Puerto Rico travel article

Puerto Rico has it all! Beautiful beaches, lush tropical jungles, majestic mountains, curious caves, historical sites and incredible diving.

Author: Simon J. Swain

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Old San Juan
El Yunque Caribbean National Rainforest
The Northeast Coast
The Mountains
Rio Camuy Cave Park

The first thing that strikes you about the island of Puerto Rico, is the amazing natural beauty. It is a land that offers extreme diversity, the north's crystal clear Atlantic coast leads to dense mountain jungles. The mountains get higher as you travel towards the interior, so high that they create a natural barrier that keeps much of the precipitation on the north side of the island. This is evident as you drive through the mountains, the change in the environment is immediate; jungles give way to a dryer climate, with far less plant-life. Finally you reach the south and the incomparable Caribbean. So relax and lets travel Puerto Rico together.

Old San Juan

When discovered by Christopher Columbus in the year 1493, Puerto Rico was inhabited the Taino Indians. Soon the island was to become a critical strategic outpost for Spain’s colonial interests. Old San Juan sits on an island just off the north central Atlantic coast, a perfect site to construct a Fortress. Construction of the El Morro fortress began in 1521 and continued for decades. The fort was a huge success, proving to be a challenge that most invaders couldn’t handle; it has protected San Juan Bay for centuries. Today the fort is a National Park and can be visited for the fee of $2.00/person; it features a museum, gift-shop and a lighthouse . Perched on the edge of the Atlantic the fort is a majestic piece of history that needs to be explored. Originally all of Old San Juan was a walled city, but today little remains of the fortifications other than the fortresses. The old town itself has a distinctly European feel, and is exceptionally beautiful. If shopping is your thing you won’t be disappointed , from internationally recognized retailers to the street market by the dock, you can find it! Many items are free of sales tax too! Recommended are the walking tours of Old San Juan, but be sure to wear good shoes as the streets are steep and cobbled in many areas. Plenty of impressive architecture and intriguing statues fill the streets, not to mention plenty of places to eat. Generally the food is of good quality in Puerto Rico, yet another reason to put it as your next travel destination.

El Yunque Caribbean National Rainforest
As the only the only tropical rainforest in the U.S.National Forest System, El Yunque is lush and beautiful. Annually over 100 billion gallons of rain falls inside the park, sustaining the over three hundred species of trees, ferns, and incredible flowering plants. Not to be missed are the majestic waterfalls, and the exceptional views can be seen of the island of Puerto Rico from the Mount Britton Tower. The trails here are steep, but are of good quality, and are constructed with concrete and stone (the only way to keep the jungle from growing over them).
	The park also features a visitor’s center where you can learn its history. Primitive camping, picnicking and swimming in the natural pool formed below La Mina Falls are exciting excursions on store for you here. The park is also a bird sanctuary, and is the home of the rare Puerto Rican parrot. I was the first person in the park that day and hiked up to top where the views of the Atlantic coastal town of Luquillo, and the islands off the town of Fajardo are outstanding.

The Northeast Coast

No trip to Puerto Rico would be complete without a day at the beach, mine happened to occur on a national holiday, and I was concerned that the place would be packed. With me that day were my friends Tracey and Gregg Bair. We set out early from our hotel in San Juan to the coastal town of Fajardo; hoping to find a beach with some interesting snorkeling away from the crowds. We wandered around the area until a man came running out to the car from a marina. He asked us if we wanted a boat a travel out to one of the islands of the coast. Overcoming our initial apprehension we decided to go for it (especially after the gentleman agreed to payment upon our safe return), and we chanced into a great day. The island was located three miles off the coast and a popular site for day sailors to anchor and play. The beach was incredible, with a coral reef starting about twenty yards offshore. Having brought a lunch and all of our snorkeling gear, we were ready! The reef was in fairly good condition, and the sounds of parrotfish clicking were heard as soon as I put my head in the water. Both soft and hard corals, thousands of tropical fish, as well as the typical reef dwelling fish like sergeant majors were abundant; we spent four hours in the water, and eventually swam out to an adjacent island. The water visibility was around forty feet, and the temperature around the mid eighties. As promised our boat returned exactly on time, and we reluctantly got on board. A perfect day in Puerto Rico!

The Mountains
The central mountains of Puerto Rico feature a scenic route that winds its way east to west at elevations going over seven thousand feet. The tallest mountain is Toro Negro, and is an excellent place to witness the stark environmental difference between the north and south sides of the island. Incredible views of the tropical north contrast with the arrid but no less breathtaking scenes of the south. If you take this route be prepared for a challenging drive, endless hairpin curves keep you at an average speed of fifteen miles per hour. Although the journey is long, the payoff is remarkable. The higher mountain elevations are refreshingly cool, perfect for a sun-drenched traveler. I was amazed to see areas of the forest that had been beaten badly by Hurricane Georges in the summer of ’98, as well as the occasional horseman come trotting by bare back style.

Rio Camuy Cave Park

Working our way east we decided to travel to the Rio Camuy Cave Park, in the Borough of Arecibo. The park boasts the worlds third longest underground river, the Camuy, which over millions of years has carved out an enormous cave system. A tram transports you down a steep and winding path to the opening of Clara Cave, where you are greeted by a steady flow of cool air escaping the earth. The cave itself is massive, and is a passageway between two enormous sinkholes in the forest. You can see the river below from a sharp drop inside the cave. Our guide described the legends of the Taino Indians who sought refuge in the caves from Hurricanes or in times of war, and showed us the results of the high water as hurricane Georges slammed into Puerto Rico. While we were asked not to touch anything inside, we were encouraged to sample the spring water that trickled from the wall at the base of the sinkhole. This place is very impressive, and I would strongly recommend a visit.

As a destination Puerto Rico travel has it all, and is excellent value for a family visit.

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