Culebra is a small island off the east coast of PR, that offers some great water-based activities. There are some even smaller, less-visited islands surrounding Culebra that are just begging to be explored. But, to get to those, you need a boat. Captain Bill Penfield offers charters to all areas around the waters of Cuelbra on his Pez Vela sailboat. It is a great way to spend a day!

Parasailing is one of those things that, once you see someone doing it, you just want to do yourself. It is amazingly calm and quiet up there, and takes almost no effort on the part of the passenger, so just about anyone can do it. It is an activity that is available all around Puerto Rico, so you’ve come to the right place if you want to give it a try.

MLB Winter League Baseball in Puerto Rico is starting on 08 November 2012! Get out to one of the stadiums in Carolina, Caguas, Ponce or Mayaguez and support your favorite team. The action is non-stop, and it is a great family-friendly atmosphere!

When it comes to beaches, I like white sand and clear, blue water. Most of the beaches on the big island are cream or beige colored, with the occasional black sand beach. So imagine my surprise when we went to Playa Los Machos and Playa Media Mundo … and discovered two more white sand beaches on the big island!

Traveling from the San Juan area to Rio Grande, Luquillo, and Fajardo just got a whole lot easier and faster! The second phase of Route 66 opened to traffic on 01 October 2012, and it extends Route 66 from Canovanas to Rio Grande. It’s not much of a day trip itself, but it will sure reduce the driving time for trips to El Yunque National Forest, beaches in Luquillo, the biobay in Fajardo, snorkel trips in Fajardo, and other eastern points on the island.

I am all for a one-stop place that has lots of fun things to do for the whole family that is in close proximity to a number of other natural attractions. So when Junglequi Rainforest Eco Adventure Park opened in Spring 2012, we went first thing. It is located right off of Road 191, on the way into El Yunque National Forest.

Loiza is a town steeped in tradition. It has roots that combine Spanish culture and traditions with African culture, and meld them into a unique Puerto Rican experience. One of the most colorful examples of this would be the annual Saint James Festival in Loíza. It is a multi-day event that occurs around July 25, the feast day of Saint James.

The Rio Sabana Trail is the newest trail in El Yunque National Forest. Officially opened in April 2011, this trail connects the Rio Sabana Recreation Area, at the end of Road 191 South, to the Trade Winds Trail. This trail is rated difficult, so it is not for everyone. It is the only official trail on the south side of El Yunque National Forest.

If you are staying in the northeast part of the island, and want to spend an evening at dinner and a show, the Wyndham Rio Mar in Rio Grande offers a different show every Friday of the month. They set up a small dance floor in the Marbella Restaurant, and you can enjoy a buffet dinner while watching their live music and dance show.

Riding a horse along the sand on a tropical beach is just a dreamy experience for most riders. You can "catch" that dream just minutes from El Yunque National Forest at Catch a Dream Ranch. We recently did just that, and enjoyed 90 minutes of fun, with some great picture opportunities to boot!

I like turtles. So when April comes around, we head to the Luquillo town plaza to celebrate the annual Festival el Tinglar. Since 2006, the Sierra Club has sponsored this event to help promote awareness and conservation of the wonderful natural environment in this part of Puerto Rico. This year’s Festival el Tinglar is on Saturday, 14 April 2012. We encourage you to stop by!

We are fortunate to have El Yunque rain forest as our backyard, so we have had the opportunity to hike all of the trails in El Yunque National Forest. Los Picachos trail is a short, side spur along El Yunque peak trail that is definitely worth the effort it takes to get there. Los Picachos trail heads to the east, and leads to an incredible 360° view.

Parque Nacional Balneario Punta Santiago is a government-run beach in Humacao that is advertised as offering facilites and the things that one needs for a nice day at the a beach – like life guards, bathrooms, and food kiosks. Do not be fooled. The balneario has been abandoned by the government. It is in disrepair and in need of serious maintenance. It is a real shame.

If you are a fisherman you know how enjoyable it is to spend time out on the water, especially when you catch something. While no captain can gaurentee a catch, Captain Marcos of Light Tackle Paradise in Fajardo is known to have lots of luck. Our friends Wally and Anton recently had a productive morning of fishing, that included tarpon, king mackerel, grouper, and snapper.

The Northeast Ecological Corridor is a wonderful stretch of about 6½ miles of coastline, from Luquillo to Fajardo. We had never been in that area, so after some recent guests told us about the long walk they took along the beach there, we decided we needed to see it ourselves. It really is a wonderful, natural place. We hope that more awareness of Puerto Rico’s natural wonders will encourge people to want to preserve it.