Share this page on

Explore Puerto Rico's abundance of ecosystems, from a lush rain forest to beautiful underwater reefs.

BY GREG BREINING

Speeding through the jungle on a zip line, rappelling straight down a 200-foot cliff , floating on your back down an underground river and leaping off 10-foot waterfalls in near total darkness-these adrenaline-pumping activities aren't exactly what you think of doing on a tropical isle. But that's what you get when you explore the wild side of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is best known for the lovely old city of San Juan and magnificent beaches that offer sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. But there's more to the island than that. Despite its large population (nearly 4 million on an island half the size of Massachusetts), Puerto Rico still has plenty of natural places worth exploring.

A case in point: Angel's Cave, excavated by the Río Camuy, which disappears beneath abrupt limestone hills and flows through echoing caverns, tight passages, and subterranean rapids and falls in cave-riddled western Puerto Rico. Adventurers booking a trip with Aventuras Tierra Adentro (www.aventuraspr.com) will ride a zip line to the lip of a giant sinkhole that breaches the cave system before rappelling 250 feet to the bottom. Then, you'll spend hours wading through the Río Camuy Caves, exploring its giant chambers, leaping off waterfalls and, for a finale, bobbing down the river canyon in darkness.

Puerto Rico has aboveground wild lands as well. One of the most popular areas on the island is El Yunque National Forest, named aft er a Taíno Indian spirit whose name means cloud forest. On holidays and weekends, locals drive into the foothills of eastern Puerto Rico to hike and splash in roadside streams, such as La Mina Falls, fed by up to 200 inches of rain a year. While that is the El Yunque most islanders know, to discover another, follow the 6-mile the 6-mile Tradewinds National Recreation Trail into the 10,000-acre El Toro Wilderness area. You can search for coquís-the beloved island tree frog-in the water collected on bromeliads, or scan the skies for the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. One thing you're unlikely to see is other hikers. The Tradewinds is rugged and slippery, and occasionally closed because of storm damage, while other nearby forest trails are surfaced and more heavily traveled. If you want to make the most of your foray into the wilderness and spend the night, you'll need to arrange for a camping permit.

While the eastern mountains catch the rain from the tradewinds, the island's southwest, in the rain shadow, catches nothing but sunshine. Guánica Dry Forest Reserve is a complete contrast to El Yunque, with its blooming prickly pears and agaves, scrubby dwarf mahogany, and gnarly guayacán trees. The 10,000-acre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of the best-preserved examples of dry forest in the Caribbean, is inhabited by more than 600 uncommon species of plants and animals, including several endemic bird species that have adapted to the parched environment. Several trails wind through Guánica; before you set out, grab a hat, sunscreen and water.

For a wild experience in yet another kind of forest, drive to La Parguera, a fishing village overlooking the southwest coast. There, you can rent a kayak and paddle among the mangroves of La Parguera Nature Reserve (or, farther west, Boquerón State Forest). Paddle beyond the colorful houseboats moored near town and disappear down a tunnel through over-arching trees known as the Channels, a waterway that, according to legend, may have been cut to smuggle booze during Prohibition or secretly ship supplies during World War II. Continue for miles past solid walls of mangroves; their tendrils shelter schooling glass minnows, foraging snappers and lurking barracuda-along with larger creatures such as grazing manatees and sea turtles.

The mangrove banks and crystal-clear flats of rippling turtle grass also off er great fly-fishing, which can be arranged through Light Tackle Adventure (www.lighttackleadventure.8k.com). In 2007, Francisco Rosario, a fishing guide in western Puerto Rico, led a client who caught a tarpon that measured 78 inches and 48 inches around, and weighed an estimated 225 pounds. It was released, but had it not been, it would have broken the world flyrod record. That's an incredible fish, but not a complete surprise in Puerto Rico, which is generally known for having big tarpon. Many people fish for them in the lagoons near San Juan, but they are also found among other flats, cays and man-groves on the main island, as well as those in Vieques and Culebra. These waters also hold bonefish and permit on the flats, as well as barracuda and various species of snappers in the mangroves.

While the outlying island of Culebra off ers good fishing, it's most renowned for its snorkeling and diving. What's not to love about this place? It has a laidback atmosphere, with casual seaside bars and restaurants. Just $2.25 buys a one-way ferry ticket from the main island. From the landing in Dewey, the only town, hop aboard a bus for $2 to Flamenco Beach, which is one of the most popular gathering and party spots on the island. A 25-minute walk puts you on always-empty Carlos Rosario Beach, where you'll spot a wild array of coral, sea fans and reef fish. The certified dive masters at Culebra Divers (www.culebradivers.com) off er snorkeling trips, scuba classes-even underwater photography workshops.

From going on an underwater adventure to exploring forests alive with flora and fauna, Puerto Rico is one island where you can embrace your wild side.

Secret Hideaway

With no electricity or running water, Mona Island is a true nature-lover's paradise.

To really get away from it all, book passage to Mona Island, a scrap of limestone 7 miles long, some 45 miles off Puerto Rico's western coast. Often compared to the Galápagos Islands, Mona is home to extraordinary wildlife: Giant endangered Mona iguanas sun themselves along 200-foot-high cliffs, while red-footed boobies, and hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles patrol the beaches. Humpback whales and their calves visit in winter. Signs of earlier human visitors are Taíno Indian petroglyphs, a historic lighthouse, and long-forgotten cabins, stone walls and graves. Only 100 people at a time are allowed on the island, and no one lives here except a few biologists and rangers of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. But those who make the effort to visit are rewarded with extraordinary snorkeling, sea kayaking and caving.

• Different Spokes

  WHETHER YOU PREFER A FEW BUMPS IN THE ROAD OR JUST LIKE TO CRUISE, HERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT PLACES TO GO FOR A BIKE RIDE.
  read more ›
  
  

• The 18 Most Addictive Golf Holes

  Golf holes come in all shapes and sizes. They can also inspire many feelings. Some are loved, some are admired and others just get under your skin. While they are typically rated in terms of beauty or difficulty, there’s another category that’s equally potent yet much harder to quantify: addictiveness.
  read more ›
  
  

• Winter Activities

  Just like March temperatures fluctuate between lion and lamb, the same travel adventure can be either merciless or mellow. Choose yours accordingly.
  read more ›
  
  

• Lord of the Rinks

  SEE HOW SOME OF THE MOST BELOVED PUBLIC ICE-SKATING RINKS MEASURE UP.
  read more ›
  
  

• Early Birds

  Since the 1960s, wild parrots have been living in Brooklyn.
  read more ›
  
  

• INDEX SEPTEMBER

  
  read more ›
  
  

• Starting from Scratch

  A DANCE MUSIC FAN ENJOYS NEW YORK CITY NIGHTLIFE FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE: BEHIND THE TURNTABLES.
  read more ›
  
  

• 43 Amazing Adventures

  LOOKING FOR SOME ACTION? HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST WAYS TO GET YOUR ADRENALINE PUMPING.
  read more ›
  
  

• Suite Deals... Members Only

  A new breed of travel websites offers exclusive discounts on high- end hotels. But can these ambitious companies survive an improving economy?
  read more ›
  
  

• Atlanta’s Ace

  FOR SQUASH CHAMPION ANDRE MAUR, LIVING AND TRAINING IN THE SOUTH IS A BIG HIT.
  read more ›