Puerto Rico Guide

Explore our cavernous underworld

Hop on the tram and explore Río Camuy Park's great subterranean caverns carved out by the Camuy River over one million years ago. Rio Camuy Cave Park is the third-largest underground cave system in the world. Inside the incredible 268-acre park a guide will provide information on tropical surroundings and the caverns. There are also picnic areas, walking trails, food facilities, an exhibition hall and a souvenir shop, making it the perfect place to spend the day. Reservations are recommended. The park is open Wednesdays through Sundays (and holidays) 8am to 4pm. Advanced cave explorers can arrange for special tours and rappelling trips through undeveloped sections of the caves.

Excellent snorkling and you can swim with the sea turtles

Culebra's rugged countryside, beautiful beaches and small-scale tourist industry make the 25-square-mile island a Caribbean treasure for travelers. At only 7 miles long by 3.5 miles wide, it is no wonder it's also called "Isla Chiquita". There is no run-off from streams and rivers, so the water is crystal clear and great for snorkeling coral reefs and swimming with a variety of sea creatures. This is one of only two nesting sites for giant sea turtles in the U.S. Culebra has 23 offshore islands which form a miniature archipelago. Coral reefs in this area are considered some of the most spectacular of the entire Caribbean. In 1909 a bird refuge was established here and is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a nature preserve. To get here from Puerto Rico, take a private boat or quick flight 17-miles off the eastern coast.

The world's largest radio telescope

Arecibo Observatory houses the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. The dish spans 20-acres in diameter! Visitors are astounded by the enormous size of the dish made up of almost 40,000 perforated aluminum panels. There is a 900-ton platform built over the reflective surface which is set in a sinkhole 450 feet below. Scientist from around the world use this telescope to study the properties of planets, comets and asteroids, faint pulses emitted hundreds of times per second from pulsars, galaxies and quasars at the farthest reaches of the Universe. There is an exhibit and audio-visual show designed to educate the public on the basics of astronomy and provide information about this gigantic radio telescope.