INN STYLE

Escape to the outskirts and book a room in a family-owned parador.

Scattered throughout the island-away from the action of San Juan-paradores provide a true taste of Puerto Rican life.

BY JOANNE CURCIO-QUINONES

If you really want to soak in the culture and live like a local on your trip, start off by staying where Puerto Ricans stay when they vacation on the island: one of the island's charming inns, called paradores. Th ese family-owned country hotels tend to be less expensive than the big-name resorts in the tourist districts, and they off er guests a taste of bona fide Puerto Rican rural life and Latin hospitality. (There's a reason the majority of guests are typically puertorriqueños on trips of their own.)

There are currently 20 of these lodges that are designated by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, tucked away in small towns, far from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan San Juan. Some are in the mountains, others are near the coast, a few are right on the beach, but most are sprinkled just inland of the western coastal region known as Porta del Sol.

The only thing that paradores have in common is that the owners/operators live on the properties, which all have 85 or fewer rooms. Amenities vary from sparse to on-property gourmet restaurants, but for the most part, the greatest luxury they offer is an alternative to the ordinary and an off -the-beaten-path experience. Each has its own feel and character, from a next-to-nature mountaintop eco-retreat to a simple seaside haven for beach lovers.

If you don't want to give up resort-style luxury, try Bahía Salinas (www.bahiasalinas.com; 787-254-1213) in the southwest beach town of Cabo Rojo. Th e hacienda-style inn boasts a spa, and its restaurant won Puerto Rico Tourism Company's award for best restaurant at a parador.

"It was a really refreshing change from staying in the city. I loved the authentic ambience, the food, and the fact that I was able to get up in the morning and sit down to a cup of fresh-brewed Puerto Rican coff ee with the inn's owners," says Denver mortgage banker Syrma Quiñones of her recent stay. "It was quiet, relaxing, with no crowds and I really felt like I got an authentic taste of Puerto Rico."

Bahía Salinas' owner Miguel Rosado says the property underwent a major renovation a few years ago to attract more stateside and European customers. Since the upgrade, 40% of the guests are out-of-towners, which is comparatively high for a parador; most have about 20% of their guests from outside of Puerto Rico.

Outdoor enthusiasts will find a little piece of heaven at Parador Villas Sotomayer (www.paradorvillassotomayor.com; 787-829-1717) in the central town of Adjuntas. This property distinguishes itself as an ecotourism destination with its lush surrounding vegetations and abundance of wildlife.

Another outdoorsy parador is Hacienda Juanita (www.haciendajuanita.com; 787-838-2550), a 21-room former coff ee plantation perched in majestic mountains, 1,600 feet above sea level. Th e 19th-century décor consists of beautifully restored furniture, including antique pillar beds, and the parador's surrounding trails are ideal for nature walks.

Th e oceanside Parador Villas del Mar Hau (www.hauhotelvillas.com; 787-872-2627) in Isabela may be the most picturesque of the island inns. Its colorful and cozy beachfront cabins are popular with beach bums and water-sports enthusiasts who want to be just steps away from snorkeling, swimming and kayaking opportunities.

If you want a little bit of glitz, Parador Boquemar (www.boquemar.com; 787-851-2158) is within walking distance of the lively beach and smack in the middle of the nightlife-rich Boquerón village area. Villa Parguera (www.villaparguera.net; 787-899-7777) also has an active nightlife scene. Plus, it's just a short distance from one of the island's top attractions-a bioluminescent bay, where tiny microorganisms flash with neon color when the water is disturbed.

If you have a yen for neon lights and love being smack in the middle of everything, surrounded by world-class dining and nightlife, then San Juan may be perfect for you. But if losing your cell phone signal and savoring the simple life of Puerto Rico is what you long for, perhaps a parador is your ticket to the authentic island escape of your dreams.

For more information, visit www.gotoparadores.com

Rooms with a View

You don't have to trot off to a countryside parador for a unique Puerto Rico stay. As you step through the ornate iron gates of The Gallery Inn (www.thegalleryinn.com; 787-722-1808) and into the welcome garden, a massive blue hyacinth macaw and salmon-crested moluccan cockatoo named Campeche are among the five rare birds that greet you.

Tens of thousands of works of art adorn the floors, walls, ceilings and table-tops of this awe-inspiring 18th-century compound spread among six historic Spanish townhouses overlooking the sea and cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. Since 1961, the owners-artist Jan D'Esopo and her husband, Manuco- have been lovingly restoring and decorating the property, a cross between a guesthouse and a museum. It's become a haven for artists, musicians, newlyweds, celebrity guests and politicians, including Barack and Michelle Obama.

In addition to high-beamed ceilings and European-style archways reminiscent of a medieval castle, other features include a classical music room fitted with an antique Steinway grand piano, six art studios and a sculpture swimming pool that meanders through ancient brick-wall ruins.