Things to do outside of San Juan

The view from El Yunque National Forest

Many tourist guides, both online and in print, offer extensive advice on what to see outside the city of San Juan. Among the most popular places to visit are El Yunque National Forest, the beach-filled islands of Vieques and Culebra, and the world-famous bioluminescent bays, which are often visited by kayak. All of these are accessible for either day trips (El Yunque) or overnight or weekend trips (the outer islands and bioluminescent bays) from San Juan.

At the Arecibo Observatory

However, don’t neglect to consider other interesting and beautiful sites, including the historic city of Ponce, the Arecibo observatory, the Río Camuy caves. In addition, there are many other sites open to the public, including state parks and the facilities of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.

While a major attraction of the island is its extensive and beautiful coastline, the central cordillera, or mountain range, of the island offers spectacular views and off-the-beaten-path sites, many located along the ~170 mile long Ruta Panoramica. Traveling this route, as well as other less-traveled parts of the island, will give visitors a good idea of the great geographic and biological diversity of this island. Many travel guides can provide good, up-to-date information on how to access all these and many other sites around the island.