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.

If you like natural swimming pools, Charco Azul (blue pond, in English) is one of Puerto Rico’s most famous ones. Located in the middle of the Carite Forest, about 10 minutes up the road from the lechnarias in the Guavate region of Cayey, it’s the perfect spot for a picnic and swimming.

Playita del Condado is a small, public beach located on Ashford Avenue next to the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza. Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Condado Lagoon, it has shallow, calm water, a golden sand beach, rinse showers, and beach chairs and umbrellas available for rent.

Whether you have just a couple of hours or a couple of days, there are plenty of things to keep you busy and entertained in the northeast part of Puerto Rico. From the rain forest to beaches to biobays, we’ve put together a list of activities sorted by the amount of time you need to do each.

Get some exercise on vacation and take a tour of the San Juan area at the same time. Rent The Bicycle, in Old San Juan, offers bike rentals and guided bike tours in the Old San Juan, Condado and Piñones areas. They offer options that are great for cruise ship visitors, tourists and locals alike.

Enjoy a 1 or 2 hour horseback riding tour in the foothills of El Yunque at Hacienda Carabali in Luquillo. They have over 70 horses ready to take you through the trails that criss-cross their 600-acre property. These tours are good for beginners and less experienced riders.

What do you do once you’ve hiked on all of the official trails in El Yunque National Forest? You start looking for unofficial trails … which is exactly what we did. We found a new trail (currently under construction by the Forest Service) that leads from the north side of El Yunque down to the south side. Though it’s not for the casual hiker, it does provide some nice views and an exhilarating workout.

If you are a birdwatcher, then Puerto Rico needs to be added to your must-visit bucket list. Puerto Rico has so many different geographical regions, all within a small 35×100 mile area — rain forests, dry forests, and forests in-between, seaside, mangroves and mountains. You have a pretty good chance of seeing at least a few of the 17 endemic birds and many of the 300 different types of bird species that call Puerto Rico home at some time throughout the year.