You can stop off at Area Recreativa Guavate at the northern end of the Bosque Estatal de Carite for a spot of sunbathing and birdwatching. It also has camping room for six tents and 30 people (reserve in advance with San Juan's DRNA).
When the wilderness begins to tire you, gravitate to Guavate's nearby lechoneras (eateries specializing in suckling pig) less than a mile down at the forest's northern entrance for a feast of roast pork.
22.23 MILES
El Yunque National Forest is one of Puerto Rico’s crown jewels with nearly 29,000 acres of lush, mountainous terrain scattered with waterfalls, rushing…
24.02 MILES
A star of Old San Juan, brooding El Morro sits atop a headland, deterring would-be attackers. The 140ft walls (some up to 15ft thick) date to 1539 and it…
23.69 MILES
The city's second major fort is one of the largest Spanish-built military installations in the Americas. In its prime, it covered 27 acres with a maze of…
23.76 MILES
This museum presents an impressive overview of cultural development in the Americas, including indigenous, African and European influences. Four permanent…
23.56 MILES
This sheltered arc's raked sand, decent surf breaks, local action and a 17th-century Spanish fort shimmering in the distance are the hallmarks of what's…
14.47 MILES
The St Christopher canyon is so unexpected – both in location and appearance – that it takes many a breath away. The deep green chasm seemingly drops out…
22.25 MILES
San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s…
22.21 MILES
With countless tanned bodies lounging or flexing their biceps around the volleyball net, this urban beach basks in its reputation as the Copacabana of…
1.9 MILES
Bosque Estatal de Carite is a forest reserve located less than an hour's drive south of San Juan. It's most famous for the dozens of lechoneras …
2. Area Recreativa Charco Azul
3.49 MILES
This is a great stop for a picnic if you're passing through the forest, and you can stroll to the Charco Azul natural pool via the appropriately named…
3. Area Recreativa Real Patillas
3.65 MILES
A potential stopping place on Hwy 184 in the southern half of Bosque Estatal de Carite with the standard facilities of areas recreativas (recreational…
4. Jardín Botánico y Cultural de Caguas
7.93 MILES
While making a beeline for botanical gardens when there are flora-rich mountains beckoning might seem counterintuitive, this verdant area on a meander of…
7.94 MILES
Puerto Rico's tobacco industry might be outshone by Cuba's, but the island produced plenty of its own tobacco back in the day, which was then often…
8.02 MILES
This museum, pleasant for a serendipitous stop, focuses on contemporary art. Most notable is the work by Carlos Osorio, an artist behind the establishment…
7. Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas
8.05 MILES
On the west side of Calle Luis Padial, spreading along a grand walkway replete with fountains and sculptures, the former premises of the General Cigar…
9.89 MILES
On the northern side of the plaza, this museum was built as a criollo-style town house in 1887 to house the wealthy Cautiño family, who profited from cane…