Each summer, the town of Aibonito hosts the biggest plant & flower show & sale in Puerto Rico. There are formal displays, plant & flower sales, live entertainment, and food kiosks. It’s an event we look forward to every year! This year, the Aibonto Flower Festival will be held from June 24 through July 4, 2011.

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.

If you enjoy adventure tours — those with ziplines, rappelling, hiking, caving, and other fun things — and you also enjoy going to special, off the beaten path places — then this tour is for you. Batey Zipline Adventure, in beautiful Utuado, offers all of that in a nice half-day package. The majority of the activities are on, around, and above an organic farm near the Tanama River, making this the most eco-friendly adventure tour we’ve taken in Puerto Rico.

Culebra has always been a popular island, with its beautiful beaches and easy snorkeling right from the beach. The problem is, the amazingly beautiful Flamenco Beach has also become so popular that it can be a bit crowded at times. For people who are looking for a quiter beach that still offers great snorkeling, Playa Carlos Rosario may be just right for you.

When you are on vacation on a large island like Puerto Rico, which has so many things to see and do, it’s often the case that you don’t get a chance to do everything you would like to. Usually, something gets missed. If you are interested touring some of the Puerto Rican countryside and doing an adventure tour — now, don’t have to choose. Tropical Adventure Guides has a "culture and adventure tour" that offers a little of both!

Walking and hiking in El Yunque National Forest is one of our favorite things to do. On my brother’s recent visit, we decided to go to the south side of El Yunque and walk the Waterline Trail to Los Prieto Falls, and then to continue past the falls to the end to see the view. We have done this trail a few times, and we really like it. It’s an easy hike, the trail is mostly flat, and there are some great views along the way.

A trip into a biobay is one of the best things you can do during your visit to Puerto Rico. Something as fascinating as the biobay certainly qualifies as a Kodak Moment, right? Well, yes and no. It’s really difficult to take even mediocre photos of the bioluminescent glow. You can spend lots of time trying to get the perfect photo, or you can spend your time enjoying this natural phenomenon. If you want to try for the photos, we have some tips for you.

Puerto Rico is known for its coffee, and the best coffee comes from ripe beans grown high in the cool, moist mountain regions of the Toro Negro mountain range. There are a number of coffee Haciendas in the towns of Jayuya, San Sebastian, Ponce, Adjuntas, Las Marias and Lares. Most of larger coffee plantations are not open to the public, but some of the smaller, specialty/gourmet places are open for tours, and purchases. Our tour at the small, gourmet coffee plantation Hacienda Pomarrosa was informative and enjoyable.

On a recent, sunny Sunday, we decided to take a drive down the east coast of Puerto Rico. It is a nice drive if you go along the coast, with some great views along the way. At the south-east corner if the island is the town of Maunabo, in which you can find the Punta Tuna Lighthouse (Faro Punta Tuna) and beach. While you can’t enter the lighthouse itself, the park and beach area are worth a stop.

Spring is in the air, so that means that is is time for Plant Shows here on the island! The Puerto Rico Orchid Society Show will be March 17 to 20 in Hato Rey, and the Zingerberalis Society of Puerto Rico Show will be March 19 in Rio Piedras. Admission to both is free!

I had heard that Isla Caja de Muertos (or Coffin Island) was lovely, but I think it has been kept a secret just how fantastic it is! Visiting the island has been on my "to do" list for 6 years now, but we never really made the effort to go. We finally made it out there, and I can kick myself for waiting so long. It is a beautiful island and it is too nice to be missed, especially since it is an easy day trip.

We’ve been to a number of beaches along the northern coast of Puerto Rico, and I’ve rarely been let down by their rugged beauty. Playa La Esperanza was no exception. Located in Manatí, it is a remote and beautiful place. Not only did it have a great cove for cooling off in the water and beautiful views, it had a surprise — a black sand beach area.

Hoping to do some horseback riding during your tropical island vacation? How would you like to ride through a lush valley, across thousands of acres of a protected nature reserve, and then end up on a beautiful beach? Horseback Riding Puerto Rico in Manatí can make that happen for you. And, they have other trips suited for all members of the family, even non-riders.

Everybody these days is talking about "going green" or being "eco" something or other. But, if you are really interested in learning about how to actually live green, and especially about sustainable forestry, Las Casas de la Selva is a place you should visit. This off-the-beaten path homestead is a an example of how you can live in and with nature, while still sustaining it.

Rain Forest Zip Line Corp is a new zipline company that offers a zipline experience, just seconds off the road that leads up to El Yunque National Forest. While not the largest nor the most modern zip line facility on the island, it offers a zip line experience that the whole family can enjoy. It would be great for kids or those people in your group who are "less adventurous" but who still want to try a zip line activity.