My new to the island perspective on getting around with technology. After 90 days of driving to new places almost daily, my conclusion: Garmin. But, all the tech's add something be it convenience or familiarity to using that media. I guess it's between a stand alone GPS or if your car has one built in, or driving via cell/computer. Note this was my first time navigating with anything other then a hard map in my life.
I was using a Garmin Nuvi late model that I bought en ebay $60 before I left, the kind that talks to you. Here's why It helped me a whole bunch, maybe one example is better to illustrate.
Twice I had to go from Boquerón to Aguadilla to renew my rent car contract from Charlie Car Rental (highly recommended for price, cars, service). Rental contracts are only good for 30 days. I rented it at the Airport and drove to Cabo so I had never been to Aguadilla but had to go back on the 30th. Aguadilla or Rincon? Chose Aguadilla because I was going that way often, was property hunting NW.
With the Garmin you voice (or manually) enter a command to "Find a Category", OK, I want "Car Rental", then it automatically does the range from your current location, closest first, Charlie's pops up in Aguadilla, away you go step by step. Aguadilla is a fairly big town and easy to get to via an exit on RT 2 but then you need to get specific. It was easy with the Garmin. And elsewhere as well, some glitches.
The official govt map from DTOP.gov is very, very good, but I looked for something like that online before i went with no success. Now, maybe I would try DTOP.gov to find one, My new amiga gave me one from
2006, but after I'd been there a month. They are similar to your State hwy maps you get from DMV. Get one. You will still need the next level however. The car rental company maps, and really all other paper ones, not so much. Google maps pretty good.
Individual addresses on Garmin were difficult depending. If they were on a significant road, not too hard. But I was often looking at stuff on back roads. So what I would do is before I left in the morning I would use my laptop to Googe Earth the specific area I was headed and then find the points of interest that would pop up--Church, School, etc, and then use Garmin "Find a Category or Find a Place" to find it and bingo, I knew I could get close to my destination and then move on from there.You can also tether Garmin to your laptop and plan your day in your kitchen without a cell connection--only needs the Bird.
I don't know if Google has this tech for your phone, if so, cool and that is really really helpful. The "turn left in 1/2 mile or 100 feet" was super. But a problem was that Garmin's data base often has certain roads with the "Honorary" name, like "Calle Juan Diego" eg, but the area where you are too often only uses the Hwy number on the signs, and not this name. But when Garmin is repeating turn left in 25 feet you know that has to be the street, and if the wrong one, it'll tell you to make a u turn and get you straight again.
Lastly other features I liked alot and that were important: aside from the screen telling me what direction I was going which can be very helpful when I was confused, and how fast I was going, was this: it'll also read what your long-lat is and you can save that as a place/waypoint for later but especially this: the elevation. That was important to me in my hunting, and you could be in an area where the general elevation was say 700' but 3 minutes later without really noticing an incline or decline in your path, you could be very significantly + or - where you just had been.
Looking forward to the day when I won't need a GPS in PR--when I know it that well.
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