What is vacation for if not to try different things and experience something new? If you are the adventurous type, Rocaliza offers an excursion along El Salto river in the Carite rain forest that includes hiking, rappelling & ziplines.

In the past, if you wanted to go ziplining here in Puerto Rico you had to go to the Río Abajo Forest, Toro Negro Forest or La Marquesa Forest. In March 2009, Yunke Zipline Adventure opened for business in the foothills of El Yunque National Forest close to many areas that are on most visitors’ must do list.

It’s been almost 5 years since the last time we went out on a snorkel catamaran trip. We recently had the opportunity to spend the day on the Fun Cat that sails out of Fajardo to the reefs near the island of Icacos.

At 4.6 miles, Trade Winds Trail is the longest single trail in El Yunque National Forest. It starts at KM 13.5 on Road 191 and climbs about 1100 feet to El Toro Peak, the highest peak in the rain forest. We found this hike both challenging and enjoyable-it is one of the least-used trails in the forest.

Some of the best snorkeling in Puerto Rico is around the islands of Culebra and Vieques. Kayaking Puerto Rico has put together a great trip that provides snorkeling at the Luis Peña Nature Reserve that can be done easily whether your staying on the big island of Puerto Rico or on Culebra.

Guaynabo City has created a beautiful forest reserve of approximately 600 acres for the enjoyment of future Puerto Ricans and visitors to the island, called La Marquesa Forest Park (or Parque Forestal La Marquesa in Spanish). Take a couple hours to enjoy the natural beauty of this forest.

For an unobstructed view of north and east coasts, hike El Toro Trail to the highest point in El Yunque National Forest. We thought it was an enjoyable day of hiking, though it can be muddy and strenuous at times.

Playa Escondida is the perfect beach if you’re looking for a secluded beach spot (though no swimming allowed). But you will have to do some work to get there! It’s about a 25-minute walk through the mangrove forest from Seven Seas Beach in Fajardo.

Biking on the boardwalk in Piñones is a favorite activity of locals and tourists alike. It’s just minutes from Isla Verde, and it has bike paths go along the beach and through the mangrove forest, where the views are fantastic.

Until recently, the only way to access any of the bioluminescent lagoons in Puerto Rico was either in a kayak or aboard a boat. But now there is another alternative! The Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico now offers night-time walking tours of Las Cabezas Nature Reserve and Laguna Grande.

Caimitillo Trail is a short and relatively easy trail that gives you a taste of what the rain forest has to offer. If you are pressed for time time or short on energy, this is the trail for you! It is perfect for people who want to see a bit of the rain forest, but don’t feel that they are able to "make it" on one of the longer trails.

You will see many neat things in Puerto Rico, but wild animals are not usually one of them – except if you visit Monkey Island. Monkey Island is a small island off of the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, that is home to about 1200 free-roaming Rhesus monkeys. The island is not open to tourists, but you can get an up close view of the monkeys from the water.

Though it feels like worlds away, Pinones is only a sort distance from the San Juan area. If you enjoy kayaking, you can rent kayaks at COPI, which is just over the bridge from Isla Verde. You can spend one, or many, hours paddling around Torrecilla Lagoon watching birds and iguanas going about their business.

Acampa offers a day-long adventure in the Toro Negro Rainforest that includes hiking, swimming, waterfall-climbing and zip lines. We recently took this trip and had a blast!

We found a cute secluded beach, just a short 25-minute walk from Seven Seas Balneario in Fajardo, called Playa Colora.