Puerto Rico plays backdrop to Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever
Wakanda Forever is released on 11 November
MATT CHARLTON - 2 November 2022
The first thing you'll notice about Puerto Rico, no matter what time of the year you go, no matter what time of the day you touch down, is the humidity. It will slap you across the face like a tropical frying pan, putting paid to any uncrumpled dignity that you’ve managed to cling on to during your (roughly) 13-hour flight. Within minutes, though, you’ll be distracted by the rainforests, the beaches, the dancing, the food, the buzz in even the most touristy of districts... and the movie locations. Puerto Rico has a unique relationship with the United States. As a US territory, it’s neither a State nor an independent country. But – and significantly for Hollywood – there is free movement between the two. This means no passports for US citizens, no working visas to apply for, and very little in the way of red tape. This translates to some serious budget savings for whenever a movie needs a South American or Caribbean location.
And Puerto Rico itself is a very versatile actor indeed. It goes fully method when asked to provide the backdrops for many tropical and subtropical settings. In the past, it has played Mexico in 22 Jump Street; Brazil in Fast Five; Bolivia in The Losers; Havana in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights; and Cuba many times in the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and Goldeneye. But its latest role is perhaps the most challenging to date: playing the fictional Wakanda in the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever. It’s not the first Marvel Studios movie to film here – in 2016, the capital San Juan doubled as Lagos, Nigeria, in Captain America: Civil War. Wrapping earlier this year, filming for Wakanda Forever took place mainly at the old Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Casino, which is thought to be posing as a royal palace in the new movie. While this hotel is unavailable to book, there are of course plenty of other options. There is the high-end party hotel of La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort – which, when I arrive, is pumping out Puerto Rico’s favourite music genre, reggaetón – or the much more sanguine and elegant Condado Vanderbilt, just down the road. This Spanish revival hotel has a private beach and beautiful cuisine... there’s even a cigar lounge if you, too, want to pretend you’re in Havana.
Once you’ve come to terms with the humidity, the next thing you’ll notice is that some parts of San Juan are to Americans what Benidorm is to some Brits. But this is only a tiny part of the city, and short and picturesque walks will take you into Old San Juan, with its colonial architecture, its hole-in-the-wall bars where reggaetón music pours out of every speaker, and its stunning fort overlooking the harbour. A sunset tour, strolling along the historic cobble- stone streets, is the best way to discover the old town, using gastronomy, history and architec- ture as a passage to discover Puerto Rican culture. And the ideal place to finish your even- ing is at La Factoria, an award-winning bar with a Berlin tumbledown aesthetic.
To absorb the alcohol fumes the following morning, treat your palate to a quirky brunch at Chocobar Cortés, an innovative gastronomic space where chocolate is incorporated into almost every dish and beverage. Start with a palate-cleansing frozen chocolate frappé. Next, try some surprisingly tasty chocolate and cheese toasties, then move on to the main event; I couldn’t get enough of the grilled chicken sandwich, with its asparagus, gouda cheese and chocolate vinaigrette. A good old snooze on one of the stunning beaches beyond town (Monserrate Beach at Luquillo is highly recommended) is called for, but the following day, it’s worth the early rise to embark on an El Yunque & Loiza tour. This will transport you deep into the rainforest at high altitudes – I took a dip in the beautiful water of the Rio Mameyes – on an easy and picturesque hike past waterfalls, caves, and dense tropical landscapes. The truly wonderful thing about this island is how it tries to steer you away from the tourist traps and towards its community and people, meaning an authentic experience is all but guaranteed. For a location which poses as other places, it isn’t half bad at being itself.
The first thing you'll notice about Puerto Rico, no matter what time of the year you go, no matter what time of the day you touch down, is the humidity. It will slap you across the face like a tropical frying pan, putting paid to any uncrumpled dignity that you’ve managed to cling on to during your (roughly) 13-hour flight. Within minutes, though, you’ll be distracted by the rainforests, the beaches, the dancing, the food, the buzz in even the most touristy of districts... and the movie locations. Puerto Rico has a unique relationship with the United States. As a US territory, it’s neither a State nor an independent country. But – and significantly for Hollywood – there is free movement between the two. This means no passports for US citizens, no working visas to apply for, and very little in the way of red tape. This translates to some serious budget savings for whenever a movie needs a South American or Caribbean location.
And Puerto Rico itself is a very versatile actor indeed. It goes fully method when asked to provide the backdrops for many tropical and subtropical settings. In the past, it has played Mexico in 22 Jump Street; Brazil in Fast Five; Bolivia in The Losers; Havana in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights; and Cuba many times in the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and Goldeneye. But its latest role is perhaps the most challenging to date: playing the fictional Wakanda in the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever. It’s not the first Marvel Studios movie to film here – in 2016, the capital San Juan doubled as Lagos, Nigeria, in Captain America: Civil War. Wrapping earlier this year, filming for Wakanda Forever took place mainly at the old Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Casino, which is thought to be posing as a royal palace in the new movie. While this hotel is unavailable to book, there are of course plenty of other options. There is the high-end party hotel of La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort – which, when I arrive, is pumping out Puerto Rico’s favourite music genre, reggaetón – or the much more sanguine and elegant Condado Vanderbilt, just down the road. This Spanish revival hotel has a private beach and beautiful cuisine... there’s even a cigar lounge if you, too, want to pretend you’re in Havana.
Once you’ve come to terms with the humidity, the next thing you’ll notice is that some parts of San Juan are to Americans what Benidorm is to some Brits. But this is only a tiny part of the city, and short and picturesque walks will take you into Old San Juan, with its colonial architecture, its hole-in-the-wall bars where reggaetón music pours out of every speaker, and its stunning fort overlooking the harbour. A sunset tour, strolling along the historic cobble- stone streets, is the best way to discover the old town, using gastronomy, history and architec- ture as a passage to discover Puerto Rican culture. And the ideal place to finish your even- ing is at La Factoria, an award-winning bar with a Berlin tumbledown aesthetic.
To absorb the alcohol fumes the following morning, treat your palate to a quirky brunch at Chocobar Cortés, an innovative gastronomic space where chocolate is incorporated into almost every dish and beverage. Start with a palate-cleansing frozen chocolate frappé. Next, try some surprisingly tasty chocolate and cheese toasties, then move on to the main event; I couldn’t get enough of the grilled chicken sandwich, with its asparagus, gouda cheese and chocolate vinaigrette. A good old snooze on one of the stunning beaches beyond town (Monserrate Beach at Luquillo is highly recommended) is called for, but the following day, it’s worth the early rise to embark on an El Yunque & Loiza tour. This will transport you deep into the rainforest at high altitudes – I took a dip in the beautiful water of the Rio Mameyes – on an easy and picturesque hike past waterfalls, caves, and dense tropical landscapes. The truly wonderful thing about this island is how it tries to steer you away from the tourist traps and towards its community and people, meaning an authentic experience is all but guaranteed. For a location which poses as other places, it isn’t half bad at being itself.
MATT CHARLTON