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Cabo Verde: Puerto Rico’s Fraternal Twin

October 9, 2023

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PR’s Fraternal twin is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.

When the sun went down suddenly in Sal, Cabo Verde at 6 PM, I was surprised. Where was I, Puerto Rico? I had to cross-reference a map to see where Puerto Rico is in relation to CV.

a map of the ocean

As you can see, they are basically a putt that breaks to the left away. Fascinated by their longitude-latitude relationship, I thought I would compare how these fraternal twins are the same but different.

Isla de Encanta And No Stress

Which theme do you prefer? There’s definitely more to love and less stress in my role as a tourist than if I were a resident of either. a yellow shirt with a smiley face on it

Reggaeton or Portuguese Something

I can’t understand the words of either.

Ocean Here or Ocean There

My beach at Rio Mar is one of the best in the world. The same can be said of the plage in CV.

rope on a beach with a boat in the distance — CV

a beach with chairs and rope and a straw umbrella — CV: There are kitesurfers in both.

a beach with palm trees and a chair — PR

Hotel

Rio Mar includes the Grand Wyndham Hotel. Both are nice resorts, but the service at the Hilton CV is a world away. a palm tree with flags in the wind

a building with palm trees and sand — Wyndham

Lousy service aside, we have a slide: a pool with a slide and plants

Food

The food in Puerto Rico is a tragedy. Everything is fried.

a roasted pig on a metal pole — The novelty of the pig has worn off.

a large cooked pig on a metal table — Still a cool presentation.

The food in CV is the opposite. It’s all fresh and it’s not overpriced.

a plate of food on a table a bowl of rice and vegetables

a bowl of soup with meat and noodles and chopsticks — And CV has pho.

Old Town

It is unfair to compare Old San Juan to Santa Maria, Cabo Verde. Old San Juan is the most beautiful city in the United States (see House Hunters Puerto Rico: Old San Juan) and is much bigger and much more developed. Santa Maria is essentially one street.

a street with buildings and a street light a brick road with a red and white flag painted on it

a brick road with palm trees and buildings — Santa Maria by day.

a brick road with trees and plants on it — Santa Maria by night.

Nightlife

If you’re a tourist looking for a drink, there are bars in both PR and CV. Cuidado: Do not go to Cabo Verde for the nightlife. And as hyped up as Puerto Rico is for its party scene, I offer the same advice.

a crowd of people outside at night — Tourists are always told to go to La Placita, PR: It’s nothing more than a bunch of teenagers drinking Medalla.

a green couch in a room with lights — San Juan clubs are busier than this hip-hop spot in CV.

Day Drinking

I would much rather listen to Bob Marley’s hits in CV than Jimmy Buffett’s shit in PR.

a building with a sign on the side of it two glasses of colorful drinks

a pool with palm trees and buildings — 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar a golf cart drive away from my villa.

two glasses with colorful drinks on a counter — Who wins for presentation?

Beer

Medalla ‘medal’ wins over CV’s strela ‘star’ (see Puerto Rico’s Own Medalla: The Best Light Beer in the World?). a brown bottle with gold label on a table

Piña Colada

PR invented the piña colada (see The Original Piña Colada Comes From a Slushy Machine?). It is always nice to compare how it is prepared across the globe.

a glass with a drink in it — CV: I prefer it fresh, not frozen.

Golf

There was an ad for a 9-hole golf course. I did not play. Given my experience in Tahiti (see Golf in Tahiti? Not in This Town), I am hesitant to try out courses where golf courses are built solely for tourists. And why pay for golf on the road when I have this at home?

a golf course with palm trees and a flag