Northeast Puerto Rico travel guide

Places to visit in The Northeast

Loíza

Puerto Rico’s largest mangrove swamp, the Torrecilla Baja, stretches inland and along the coast to the Río Grande de Loíza, the island’s widest, roughest, and only navigable river. Just 6 miles (10km) east of metropolitan San Juan, Loíza has maintained its separateness from the capital thanks to these natural barriers. Loíza is arguably among the purest centers of true African culture in the Western world, tracing its ancestors to the Yoruba tribe of West Africa. Even today, two thirds of the population is black, a higher percentage than in other Puerto Rican towns. It was settled in the 16th century by black slaves sent by the Spanish Crown to mine a rich gold deposit in the area. The highlight in Loíza's social calendar is the Fiesta de Santiago Apóstol, when the people of Loíza gather to praise Saint James, patron of the town. The week-long celebration commences each July 25, and participants include masqueraders, ghouls, viejos (old men) and vejigantes, most of them young men, who dress in garish costumes and parade through the streets. Loíza is a poor area, where two-thirds of the population live below the poverty line, but it is rich in music and the arts. While much is made of the Afro-Caribbean culture and heritage here, it is worth remembering that the area was inhabited long before colonial times. One of the earliest signs of human habitation was found at Loíza in the Cueva de María la Cruz.  

El Yunque rainforest

Tel: 787-888-1880
www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque

The only tropical rainforest in the USDA National Forest system, the El Yunque National Forest offers great biodiversity with distinct and varied ecological zones within a comparatively small area. Hundreds of different animal species make El Yunque their home, among them 26 endemic to the island. Puerto Rico’s most familiar animals are here, like the mellifluous tree frog known as the coquí. And more exotic ones are here as well, such as the colorful but endangered Puerto Rican parrot, and the rare Puerto Rican boa, the island’s largest snake, which can grow up to 7ft (2 meters) long. El Yunque is also home to 150 fern species and 240 tree species, of which 88 are found only in Puerto Rico and 23 of those are found only in El Yunque. One of El Yunque’s premier attractions, La Coca Falls is a blurry cascade of ice-gray river rushing down a wall of beautiful moss-covered stones. El Yunque’s second great waterfall, La Mina, is just off the road. Hiking is the best way of getting around and there are 24 miles (38 km) of recreational trails. Not all the action takes place in the forest, however, and there are several activities that can be enjoyed in the foothills of El Yunque. At Hacienda Carabalí, you can go horse riding or mountain biking on trails through the forest and across the 600-acre ranch, drive an ATV vehicle or race a go-kart. Further along is Yunke Zipline Adventure if you want to get up close and personal with the forest on a higher level. 

Luquillo

Shimmering Luquillo is just 35 minutes east of San Juan, and considered by many to be the island's best beach. The clean, golden sand stretches for about a mile, backed by a grove of coconut palms, earning the locals the nickname of Los come cocos (the coconut eaters). In the distance you can see the dramatic peaks of El Yunque rainforest cloaked in purple thunder clouds. Occasionally, some of the rain intended for the forest falls on Luquillo, and there are times when the beach is under heavy cloud cover. On the eastern end of the beach is Mar Sin Barreras (sea without barriers), a park specially constructed for people with physical impairments. Personnel are on hand to help disabled visitors enjoy one of Puerto Rico’s best strands. The only liability of a trip to palm-fringed Luquillo is that it can get very crowded. It is usually included in day tours after a visit to El Yunque and is popular with people escaping San Juan at weekends. As much as the beach, what draws the San Juan crowd are the kioskos along the road – a seemingly endless string of friquitines, or kiosks sellings delectably rich local seafood specialties. These family-run businesses sell everything from fruit to fritters, and many keep going into the evening with live music at weekends.

Fajardo

To some, the town of Fajardo is merely an overcluttered dockfront town, ranking third behind Brindisi in Italy and Hyannis in Massachusetts in the “Grim Ferry Ports of the World” rating. To others it is an eminently glamorous resort, a charming community, gateway to a handful of fabulous islands and home to some of the finest sailing in the Caribbean. The first major town along Puerto Rico’s northeast coast, in the late 1700s Fajardo was a popular supply port for many pirate and contraband vessels and now is a mecca for yachting enthusiasts. The town itself is somewhat unprepossessing compared with the area’s natural attractions – the calm, clear waters and cays and coral reefs of Vieques Sound. Playa de Fajardo, a waterfront community at the east end of the town, is the docking-place for the ferries headed to Culebra, Vieques, and a small island marina nearby. Laguna Grande at Las Croabas (sometimes called Bio Bay or Fajardo lagoon) in the northeast is a great place to come on a kayaking tour at night to experience the bioluminescence in the water. Microscopic plankton light up when touched like thousands of tiny stars. There are many companies offering tours and no experience is necessary although you have to be comfortable paddling along a dark channel through the mangroves to get to the lagoon. 

Icacos Bay

The dozens of cays and islands off Fajardo provide Puerto Rico’s best boating. A protective reef keeps the waters calm, while swift Atlantic trade winds create perfect sailing conditions. You can charter a yacht from one of Fajardo’s marinas, such as Puerto del Rey Marina, and spend the day sailing, sunbathing, and snorkeling. There are dive shops for forays underwater and several excellent golf courses, while the large resorts also offer spas and casinos. Icacos, the largest and most popular cay, offers a narrow stretch of bone-white beach, making it a great spot for picnicking or even camping. A coral underworld descends to the sandy bottom 20ft (6 meters) below, providing all the action: elkhorn, staghorn, brain, star, and other corals host legions of underwater plant and animal life. Other popular cays, somewhat less readily accessible, include Culebrita, Cayo Lobos (wolves), Diablo (devil), Palominos (doves) and Palominitos (take a wild guess). These and many smaller cays are ripe for underwater exploration among the coral, caverns, and tunnels.