Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In calm weather, you can ride Dos Bocas' free launch, which serves as a taxi service to
the residents in the area. The boat landing is on Hwy 123, on the west side of the lake.
Boats leave almost every hour. You can disembark at restaurants around the lake or just sit
back and enjoy the two-hour ride. You can similarly pick up the boat launch on the other
side of the lake at the end of Hwy 612, about 3 miles beyond the Casa Grande Mountain
Retreat. Along the shore there are several
comida criolla
(traditional Puerto Rican cuisine)
restaurants, some of which hire kayaks.
Bosque Estatal de Río Abajo
STATE FOREST
This 5000-acre forest has a
visitorscenter( 880-6557; 8am-4pm)
just off Hwy 621,
halfway between Utuado and Arecibo, and some of the most rugged terrain on the island.
Situated in the heart of karst country, the forest's altitude jumps between 700ft and 1400ft
above sea level. The steep sides of the
mogotes
are overrun with vines, and the forest is
a jungle of tropical hardwoods, including Honduran mahogany and Asian teaks, and huge
clumps of bamboo.
The remains of the lumber roads cut by the loggers and the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) workers have now become trails. The two best are the
Visitors Center Trail
(a
500m-long stroll with three gazebos set up along the way) and
Las Perdices
(about 2km
long). Others are often poorly maintained or affected by recent weather conditions. En-
quire at the visitor center and you should be able to piece together a more substantial hike
through karst country. The Visitors Center Trail has water, interpretive displays and occa-
sional wildlife lectures.
To reach Bosque Estatal de Río Abajo from San Juan, take Hwy 22 west toward Arecibo.
Turn south on Rte 10 toward Utuado. Turn west on Hwy 621 and continue to Km 4.4 and
the park entrance.
The ranger station is near the entrance, where Hwy 621 snakes into the forest. At the end
of this road, there is a picnic and recreation area and an aviary, where the DRNA is work-
ing to reintroduce the Puerto Rican parrot and other endangered species.
Faro y Parque Histórico de Arecibo
AMUSEMENT PARK
( 817-1936; Rte 655; adult/child $10/8; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat &
Sun)
This theme park off Hwy 2 is a bit gimmicky and overpriced, though it does offer a
glimpse of the historic Arecibo lighthouse and is a good place to break up the long drives
across the North Coast if you're traveling with the kids, who will likely get into the pirate-
themed stuff. Judging by the squeals of delight, Blackbeard's Pirate Ship was a hit. Perched
on a headland on the hill at Punta Morrillos, east of Arecibo, the
Faro de los Morrillos
, dating from 1897, is an excellent example of Spanish neoclassical architecture with its
