When visiting Puerto Rico, take a culinary road trip to Guavate, a town dedicating itself to all things pork. It’s a place where the art of cooking traditional Lechon Asado is king and where one can experience an authentic Puerto Rican culinary and cultural adventure.

What is Lechon?

Lechon is a whole seasoned pig, roasted on a spit, over an open fire. Crispy skin, well-seasoned, and brown. Smoky meat, moist and juicy. Is your mouth watering yet?

Where is Guavate?

The barrio of Guavate, in the east-central hills of Puerto Rico. The road through Guavate is nicknamed the Pork Highway because of the dozens of roadside barbecue stands along the road cooking whole pigs over an open fire.

How to Get to Guavate

Getting to Guavate is part of the adventure. Route 184 winds through the verdant Sierra De Cayey Mountains.The journey? Snake-like roads, barely wide enough for two cars, sharp bends, steep-sided valleys, and densely blanketed jungle foliage.

Better known as the Pork Highway, or La Routa de Cerdo dozens of roadside stands along the road cook whole pigs over an open fire. The smell of roasting pork, the sounds of pounding salsa music, and the vision of couples dancing in the street will let you know when you arrive. It’s a culinary and cultural destination like no other.

Restaurants in Guavate

Golden Lechon, proudly on display in the front windows of the lechoneras, beckons long lines of hungry customers waiting their turn to be served. Lechonera Los Pinos, just one of the many open-air eateries, with its tin roof and cafeteria-style service is my favorite.

What to Eat in Guavate

The carver swings down his machete, cutting the Lechon with strong, swift movements. Hypnotized – chop, chop, chop, you wait your turn. There’s no menu. There’s an assortment of delectable side dishes on display behind the glass counter: yucca in garlic sauce, arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), tostones de platanos (fried green plantains), morcilla (blood sausage), and longaniza (pork sausage) – served picnic style, on paper plates and with plastic utensils – all very reasonably priced at $8-$10 a plate.

I munch on a crispy piece of skin, the best part. Several couples jumped up to dance salsa. This place does not disappoint. I ate and ate some more. It was just so good. Go on a Saturday or Sunday to get the full experience. If you don’t have a car, there are tours that will take you to Guavate. Tradition, culture, family, and food. It’s what Puerto Rico is all about.

Read more about my next adventure in Old San Juan.

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When visiting Puerto Rico, take a culinary road trip to the legendary town of Guavate. Dedicating itself to all things pork, it’s where you’ll discover the best lechon in Puerto Rico and experience true Puerto Rican culture at its best.

What is Lechon?

Crispy skin, well-seasoned and brown. Smoky meat, moist and juicy. Is your mouth watering yet? Did I forget to mention that lechon is a delectable whole seasoned pig, roasted on a spit over an open fire?

How to get to Guavate

Less than an hour from San Juan, getting to Guavate is part of the adventure. Route 184 winds through the verdant Sierra De Cayey Mountains. The journey? Snake-like roads, barely wide enough for two cars, sharp bends, steep-sided valleys, and densely blanketed jungle foliage.

If you’re not comfortable driving to Guavate, these tours will take you there in combination with other fascinating sites on the island.

Dozens of restaurants make up the 3-mile route 736 known as the Pork Highway or La Routa de Cerdo. The smokiness of roasting pigs, the festive atmosphere, and the beat of salsa music let you know you’re in Guavate. 

When to Visit Guavate

Any time of year is a great time to visit and the weekends are when you get the full experience. It’s the Christmas season, however, when the atmosphere gets kicked up a notch, and for many locals it’s the traditional time to visit with restaurants extending their hours to accommodate the increased amount of visitors.

Guavate is a town where locals and tourists alike come to enjoy the day for a traditional meal, a bit of souvenir shopping, and lively music, with dancing, similar to a festive block party. Open-air gazebos alongside a cooling stream are perfect for relaxing with a pina colada.

Where to eat in Guavate

Golden Lechon, proudly on display in the front windows of the lechoneras, beckons long lines of hungry customers waiting their turn to be served. Lechonera Los Pinos – one of the many open-air eateries – with its tin roof and cafeteria-style service – is my favorite.

 You wait for your turn on the line to order your food. You watch, hypnotized by the sound of the carver as he chops the lechon. Here, the carver swings down his machete, cutting the Lechon with strong, swift movements.

Watch this video as the carver chops Lechon.

What to Eat in Guavate

There’s no menu. Aside from lechon, which is why you’re here, isn’t it, there is an assortment of delectable side dishes, on display behind the glass counter: yucca in garlic sauce, arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), tostones de platanos (fried green plantains), morcilla (blood sausage) and longaniza (pork sausage) – served picnic style, on paper plates and with plastic utensils – all very reasonably priced at $8-$10 a plate.

