The old-school Caribbean vibe is thick as algae at La Nasa.
Esperanza itself is only one busy street with 7 or 8 restaurants on it, and La Nasa is the bar at the end that's pumping out PR's favorite party tunes from their covered dance floor that looks over the sea. The local beer, Medalla, is $1.50. Or you can be brave and try one of the many tropical drinks listed on the board behind the bar. We got the "Biobay" for $6 each, and to me it tasted like $12 worth of booze (or at least that's was a super-boozy mix drink can cost in Chicago).
We promptly spent our savings on the horse roulette game that everyone was playing. With a limit of two dollars per bet, your money won't run away too fast, and you might as well play because this is, quite literally, the only game in town.
We were there a little early in the evening and saw a lot of people dancing the merengue. I'm guessing the dance floor only picks up as the night goes on.
My friend commented that the glorious part of the establishment was that it felt more like a family place than a bar - old and young age groups were represented on the floor and on the tables out front.
For me, this was definitely a highlight of my trip to Puerto Rico, and I plan to come back with my boyfriend soon to get on that dance floor. read more
