Los Tubos Mountain Bike Trail Park

I have found that using mountain bike trails (MTB) here in Puerto Rico can be a source of many wonderful adventures. We don't have bikes, so we walk these trails. They are usually well-maintained, and sometimes they lead to some beautiful places. The Área Recreativa Los Tobos MTB in the Reserva Natural Laguna Tortuguero looked so inviting, we knew we had to check it out. The Hidden Beach (Playa Escondida) at the end of walking Trail 1 was well worth the visit.

Located in Manati, on the north coast of Puerto Rico, the Área Recreativa Los Tubos was constructed a number of years ago by a group of volunteers, the DRNA, and the town of Manatí specifically for walkers and bikers of all ages. Those groups still help maintain the trails and paths within the park. There is a bike trail just for little kids to use, a few for walkers, and a number of them, of varied difficulties, for real mountain bikers. All in all, the park was designed to let people use this pretty area, but also to protect it — what a novel idea! The park is well-used, but it is super clean and well-maintained.

We don't bike, so we will describe the park from a walker's perspective. But make no mistake — the MTB people love this area! You can check out this page for the MTB point of view.

We walked Trail 1 (that's the red trail that loops to the left on the map above), which was a nice, roughly 30-minute walk (about 1 mile one way). It is a dirt road path that leads to beautiful, hidden beaches. Though the trail is flat, rocks and roots poke up all along the trail, so watch your step. Trail 1 dead ends at the beautiful beach, so you will backtrack out the same way you came in. Much of the trail is in sun, while some of the trail is in shade. There are birds and lizards around, and a wide variety of wild flowers and plants. There are karst (limestone) rocks and some tiny "caves" which make it interesting. But I think the beach was the prettiest. The views, rocks, waves … so nice. It is NOT a swimming beach, as it is unprotected from northern swells and rip currents. So pretty to look at, but not safe for swimming.

Details

There is no cost to use this park.

The park is open during daylight hours.

The beaches here are NOT safe for swimming. There are NO facilities (restrooms, etc) at this park. Best to wear closed toed shoes.

The trails and beaches here are super clean. Please keep them that way by taking out everything that you bring in!

The parking area for this park is at KM 6.5 on Road 685 in Manatí.