I munch on a crispy piece of skin, the best part. Several couples jumped up to dance salsa. This place does not disappoint. I ate and ate some more. So good. Go on a Saturday or Sunday to get the full experience. It’s not just a place to eat, it’s a cultural experience. Tradition, culture, family, and food. It’s what Puerto Rico is all about.

Discover Old San Juan and join me on my next adventure.

Lechonera Los Pinos, Km. 27.7, PR-184, Cayey, 00735
Carrer 184, Puerto Rico

What to Buy for Your Vacation

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Looking for more things to do in Puerto Rico?

A Mixology class at the Bacardi Factory is a fun unique way to spend the day.

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Traditional foods are part of a country’s heritage and are strongly rooted in the history and culture of the country you’re visiting. All I ask is that when you are visiting Puerto Rico you taste the local food.

I don’t want to hear that you ate at Senor Frogs, Morton’s Steakhouse, or the Cheesecake Factory. Find that local roadside stand, the beachfront hut, or the restaurant with a grandma cooking at the stove down that side road. You’ll not only get a taste of the food but the culture as well.  It’s time to eat like a local in Puerto Rico!

What Foods to Eat in Puerto Rico?

Mofongo

Mofongo is Puerto Rico’s signature dish and if you eat only one local food, this is the one to try.  It starts out with fried green plantains mashed in a wooden pilon, which is like a mortar and pestle. It’s oftentimes shaped like a bowl and filled with pork, steak, chicken, or seafood and covered in garlic and olive oil, or a criollo (red) sauce. Some places will serve it as a side dish without the protein.  It is also common in Puerto Rico to make mofongo with cassava (mofongo de yuca), taro, and eddoe (mofongo de malanga y yautía), breadfruit (mofongo de pana), or a combination of cassava, ripe and green plantains (trifongo).  I’ve tried them all and each delicious and have their own unique flavor.

Arepas

The arepa is a round, puffed dough (some places make it like a small donut without the hole, while others remind me of an Asian bao or steamed bun), which can be grilled, baked, fried, or steamed and stuffed or topped with pork, beef, or fish.  Arepas are one of my favorite foods in Puerto Rico and can be found in high-end restaurants as well as at roadside stands and beach-front vendors.

Arroz con Gandules

Rice with pigeon peas (gandules) is a common side dish in many restaurants.  It’s flavorful and healthy. These here are pictured with crispy-skinned Lechon.

Lechon

Whole roasted pig or lechon is a traditional holiday food in Puerto Rico but it doesn’t have to be a holiday for you to try it.  There’s an entire town, Guavate, dedicated to cooking and serving this juicy and succulent meal all year-round. On the weekends, it’s a favorite place for locals to go to grab a meal, have a drink, and dance some salsa.  Take a ride along “pork highway” as it’s called and join the party.

Chillo Frito

Whole fried snapper is a must-try if you’re a fish lover.  The meat is moist and tender on the inside and the crunchy skin on the outside is very flavorful. This is one of my favorites.

Tostones

Thickly sliced fried green plantains called tostones are wildly popular in both restaurants and as street food.  These crispy fried plantains, (a very firm banana) are either served as a side dish or as an appetizer.

Jueye

Land crab or jueye is prepared in a variety of ways on the island, but the most popular is salmorejo, which is a rich stew made with crab, tomato, garlic, onion, and peppers.

Pinonos

Pinonos consist of ground beef and seasonings and have fried plantains wrapped around the meat.  It’s a sweet and savory combination and while it is very filling, it’s flavorful and tasty.

Alcapurrias

Alcapurrias are one of the many dishes served at kiosk stands or at street-side stands.  It consists of dough surrounding ground beef and deep-fried in oil. The dough is generally green bananas (guineo) or grated cassava.

Pinchos

Pinchos is Spanish for spikes.  Found on roadside stands this Puerto Rican fast food is basically shish-kebob or meat on a stick.  Pork, chicken, and shrimp are often sold on skewers.

 Bacalaito

Bacalaítos are salt cod pancake-like fritters.  Delicious.  I found this one being fried in a beach-side stand in Manati.

Pastelillo

This flaky pastry is baked or fried and packed with your favorite filling, from meat to chicken to fish. Enjoy it as an appetizer or a main dish. The smaller version of this snack is often called an empanadilla.

Tembleque

A popular dessert on the island is tembleque, which is a coconut custard dusted with cinnamon that makes for a tasty and light treat.

