Puerto Rico: Hiking Activity Holiday

A hiking holiday in Puerto Rico will take you to the mountainous interiors of the country. The vast forest and mountainous areas of the country provide excellent opportunities for trekking, hill climbing and nature treks. The most popular spot for a hiking holiday in Puerto Rico remains the El Yunque Rain Forests. It is one of the most spectacular trekking spots in the entire country and is part of the Caribbean National Forest. The rain forest is a 45 minute drive from the capital, San Juan. The forest is home to more than 24 miles of recreational trails, from one-mile walking paths to slick rocky trails within a rain forest that echoes with the calls of tree frogs and exotic birds, including the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. Misty waterfalls are surrounded by tropical flowers and giant bright-green ferns and trees. Hikes to La Mina Falls is another popular hiking option in the rain forest. There are also a variety of night hikes in El Yunque that combine strolls on easy trails with living-history tours of Taíno Indians and ritual re-enactments, bird watching and identifying wildlife under the star-lit sky. Other areas to enjoy a hiking holiday in Puerto Rico include the Maricao State Forest, near the coffee town of Maricao which is in western Puerto Rico, east of the town of Mayagüez, Ponce, which is the best center for exploring some of the greatest forest reserves in the Caribbean Basin, notably Toro Negro Forest Reserve with its Lake Guineo, the Guánica State Forest, ideal for hiking and bird-watching, and the Carite Forest Reserve, a 6,000-acre park known for its dwarf forest. Puerto Rico scores 7 on 10 as a hiking holiday destination.