With nearly 300 miles of gorgeous beaches, it’s no wonder why many people visiting Puerto Rico never leave the coast. Even though the coastline is breathtaking, there’s also a lot of beauty to explore inland. Puerto Rico is only a third of the size of Massachusetts, but it has several different ecosystems, including tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests, coastal mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and coastal plains. We rented a car last week and after checking on Kairos (she’s doing great by the way), we decided to head inland to explore the mountainous forests in Utuado.
Utuado is a fairly large town tucked into the central mountains of Puerto Rico. We took Hwy 10, which opened in 2000, from Arecibo to Utuado. The highway cuts through the mountains, making the drive quite pleasant. Once in Utuado, we took PR-111 to PR-140 to Rio Caonillas (see the map at the end of this post). These small roads were not nearly as smooth. It reminded us of driving in the Rocky Mountains as the road winded up and down the mountain side with sharp twists and turns. The four of us had our heads out the windows trying not to get car sick. As we got further away from the town, the country side became even more lush and beautiful. We knew we were in store for a stunning hike.
When we reached Rio Canoillas, we parked the car near the old bridge and began hiking along the river bank. We had to wade through the river in some spots, but the cold water was very refreshing. It was only 9:00am and the sun was already beating down on us. As we rounded the first turn, we could see Cerro Morales (mountain) in the distance. With the majestic mountain in the background, we almost felt like we were back home in Colorado.
As we continued down the river bank, we began to see petroglyphs carved into the large rocks lining the river. Prior to Christopher Columbus’s arrival, the Taino Indians called Puerto Rico home. Sadly, the Taino natives were either killed off by disease or enslaved when the Spanish arrived, but evidence of their existence can be found all over the island. La Cueva del Indio (Cave of the Indian) in Arecibo is covered in petroglyphs, making it a very popular attraction on the island. The El Yunque National Forest also has several cravings. It felt magical, spotting these remnants of a civilization that existed well before us.
Further down the river we reached the canyon. We continued hiking on top of the cliffs with the river rushing below us. With cows grazing nearby and the mountains in the backdrop, it was a picture perfect scene.
After exploring and hiking around the area, it was time to head back to San Juan and return our rental car. We decided to take PR-123 (Old Hwy 10) back to Arecibo. This more scenic route was gorgeous. We passed through lush bamboo forests and found ourselves surrounded by tall mountains. We stopped to pier out over the Lago Dos Bocas dam. The lake was lovely, but as engineers, we found the hydroelectric power plant to be just as interesting.
As we continued, we passed by a very Oriental house with a dragon in the front yard that seemed a bit out of place in Puerto Rico. The more we explore, the more Puerto Rico surprises us. Even though we are excited to start cruising again in November, we are fortunate to have another two months to explore this lovely island.
Note: If you are in Puerto Rico and attempt this hike, please use extreme caution. The current and rapids are strong in parts of the river and the hiking evolves climbing over wet rocks which can be very slippery. We do not recommend this hike for small children or elderly individuals. Be safe!