Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
184. From the south, take the Ruta Panorámica from Yabucoa. You can also reach the forest
from Patillas on the south coast via Hwy 184.
Sights & Activities
Like many of Puerto Rico's forest reserves, Carite can be a great place for hiking, camping,
fishing and cooling off in pools and streams, as long as you're up for a bit of DIY ad-
venture. There are 49 species of bird here - including the endangered native
falcón de si-
erra
(mountain hawk) - and a variety of trees. If you are passing through the forest on
the Ruta Panorámica, you can stop for a picnic at the
Area Recreativa Charco Azul (
9am-6pm)
, a recreation/camping area near the southeastern entrance on Hwy 184, and
take a short walk to the Charco Azul natural pool. You can also stop off at
Area Recre-
ativaGuavate( 9am-4:30pmMon-Fri,8am-5pmSat&Sun)
at the northern end for
a spot of sunbathing and bird-watching or some local food tasting at the nearby
lechonerías
. The third potential stopping place is the
Area Recreativa Real Patillas ( 9am-6pm)
on Hwy 184 to the south.
TAKING A HIKE
Fine, we'll just say it: Puerto Rico can bedevil the ambitious hiker. Despite the lush
natural areas and acres of natural reserves there's something about trudging down the
trail that just simply doesn't jibe with Puerto Rican culture - one park ranger sugges-
ted it was because people don't like getting their shoes dirty! Trails are often un-
marked and poorly maintained and there are few reliable maps available locally. If
you want to do a lot of hiking it's a good idea to order detailed topographical maps
before you leave home, have no expectations for word-of-mouth route suggestions
and arrive with an ample supply of patience.
Hiking
Hurricanes have wreaked havoc on Carite's trails in the past and most paths have been
destroyed and never cleared. The only trail that's maintained by rangers is Charco Azul,
though with a bit of bushwhacking you can probably get through on the El Radar and a
couple others that lead upstream from Charco Azul. It's best to phone ahead to check cur-
