Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
£
Arecibo
Observatory
Resembling a James
Bond movie set (in
fact, it appeared
in
GoldenEye
), the
world's largest radio
telescope comprises
a 1,000-ft- (305-m-)
wide spherical bowl
made of 40,000
perforated aluminium
panels and suspended
across a huge
limestone sinkhole. A triangular
platform hanging 1,300 ft (400 m)
above the dish houses receivers
that monitor emissions, such as
radio waves, from the earth's
outer atmosphere to sources at
the outer limits of the universe.
The Angel Ramos Foundation
Visitor Center provides audio-
visual displays and interactive
exhibits on the observatory,
and on atmospheric and space
sciences in general.
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Map E2
• Carretera 625 Final • 787 878 2612
• Open 9am-4pm (closed Mon & Tue
Jan 16-May 31 & Aug 1-Dec 14) • Adm
• www.naic.edu
$
Arecibo
Stalactites at Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy
!
Parque de las Cavernas
del Río Camuy
The third-largest cave system in
the world, this vast underground
complex consists of hundreds of
caverns. Fascinating guided tours
begin and end with a tram ride
and lead through the largest cave
of all, which is full of weird and
wonderful dripstone formations.
Paths run alongside an under-
ground river to the base of an
enormous sinkhole. Visitors
come away with an appreciation
of the natural processes that
have shaped this rugged region
(see pp20-21)
.
@
Dorado
This town is best
known for its golden
beaches lined with
palm trees - remnants
of a former coconut
plantation. The town's
Hyatt Hacienda del Mar
boasts some of the
best stretches of beach,
and golfers can tee off
at the resort's three
championship golf
courses. The main
square, Plaza de Recreo,
has a monument honor-
ing the island's ethnic diversity.
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Map J2 • Hyatt Hacienda del Mar:
Carretera 693 Km 12.8; 787 796 3000;
www.hyatthaciendadelmar.hyatt.com
Founded in 1616,
this large coastal
town is today a major
manufacturing center
that retains many
wooden colonial structures,
notably on Calle Alejandro
Salicrup. The delightful
Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera
is worth visiting for its
19th-century Neo-
Classical cathedral
and city hall, but most
intriguing is the Logia
Tanamá, a grandiose
Romanesque building that serves
as a Masonic hall and is fronted
by an impressive bronze statue
of a leaping dolphin.
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Map E2
Monument celebrating
Dorado's ethnic heritage
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