Limber

The first time I was in San Juan and looking for Limber I was directed to a nondescript building and told to walk into a barren lobby.  Skeptical and a bit afraid, I put my big girl pants on and walked inside.  A relief, I spotted the words Limber scribbled on a whiteboard, and a woman who looks like your nanna, tells you the day’s flavors in Spanish. Lemon, tamarind, mango, she said in half English, half Spanish.  With a plastic cup in hand, I sampled this frozen treat consisting of sugar and fruit.  It hasn’t changed in 40 years and is perfect on a hot day, or any day for that matter.

The icy treat got its unusual name in honor of Charles A. Lindbergh, the first pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. When Lindbergh flew alone to Puerto Rico in 1928, he was offered a frozen fruit juice. He enjoyed it and since then the locals started freezing the juice and called it Limber in honor of the man who inspired this much loved frozen treat.

Caribbean Lobster

Steamed or stuffed, lobster is never bad and in Puerto Rico they are huge.  Did you know that Caribbean lobsters don’t have claws?

Fruits

Mangos, starfruit, pineapple, and breadfruit are all found in abundance on the island.  Don’t forget to try some fresh fruit which can be found in abundance on roadside stands.

Rum

When in Puerto Rico you have to try the rum.  Whether it’s Bacardi, Don Q, or Ron del Barrelito, in a  mojito, rum punch, piña colada, or just straight on the rocks.  It’s always refreshing and rum, of course, is the drink of choice of the locals.

Now you know how to eat like a local

in Puerto Rico.

What are your favorite local foods?  Drop me a note and share with me your favorite Puerto Rican foods and drinks.

Read below about where to go for the best Lechon in Puerto Rico.

Where to go for Lechon in Puerto Rico

http://puertoricotourism.com

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For those in Puerto Rico the holidays mean indulging in the traditional meal of lechon asado or roasted pig. But travelers don’t have to wait for a holiday to enjoy lechon and celebrate with family and friends. Just head to Guavate, a town dedicated to all things pork. It’s a destination where culture, tradition, and great food come together.

Whenever I get a chance to spend some time in Puerto Rico, lechon is one of the foods I crave and Guavate is where I go. It’s a bit off the beaten path but well worth the trip.

How to get to Guavate

The barrio of Guavate, in the east-central hills of Puerto Rico and getting to Guavate is part of the adventure. Route 184 goes through the verdant Sierra De Cayey Mountains.

The snake-like hills and pencil-thin roads are oftentimes barely wide enough for two cars. The lush jungle opens just enough to reveal teasing glimpses of lush Ronnie Coleman Steroid valleys below and verdant mountain peaks above. A few horses lazily graze close to the byway and on occasion, a lone house pops up around a hairpin turn.

What you will find in Guavate

Better known as Pork Highway, the GPS wasn’t needed to tell us when we reached our destination. Pounding music, the smoky smell of roasting pigs, and lechoneras, one after another, line the road proudly displaying lechon in their front windows.

Abundant signs for pina coladas and cervesas beckon all who pass for something cool to drink. Children pull at the sleeves of their parents in hopes of getting them to buy souvenirs and trinkets at the myriad of shops. There’s traffic, yes traffic. It comes to a stop as everyone searches for a place to park and we were directed to park in a lot for a $5 fee.

Lechon in Guavate

We wondered which establishment had the tastiest, most succulent lechon and made our decision quickly. A long line of hungry customers caught our eye at an open-air eatery with a tin roof. They waiting their turn to be served at Lechonera Los Pinos.

We joined in the line to wait, mesmerized by the carver swinging down his machete in quick succession, chop, chop, chop, as he cut up the lechon. Did I forget to mention, they roast whole seasoned pigs on a spit over an open fire?

With no menu, we selected an assortment of delectable dishes all on display in steam trays behind the glass counter; Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), yucca, tostones de platanos (fried green plantains), morcilla (blood sausage), longaniza (pork sausage), and morcilla (blood sausage). It’s all served on picnic fare, paper plates and plastic utensils, at approximately $8-$10 a plate.

The lechon, with its crispy skin was well-seasoned and brown and the meat, smoky, moist, and juicy. Is your mouth watering yet? The side dishes were the best I had anywhere on the island.

Tradition is alive and well in Guavate. A live band started playing salsa music and a dozen couples jumped up to dance. Guavate isn’t just a place to eat, it’s a place where locals and visitors experience authentic Puerto Rican culture together.

When to Visit Guavate

Go on a Saturday or Sunday to get the full experience and get there before noon to avoid massive crowds. If you don’t have a car check out these tours that will take you to Guavate.

Lechonera Los Pinos
Carrer 184, Puerto Rico
(About 1 hour from Old San Juan)

Be sure to join me on my next adventure to Old San Juan.

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