your post on growing heirloom tomatoes. I have to ask...did it work?? I'm dying for a decent tomato but I've read that PR does not have the temperature to grow heirlooms.
by Jean, Puerto Rico
We've had great success growing all types of tomatoes in Puerto Rico, heirlooms included. :)
I wanted to find do both of you guys know how to speak English. This is awesome that you guys have this website since allot people in the US think that Puerto Rico is nothing but an Island with Criminals and Drug problems. I have leaved in the US for about 19 Years now and I'm thinking about moving to PR since my wife does not like the Cold Weather she also having problems finding a good job here since she does not speak great English. I'm a little worried that I will not be able to find a job on my field which is IT but I think that as long if I look around I will be able to find a good job. What type of business do you guys run?
by Luis, Harrisburg, PA
Summer and I both run our businesses online. I run a marketing company and Summer owns an online retail company.
All of my clients are based in the US and I do 90% of my business via email and telephone calls. The other 10% is traveling.
Summer has customers all over the world. Her business and main office is based in California and she oversees it remotely from here in Puerto Rico.
All of my clients are based in the US and I do 90% of my business via email and telephone calls. The other 10% is traveling.
Summer has customers all over the world. Her business and main office is based in California and she oversees it remotely from here in Puerto Rico.
