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.

Traveling with kids changes everything. You need to find a place where there are things that everyone in the family can enjoy. Luckily, you are planning to visit Puerto Rico where there are many activities for every member of your family. We’ve put together this list with families and convenience in mind. All of these activities are within about a 1-hour drive of the San Juan area.

Juan Diego Falls is a series of beautiful waterfalls located a short (but demanding) walk from the road. We feel that the largest of the falls is better than the more popular La Mina Falls. Especially since Juan Diego Falls is virtually undiscovered by tourists!

In the spring of 2007, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources banned swimming in Laguna Grande in Fajardo. This simple act reduced the wear and tear on the biobay and allowed nature to begin undoing the damage that humans inflicted on the environment. This past year we had heard the health of the biobay was making a comeback, so we were eager to see that for ourselves.

What could be more refreshing than taking a swim in a crystal clear river on a hot day? If you are in El Yunque and want to do some swimming, you may want to try Angelito Trail. The trail leads to Las Damas pool in the Mameyes River.

A day sail aboard the Erin Go Bragh III offers an intimate option for accessing excellent snorkeling spots near the islets of Icacos, Lobos, Palominos, and Palominitos, located off the coast of Fajardo. Longer overnight trips are available to the islands of Culebra and Vieques.