No tan lines

Personally I couldn't care less one way or the other if there are naked people on any of the beaches in PR.To be honest it never entered my mind when I was there. I was more concerned with how to stop getting the local population leave tons of trash on the beaches every weekend. My wife (who is from there) says it's more of a cultural thing and people have an old fashioned attitude towards it. Whether or not that is true, I don't think it would have an impact on tourism one way or another right now if they suddenly allow it.

I would agree that while nude beaches would not make Puerto Rico the Caribbean's top destination for tourism, it would help (just like people picking up after themselves at the beach). Some places are known for their particular nude beach, like Orient Beach, in Saint Martin, for example, and it becomes an attraction in itself.

At least in eastern Puerto Rico, the Rio Grande - Luquillo - Fajardo corridor has attempted to target the high-end market (recently), and many of that target market are well traveled/ cosmopolitan types that have probably visited a topless beach or two. Cruisers also pass through on occasion, and some of them are European, so typically they have no problem with it either (US-based don't seem to either from what I see). Remember, eastern PR is the gateway to Vi/BVi and lesser Antillies.

To be honest the tourism line was just a throwing a bone to some who think there may need to be a "reason" to allow it. I just want to know what people on this forum think about it, since it is a very specific audience.

Personally, I think getting the ferries to Culebra/Vieques to run reliably and cleaning up the port-areas will do more to help tourism in the long run.

The trash thing is also a problem in Jamaica, too, where we have visited several times.  Especially after a holiday the locals will leave the beaches a total mess.  They do not have regular trash pick up which is a huge problem.  PR does have regular pickup from what I've seen.

I do agree about the ferry problem and if it were reliable, I think many more people would come.  We attempted to use the  ferry a couple of days in a row and then just couldn't deal with it possibly being late or canceled while on Culebra and chance missing our flight home.

Schuttzie wrote:

The trash thing is also a problem in Jamaica, too, where we have visited several times.  Especially after a holiday the locals will leave the beaches a total mess.  They do not have regular trash pick up which is a huge problem.  PR does have regular pickup from what I've seen.

Actually the trash pickup is one of the things that works flawlessly here on the island. Also when you have bigger items, a call to the municipality and they'll send a truck to pick it up.

Trash pickup at your residence and the picking up of litter are two different things. I know of municipalities whose only means of keeping the beaches clean are forming armies of volunteers. It's jaw dropping to see how some of the beaches are left after a weekend. Especially a holiday weekend. But you are right about regular trash pickup. They were always excellent when I lived in Moca. I just wish they could have come a little later than 4:30am. But I guess it's best to do it in the coolest part of the day. When I stop and think about it, it was probably the most reliable service I had on the island. But I've never been anywhere that I've seen as much litter thrown out of car windows.

Tourism should be the obvious focus for PR. I don't know if nude or topless beaches would enhance the draw PR should have. However, trash, poor signage and a crippling bureaucracy are definite obstacles to a successful tourist trade. I continue to be frustrated in PR's inability to do the obvious and clean up its act.

Dot, you hit the nail on the head. I agree wholeheartedly. The island has SO much potential for quality tourism which could result in great financial gains and quality of life for the people that live there. If you can look past the trash everywhere, the grafitti, and the dirty dilapidated buildings, the place is a virtual paradise. It has everything and it's raw beauty is incomparable. But corruption and apathy are so ingrained in the society that what you see for the most part (outside of the traditional tourist areas) is simply sad. I know I'll hear it from others, because there are parts of the island that are second to none in beauty and there are still areas of the island where people actually care to keep the place looking beautiful. The problem comes into play when the negative aspects overpower the positive. It's like being in business. You can have a great service and everybody loves what you do until you get a customer that is very dissatisfied then the that small negative over shadows the good, because bad news travels faster and it's difficult to overcome...

Cleaning the place would be great. It looks like many locals don't care and don't understand that a clean environment is much more attractive for tourists.
After being here for almost 13 years I must admit that I sort of got used to it. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
Nevertheless, if PR wants more tourism they got to do something and not using the slogan "Puerto Rico does it better" but by doing something about it!

I have to agree, tourism would certainly help the situation all the way around.  Then maybe they would also see that keeping up appearances and cleanliness would attract more people to the island.  The gov't should be promoting these ideas, IMHO.

