Outdoor Adventures in Puerto Rico

We could visit Puerto Rico 10 times and not to or see it all. We discovered that there’s so much to do on this enchanted island, and in between beach days and lazing on our balcony, we set out for a few adventures on land and at sea.

First there was hiking in El Yunque National Forest, a must-do while visiting Puerto Rico. It’s the only rainforest in the National Park system, and it is pretty spectacular.

El Yunque has some great, paved trails for hiking and beautiful waterfalls and pools for swimming and relaxing. The air smells so fresh and green, and the sounds of tropical birds and frogs fill the space. Even though there was a steady stream of tourists, the forest felt so peaceful and far away from the rest of the world.

While the park feels remote, it is also super well equipped with great roads and a visitor’s center with a helpful staff and information on the flora and fauna you might find.

And the views were simply stunning.

The other adventure we took was a snorkeling and sailing trip to Icacos, a magical island off of the coast of Puerto Rico. We debated spending timing in Culebra, which we decided to do for a few days on a future trip. Culebra is apparently one of the best places in the world, and I can’t wait to get to know it.

We went to Icacos with East Island, and I recommend them highly. The boat was beautiful and clean, and the staff was so much fun.

The cost of our tickets included delicious local pastries, fresh fruit, and a sandwich and salad bar at lunch, along with rum. All of the rum. We headed first to a reef for snorkeling, followed by a really delicious lunch, then the trip to anchor at Icacos for swimming and sunning.

 The sky was blue, fun music was blasting, the water was warm, and it was basically the best day ever. Oh yeah, and there was a slide!

 We met a bunch of fun people, there was dancing, and I didn’t want the day to end. If you head to Puerto Rico definitely check this company out. They also do Culebra day trips.

And finally, after some sunset swimming, we headed to Fajardo pier for a night time boat tour with BioIsland to the Bioluminescent Lagoon in Las Croabas. We originally considered doing a kayak tour, and I was SO GLAD we went with the electric boat option. It was very, very dark, and the route requires navigating water with thick growths of mangrove trees and plenty of iguanas. It appeared many of the kayakers we passed were having difficulty with the trip.

Maybe it’s lazy of me, but I enjoyed just being able to sit back and enjoy the beautiful star-filled sky and the glowing organisms in the water, which we saw, but not as well as we would have if it had been warmer. It was a really beautiful experience though, to be out in the pitch dark on the lagoon with just the water and sky and the quiet. Whether you kayak or take the electric boat, I definitely recommend getting out there!