Last Updated on May 18, 2020 by PowersToTravel
In May of 2018 we purchased a large condo in Isabela, at Haudimar Beach Apartments near Jobos Beach. Here’s a link to its current status with lots of pictures We flew down Dec 17, 2018, and intend to stay until the first week of May. It’s looking really good now, and we’re finally getting out and about to enjoy the area (vs caulking, painting, repairing, remodeling.)
My friends have some interesting opinions about what it is like to be in Puerto Rico, probably derived from one particular news clip or another. The murder rate is up, in San Juan. Many people are still struggling to recover from the hurricane. The Army Corp of Engineers is still repairing our reservoir’s dam. Unemployment is high. Someone told me yesterday the median income is only about $18,000.
Our view of the island is somewhat localized, as we have been very focused on renovations: going to tile stores, furniture stores, big box stores, local hardware stores, and meeting local tradesmen. You could say we’ve done our bit to support the local economy!
We do live in a bit of a bubble, as the northwest corner of Puerto Rico is very much unlike the San Juan area, which most tourists visit. Our town of Isabela is mostly locals, with tiny shops, narrow roads, grocery stores and farms. No marina, no square-dancing meet-ups, little ex-pat activity. Lack of employment everywhere in Puerto Rico is one of the biggest problems, however out here in the northwest we have a mini-technology sector: Pratt and Whitney, Hewlett-Packard and Honeywell have manufacturing plants and engineering centers in Isabela and Aguadilla. The places look huge and their parking lots are full.
Should I speak English or try my Spanish?
Many people speak English; there are others who do not. You just never know. It does seem as if each store has at least one English-speaking person to help you out. This is amusing to me because I can at times carry on an entire conversation in Spanish. It’s embarrassing to admit I had five years of high-school and college Spanish and yet many other times I am at a total loss at what to say.
I walk into a store, armed with some pre-prepared vocabulary. “Necesitamos lechada blanc sin arena” (“We need white unsanded grout.”) I told you we were in a bit of a bubble here – focusing only on home renovations! Sometimes I actually get to say the words I’ve prepared, other times the cashier or attendant just looks at me, with my pale New England skin, smiles, and says, “Can I help you?”
You just never know. Near San Juan we had to order a Corian double sink vanity top and I had to do it all in Spanish. That was stressful, especially with the amount of money invested in the purchase. Then we went to a car wash (which is just a tent or a cinder block stall here) ready to do my best in Spanish for “My father is allergic to dogs and we must have the entire vehicle including the ceiling vacuumed.”) I had just started the father and dogs bit, and the guy smiled and said, “I understand – we’ll get the car very clean!” in excellent English. (We can certainly recommend the DM Carwash, opposite the Sears store on Rt 2 !)
The Beaches of Isabela
While the town of Isabela perches atop a cliff, you descend the road and suddenly you are driving along miles and miles of unspoiled beaches. The biggest draw in the area is Jobos Beach, a world famous surfing beach, and it has a small and local vibe, the road going by is barely wide enough for two cars. The parking lots are local businesses and residents who are making money parking cars in their front yards. There are a number of restaurants, maybe eight or ten.
Jobos Beach on a windy winter day
Jobos Beach on a calm winter day
Jobos Beach on another calm day as spring is in the air
There are several condo complexes along the six mile stretch from Isabela town center: from the largest complex, Isabela Beach Court, which is directly below the town, all the way to the Montana Beach Resort west of Shack’s Beach in the very west of town, tucked until the cliffs below Aguadilla.
Haudimar Beach Apartments
We live in Haudimar Beach Apartments, which is located about a half-mile west of Jobos Beach.
Today I walked along our beach heading west towards Shack’s Beach and passed only two other groups of people on the beach. There is no trash on the beach. Either people are tidy here, or there are concerned residents who keep the area tidy. The waves are strong and crash against the sand. One doesn’t swim here at the beach in front of Haudimar – there are submerged volcanic rocks just at low tide, and rip currents, I’ve been told. But there are plenty of other beaches around to swim at, and I do enjoy walking beaches, and the waves are magnificent.
Food
Right above our condo complex is the Jobos Food Stop, a parking lot surrounded by six or eight food trucks. We’re trying to be economical, and cook our own meals, and eat our leftovers, but knowing Joy’s Pizza Truck and Pinchoteo’s are just a short walk away makes for a very tempting situation. A lot of the Puerto Rican food is fried, and plantain-based. While I have enjoyed empanadillas, by the end of the meal, the fried content is just overwhelming.
Pinchos are for me the ultimate Puerto Rican treat – basically chicken kebabs right off the grill, with sauces and french fries. Each skewer has about five big chunks of meat. We buy two skewers each, and fries, for only thirteen dollars total and then save half for the next day.
Greg, hungry after a long day working, waiting for his pinchos
Our beachfront condo grabs the sea breezes. With temps in the mid eighties during the day, and low seventies at night, humidity around 65%, and a constant fresh breeze, this place is the closest thing to paradise.
Check out our videos about our winter renovations and entertainment:
Extraordinary Beachfront Luxury Penthouse – the inside scoop, Part 1
Extraordinary Beachfront Luxury Penthouse – the inside scoop, Part 2
