Caguas is a wonderful small city, just 20 minutes south of San Juan, that offers many things to do for visitors. One of those things is La Ruta del Corazón Criollo (the Route to the Heart of Creole). It is a self-guided walking tour to 12 museums and places of interest, all within a few blocks around the town square. These museums provide visitors some insight into the history of Caguas and Creole.

Every year, the town of Aibonito hosts the largest plant show & sale on the island. It features flower & plant displays, a large section for plant sales, live local music shows, and food kiosks. My favorite part is the rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of plants — orchids, fruit trees, vegetable plants, heliconias, gingers, hibiscus … just to name a few. I look forward to this event all year and it is now that time of year again!

If you take a trip to the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park, you can learn about the people who lived in Puerto Rico (or Boriken as they called it) prior to the arrival of the Spanish. In this a small area, archaeologists have uncovered many artifacts, petroglyphs and a number of stone-lined areas. Many years later, after further excavations, research and preservation, this area is said to be one of the most important Taino-culture archaeological sites in the Antilles today.

Almost everyone that visits Puerto Rico makes the trip to El Yunque National Forest to see some waterfalls and get some great views. But there are other forests in Puerto Rico that offer all that, too. We had hiked in the Toro Negro Forest a number of years ago. I remembered it was very nice and parts of the forest looked very much like El Yunque. So we decided to go back again recently to take notes and write about it for anyone who wants an alternative to hiking in El Yunque.

Once you decide to venture away from the San Juan metropolitan area, your best bet (and the cheapest way to get around) is to rent a car. You may have heard horror stories about Puerto Rican drivers, but, in reality, it is not that bad! Here are some tips to make your experience driving in Puerto Rico as painless as possible.

Looking for a nice off the beaten path way to spend a weekend afternoon? You can hop in the car and head to Lago Dos Bocas toward the center of the island, where you can enjoy a free boat ride around the lake or, to make a longer day out of it, go to one of the lakeside restaurants and enjoy drinks or a meal while admiring the views.

We like to discover and write about little-known places to visit and things to do here in Puerto Rico. Cueva Ventana is one of those places. The information available about it was scarce, but once we figured it out, it turns out to be very easy to get to. And the view is fantastic!

What do you get when you cross scavenger hunts with GPS technology? The "sport" called Geocaching. You can grab your GPS unit and try to find one of the 350 treasures hidden around Puerto Rico. You may be pleasantly surprised by what else you discover about the island during your hunt.

If you are driving along the Ruta Panorámica in the Maricao area, and you may want to check out some amazing 360° views, make a stop at La Torre de Piedra (the stone tower). Though the tower itself isn’t that tall, it sits on top of a mountain — so the views are great.

One of nature’s gifts to us are waterfalls. Power and beauty at the same time. Here is another easy-to-find waterfall in the central/west region of Puerto Rico. Salto Collazo is located in San Sebastian, right along a bridge on the main road as you are going east out of town. It’s impossible to miss, and oh so pretty.