Casa Pueblo is a community-based organization focused on, among other things, the protection and management of natural resources. On a visit to their headquarters in Adjuntas, you’ll learn about their on-going eco-friendly endeavors and educational programs, and you’ll have the chance to buy some local artisan goods in their gift shop.

The Guánica State Forest & Bioshpere Reserve is a dry forest that receives only 30" of rain annually. It covers almost 1000 acres and is home to many endangered plants and wildlife. There are a number of hiking trails throughout the forest, and it is a bird-watcher’s paradise.

If you love ice cream and exotic flavors, you need to visit Heladeria Lares, located on the town square in Lares. They have home-made ice cream in flavors like rice & beans, garlic, corn, pumpkin and cod fish (to name a few). Most are tasty. Some are just bizarre. For the faint of heart, they also have "safe" flavors like vanilla and chocolate.

El Portal Rain Forest Center is the main visitor center in El Yunque National Forest. It features an elevated walkway through the tree tops, educational displays, a short interpretive walking trail, a deli/restaurant and a small gift shop. Though completely optional, the Forest Center is an informative stop for first-time visitors to El Yunque.

Puerto Rico has a long history of Indian cultures that lived here many hundreds to thousands of years ago. The most recent Indian culture, the Tainos, left many petroglyphs on rocks near rivers or in caves. The town of Jayuya has a nice example of a piedra escrita that contains many different Taino drawings.

The Guajataca Forest in Isabela is in the karst region of Puerto Rico and the landscape and plant life is totally different than what we are used to seeing in the north-east of the island. I thought the best part about this forest is exploring Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind).

There are lots of waterfalls that can be found throughout the island. Most are in obscure locations and can only be found with the help of a local. We knew about Las Garzas Falls in Adjuntas, but we didn’t really know where it was located. So, one day, we decided to try to find it.

The Cemi Museum (Museo El Cemi, in Spanish) in Jayuya is a visitor center for the area and a showcase of Taino artifacts. The leaders of Jayuya wanted to preserve and educate about the Taino culture, so they opened this odd-shaped museum in 1989.

During a trip to the south-west part of the island, we found some diving that I would highly recommend. That region is home to "the Wall" and the diving was great! We went wall diving at La Parguera and I thought it was the best diving we have seen on PR.

We were at the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse a couple weeks ago and the panoramic views were simply magnificent. I was surprised to see one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in Puerto Rico. We asked the lighthouse ranger about the beach and, he said lovingly, “Oh – the jacuzzi? That is La Playuela”.

Located on top of 200-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marks the south-west tip of Puerto Rico. Though the lighthouse is interesting, the big attractions are the dramatic views of the ocean and cliffs.

Waterfalls are facinating — they are beautiful, powerful and natural. With the Cordillera Central that runs through the middle of the Puerto Rico, we get a lot of rain that falls on those peaks, resulting in a number of waterfalls across the island. Many of them require hiking in forests and wading rivers to get to see them. But Dona Juana Waterfall is right along the road. Can it get any easier?

Gilligan’s Island is a tiny island about a mile off the coast of Guánica. You can get to the island by kayak or ferry. We found some decent snorkeling, picnic pavilions and lots of privacy … at least for us during low season. I’d guess it gets pretty crazy on a July weekend!

We recently had the opportunity to re-visit the biobay in La Parguera, after having visited it for the first time 18 years ago. The health of this biobay has declined immensely, to the point of the biobay glow being hardly noticeable. But they still take people out into the biobay nightly. If nothing else, it’s a cheap nighttime boat ride.

The Carite Forest is located just up the road from the Guavate area in Cayey. The forest encompasses over 6000 acres and is maintained by the Departmento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales as a recreation area. The forest has some nice picnic and camping areas, some great natural pools and waterfalls.