Looking for a nice off the beaten path way to spend a weekend afternoon? You can always hop in the car and head to Lago Dos Bocas toward the center of the island, where you can enjoy a free boat ride around the lake or, to make a longer day out of it, go to one of the lakeside restaurants and enjoy drinks or a meal while admiring the views.

Lago Dos Bocas (Dos Bocas Lake) is a man-made lake (as are all of the lakes in Puerto Rico) located between Arecibo and Utuado. It was constructed in 1942 by what is now the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) by blocking the Arecibo and Caonillas Rivers where they meet. There, they made a dam and installed a hydroelectric power plant. I am pretty sure the dam is still used to generate electricity, and the beautiful lake is used as a potable water reservoir and for public enjoyment (mainly on weekends).

We recently stopped here for lunch with my brother John and his wife Chris after our Cueva Ventana adventure on a Sunday in March. The lake is just about 15 minutes away from the cave and it was lunch time — so it was a perfect plan!

The route to the lake is easy to follow — there are large signs pointing the way to the embarcadero (pier) parking area. Here you will be helped by attendants into finding a spot to park. Parking was free when we went, though there was a booth (so maybe they charge sometimes?). From there, just walk to the left toward the water.

In the parking lot, representatives from the restaurants had sample menus and pictures of their places. They all serve typical Puerto Rican cuisine, or comida criollo. All of the restaurants looked good — it was difficult to choose which one to go to!

The Restaurants

All of the restaurants are lakeside, though some higher up and some close to water level. Each one has their own boat that picks up customers at the boat dock and ferries them them to their restaurant. Once you decide which restaurant to go to, the rep will call the boat and they will meet you at the dock. The boats range in size, but most can hold 10 to 12 people.

The lake was much larger than imagined it would be. The boat ride, going at a nice fast clip with a great breeze, took about 10 minutes each way. Along the way, there were great views of the mountains and water fowl. All of the restaurant have open-air, covered seating areas for meals. Some also have indoor seating.

Keep in mind that these restaurants are only open on the weekend, usually from 10 or 11am until 6 or 7pm. They are sometimes open on Monday holidays. The may be open mid-week in July. It’s best to call ahead just to make sure.

All of the restaurants have similar prices — appetizers run about $3 to $7, main meals about $12 to $17. I believe all the restaurants take Visa, MasterCard, ATH (debit) and (obviously) cash. A few may take American Express. You may want to check with the representative before boarding the boat.

• Restaurante Otoao 787-312-7118, 787-894-5511
• Paisaje Escondido 787-894-9024, 787-473-8250
• El Fogon de Abuela 787-894-0470
• Rancho Marina 787-894-8034, 787-630-2750

I was told there are 5 restaurants located at the lake, but we were only able to get information from 4 of them. If anyone has information on the fifth one, let us know in the comments below.

We decided to go to El Fogon de Abuela just because of the name (it means Grand-mom’s cooking stove/area). We tried the mofongo (one with with rabbit & one with shrimp), the churrasco (skirt steak) and filete de chillo (snapper fillet). They were all very good!

The Ferry Ride

If you don’t want to eat, but just want nice (free!) boat ride, the Department of Transportation & Public Works (DTOP) has some ferries (lanchas) that can take from 15-40 people around the lake at one time. This boat ride is generally intended for residents of the lake area, however anyone is free to take it if there is room on the trip. The schedule is 9:10am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 4pm. The 45-minute trip goes all around the lake and returns to the boat dock. These are free rides, and they don’t take reservations or even guarantee you can get onto a boat. You just go down to the boat ramp (the larger one on the right, not the one the restaurants use) and wait. Ask the DTOP employee if they can fit you on.

When we went, they were having trouble with the motors and only lake residents were going on a reduced schedule. The DTOP web site says they are open daily from 6:30am-5:30pm. I don’t know if that is true and there was no answer when I called them (787-879-1838). I wouldn’t count on it, I assume it may only be available on weekends.

The Department of Natural Resources (DRNA) is also on-hand to help maintain and secure this beautiful area.

Other Activities on the Lake

They allow fishing at the lake, with a permit. I believe you can rent a boats and kayaks to enjoy on the lake, also.

Other Things to do Nearby

If you’re going to make the drive to the Arecibo/Utuado area for Dos Bocas, you might as well visit one of the many nearby attractions and make a full day out of it. Some nearby attractions include

• Rio Camuy Caves Park
• Arecibo Radiotelescope
• Cueva Ventana
• Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center
• Arecibo Lighthouse Park
• Fun Valley Park
• Cave of the Indian
• Prime Outlets Mall

Details

Note that Lago Dos Bocas is popular with local people and gets VERY busy on summer weekends!

Driving directions: From the San Juan area, take Route 22 West to Route 10 South (exit 75B). At KM 69.7 on Route 10, turn left onto Road 621 (there are large signs for Dos Bocas) toward Road 123. Turn right onto Road 123, and stay on Road 123 (it turns to the right at one intersection) following the signs to El Embarcadero parking area. Be aware, Road 123 is a small and twisting/turning road.

If you happen to have a GPS device handy, these coordinates should help

Lago Dos Bocas Parking: (18.330822, -66.670232)

You can locate Lago Dos Bocas on our Interactive Island Map