It takes more than promotion from the government. It will take a huge change in the mindset of the people that actually live on the island. What you see there has become ingrained in the way of life there. I've seen it first hand. There is a mass exodus of people leaving Puerto Rico to escape the problems of the island. A lot of them move to central Florida and bring with them the very things they are trying to escape. I've only been here a little less than 2 years and have seen a lot of people from the island move here. Along with it has come a big increase in things like litter, trying to drive like they do there, loud noise and crime. Now the people that lived here before are leaving for other parts of Florida. There are some places that I go here where I can't tell the difference if I'm in PR or Florida. It's not the government that can save Puerto Rico, it's the people that are from there that have to do it. Problem is, most people don't even realize what they are doing. Also, I'm not a big fan of the Tourism dept. there. I think a lot of the other islands promote themselves much better. Got into a friendly argument with one of my daughter's gym teachers the other day. He's from PR and speaks to most of the kids in Spanish all the time. If I move to PR I'm expected by the locals to learn the language. Fair enough. But when they come here they refuse to teach their children English. So one day he was speaking Spanish to the kids waiting to be picked up from school. I mentioned to him that in the states we speak English. He then said, The first language spoken here was Spanish because of the Spaniards. I said, wrong. The first language was spoken by the native Indians before the Spaniards arrived. Then I said, furthermore the first language spoken in Puerto Rico was Taino, not Spanish. That ended the argument right there.

Tourism is easy money and should be promoted. I think that part of the issue is that the island never had to compete since it had other industries ( due to tax subsidies etc) and most of the tourism is internal. I know some hotels have attempted the traditional tourist resort model with all-inclusive style hospitality, but it became abused by (some) local people by inviting additional non paying guests (rest of family) and wasting food and drink.

I think part of the issue is economic and cultural. PR is a fairly big island and it only takes a few people to screw it up for the rest, so there is no easy solution.

However, to get back on topic: In my opinion, people tend to be better behaved (trash, music, etc) when I have been at the non official nude beaches here. I am referring to both locals and non local visitors.

Well put. It all makes very good sense. As a former resident I can concur with all you said.

PR's major tourist disadvantage is that it is too expensive, especially when it comes to hotel rooms and rental cars.

I agree. 100 minimum per night hotel (crappy rooms rate) limit the potential quantity of people that can stay here.

I always thought turning some of the foreclosed buildings here into youth hostels would be an excellent idea. It would also get some of the locals to think more outside the box.

That's a good idea. Too bad PR's property law is archaic. The inefficiencies in the law are the main reason why we see so many neglected properties, even in valuable locations like Old San Juan.

Chain/Transfer of title related?

Inheritance, for instance. The property often gets divided between so many survivors that it's often not in their individual economic interests to improve the place, so it goes to hell.

So after 17 replies and 900+ views:

Pro skin: +1
Pro cloth: -1

let us know what you really think! I promise not to tell or 'out you' on the Internet

That's what happened to my wife's Father's house. He died 15 years ago. All the heirs were willing to sign everything so the house could be sold, except for my wife's sister. She has refused to talk to anybody in years and hasn't lived in PR for a long time. So without the consent of everybody, a perfectly good house has sat there and wasted away uncared for for 15 years. And I guess it will stay like that in perpetuity. One of the family members wanted to buy it but there is no way he can. What a stupid waste.

Sorry to hear that, Gregg. It happened to some of my in-laws as well. A real waste (and the ruins become breeding grounds for mosquitos).

This is the way I feel about clothes, and I don't need to be anonymous about it. Go naked, go clothed. I really don't give a crap. But one thing I do know is there are a whole lot of people out there that I surely wouldn't want to see naked in any setting or situation. But hey, do as you like as far as I'm concerned. I got stuff to do so I won't be paying too much attention

and derelects.

Fond of Ibiza wrote:

So after 17 replies and 900+ views:

Pro skin: +1
Pro cloth: -1

let us know what you really think! I promise not to tell or 'out you' on the Internet

Personally I don't really care. I'm fine with wearing trunks on the beach and I don't feel the need to take 'm off in public. When I was in Europe I was a sauna lover and had no problems being naked there.
If people want to be without clothes on the beach, go ahead, if you want to wear something, fine with me as well. 

Yep, I really don't care either.  It certainly isn't harming anyone so no big deal.

That really is a shame about these homes sitting empty like that.  I'm sorry Gregg and Nomad that this has happened in your family.