Everyone heads west to the famous surf town. The real discovery is the huge old city next door. Just one ride from Cape Air will take you straight to the city.
When you say “Puerto Rico’s west coast,” one place comes to mind for most people. cornerIt’s a city of surfing and sunsets with golden beaches that have become shorthand for the entire region.
But the most rewarding places here aren’t the ones on every list. that MayaguezA magnificent old city right on the coast that almost no one flies to see.
And it’s a secret to get on a plane. charge Mayaguez start around $69 one way to cape airThis makes the island’s west coast one of the cheapest places to fly anywhere in the Caribbean.
cape air It is the only airline that offers scheduled service. Eugenio Maria de Hostos AirportThat lonely path connects the cities directly. San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport.
Hop is approx. 37 minutes 9-seater Technam P2012 TravelerIt’s a low, slow flight that turns into one of the most beautiful flights on the island.
Sit close enough to the cockpit to watch the pilots at work, and the plane stays low enough that the entire green spine of Puerto Rico stretches out below the windows.
It also deletes notoriously long drives. journey between saint john The west coast can take about 2 to 3 hours by car. cape air A flight cuts all that down to 30 minutes.
Parking place: Mayaguez The airport is free, so it doesn’t interfere with your trip at all. Once you land and rent a car, you can be in town in minutes.
To understand why a city of this size has its own airline lifeline, it helps to know which airlines fly it.
How Cape Air Started
cape air is one of American aviation’s greatest underdog stories, and it didn’t start anywhere near the Caribbean.
It started from 1989 When the pilot named it on the other side of the map dan wolf I started a single path between. Boston and Provincetownat the end cape cod.
The whole operation was small. We had 8 employees and several flights every day. 8,000 passengers That whole first year.
What Wolf understood was simple. Small planes could reach beautiful places that big jets couldn’t, and if service was friendly and schedules were frequent, people would fly happily.
The idea took off. Over decades, cape air It has grown to become the largest independent regional airline in the United States, with a fleet approaching. 100 aircraft There are hundreds of departures a day.
We still have our head office Hyannisto cape codAnd in the 1990s, it became an employee-owned company, a rare structure that literally gives employees a stake in every flight.
It’s garnered a cult following, including nods along the way. Condé Nast Traveler One of the best small airlines in the world.
The plane was intentionally kept small. cape air We have long specialized in short, low-altitude hops where the view out the window is the highlight, and flights that feel more like private charters than commercial trips.
Today, airlines are modernizing without losing their character. 9-seater was released Technam P2012 TravelerAnd they even ordered a fully electric vehicle. Aviation Alice You’re betting on a quieter, cleaner version of the same island hopping mission.
Where Cape Air flies
For most of my life, cape air It has become synonymous with. new englandMoves travelers to: Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard All summer long.
Now the network extends beyond that. The airline flies across the Northeast and into the Midwest, even serving several remote communities. eastern montanaIt’s a small town that without it would have no air service at all.
But my second biggest home is the Caribbean, and I’ve been flying from there ever since. 1998.
Hub included saint john and st thomas, cape air It operates over 100 flights a day throughout the region, connecting islands that are otherwise very difficult to reach.
at saint johnThose little planes spread out in all directions. They link capital to: Vieques and snakeThe two beloved islands are off Puerto Rico’s east coast and west across the main island. Mayaguez.
they run st thomas and st croix at US Virgin Islandsand tortola and choose virgin at British Virgin Islands.
And they reach down the island chain Anguilla, nevis, saint kitts And a charming little st barthEach is a short, scenic hop at the herb.
That’s the quiet magic of reservations Mayaguez. The same ticket connects you to an entire island hopping web, so even a long weekend trip off the west coast of Puerto Rico can easily take you to several Caribbean islands.
Stay a few nights MayaguezConnect via saint john to snake for a day flamenco beachor forward st croix For something completely different. This is a way to see the Caribbean that most visitors don’t even realize exists.
Explore Mayaguez
And downtown is where things like this happen: Mayaguez It starts by itself.
Known throughout the island as: Sultana of the WestThe city is one of Puerto Rico’s grand old centers, built around a classic Spanish colonial core that has aged beautifully.
The city was founded in the 18th century and is named: Mayaguez Riveron a stretch of coast christopher columbus It is said that he landed on his second voyage. Its long history is written into its streets, from the wrought-iron balconies to the statues that watch over the square.
That heart Plaza ColonPalm-shaped squares fixed with ornate decorations town hall And soaring Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria It’s across the street.
Restored after a few blocks Yagues Theater It stands as an architectural masterpiece for the city, a 100-year-old performance venue with a domed exterior that locals consider a point of civic pride.
It is also a university town, home to a renowned engineering community. University of Puerto Rico in MayaguezThis gives the city a youthful, vibrant vitality that many west coast cities lack.
But its deepest claim to fame may be in your glass. Mayaguez It is widely known as the birthplace of Puerto Rico. sangriadark red house Mayaguez Sangria It’s something that’s been pouring across the island for decades.
Pair it with a piece gypsy armsThe rolled sponge cakes the city is famous for and its food scene far exceed its size.
Where to stay in Mayaguez?
Where to stay is also very simple. that Holiday Inn Mayagüez & Tropical Casino (I found rooms on their website for about $191 per night) Centrally located near the university and about a mile from the airport, it has a pool, casino and is an easy walk to the city’s restaurants and shops.
At a close distance, TRYP by Wyndham Mayaguez It has the full spectrum of modern and hassle-free, including a gym, outdoor swimming pool and a downtown address just steps from the square.
Both places keep their nightly rates low, so weekend rates here are much cheaper than what popular destinations command.
In particular, this is a city with a casino and a few solid hotels rather than a wall of beach resorts. That’s exactly the point.
Beaches near Mayagüez
But the real magic is what surrounds it. Mayaguez It’s a gateway gate of the sunThe sun-soaked western coastline attracts surfers and beach-goers from around the world.
Here, red cape, La Parguera and Aguadilla All are easy drives, and each is a postcard of cliffs, reefs and quiet sands.
red cape Dramatic lighthouses, dazzling salt flats, and Puerto Rico’s most photographed coastline make it worth the trip alone.
and La Parguera It offers one of the island’s rare bioluminescent bays, where the water glows blue after dark.
And yes, it is. corner It’s right up the road too. You can spend the afternoon whenever you want.
It forms a kind of Puerto Rico that feels untouched by the crowds. There are no resort areas, no cruise ports. It’s just an actual city and an island that locals have kept for a long time.
Flights run daily and book up quickly with locals using them like shuttles, so the trick is to plan ahead. direct booking cape airBy pairing with a connected jet saint johnThe entire trip is clicked together into a single itinerary.
And the best part is how simple Mayaguez has become to reach. One quick flight, one short fare, and Sultana of the West The weekend is yours.
