Excursions

El Yunque - Forty-five minutes by road east of San Juan in the Luquillo Mountains and protected by the U.S. Forest Service is Puerto Rico's greatest natural attraction. Some 100 billion gallons of rain fall annually on this home to four forest types containing 240 species of tropical trees. Families can traverse one of the many trails that wind past waterfalls, vegetation, and miniature flowers while the island's colorful parrots fly overhead. You can hear the sound of Puerto Rico's mascot, the coquí (tiny frog). For more information: 787.888.1880.

Río Camuy Caves - Open air trolleys transport the visitor through actual caves down a 200 feet deep sinkhole; a chasm where tropical trees, ferns and flowers flourish. At the entrance to Clara Cave, the visitor starts by viewing the majestic rooms, rich in stalactites & stalagmites and huge sculptures built in limestone through the centuries and which seem to play with the filtered sunlight and the transparent waters. A footpath winds through the 170-foot-high cave to a deeper sinkhole and spectacular views down to the Camuy River, the third largest subterranean river in the world. The Tres Pueblos Sinkhole, all of 650 feet in diameter with a depth of 400 feet, lies in the boundaries of the municipalities of Camuy, Hatillo and Lares. The visitor can walk along two platforms; one on the Lares side facing Camuy and the other on the Hatillo side overlooking Tres Pueblos Cave and the Camuy River passing 400 feet below from one cave tunnel to another. For more information: 787.898.3100.

Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve - This 316-acre (126-hectare) nature reserve is about 45 minutes from San Juan and encompasses seven different ecological systems, including forests, mangroves, lagoons, beaches, cliffs, and offshore coral reefs. Five days a week (Wed-Sun), the park staff conducts tours in Spanish and English, the latter at 2pm only. Each tour lasts 2 1/2 hours and is conducted with electric trolleys that traverse most of the park. Tours end with a climb to the top of the still-working, 19th-century lighthouse for views over Puerto Rico's eastern coast and nearby Caribbean islands. Call to reserve space before going, as bookings are based on stringent restrictions as to the number of persons who can tour the park without damage to its landscape or ecology. For more information: 787.722.5882.

Guánica State Forest - At the opposite extreme of El Yunque's lush and wet rainforest, Guánica State Forest's climate is dry and arid, with a somewhat desert-like landscape riddled with cacti. The area, cut off from the Cordillera Central mountain range, gets little rainfall. Yet it's home to some 50% of all the island's terrestrial bird species, including the rare Puerto Rican nightjar, once thought to be extinct. The forest has 36 miles (58km) of trails through four forest types. We prefer the mile-long (1.6km) Cueva Trail, where hikers look for the endangered buffo lemur toad, another species once thought to be extinct but still jumping in this area. Within the forest, El Portal Tropical Forest Center offers 10,000 square feet of exhibition space and provides information. For further information: 787.724.3724.

Mona Island - An isle off the western coast of Puerto Rico. This fascinating island noted for its scuba-diving sites also provides hiking opportunities found nowhere else in the Caribbean. Called the "Galápagos of Puerto Rico" because of its unique wildlife, Mona Island is home to giant iguanas and three species of endangered sea turtles. Some 20 endangered animals also have been spotted here. Eco-tourists like to hike among Mona's mangrove forests, coral reefs, cliffs, and complex honeycomb of caves, ever on the alert for the diversity of both plant and animal life, including 417 plant and tree species, some of which are unique and 78 of which are rare or endangered. More than 100 bird species (two unique) have been documented. Camping is permitted and there is a nominal fee. Contact the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources for further information: 787.721.5495.