2 Best Shopping in El Yunque and the Northeast, Puerto Rico

Just east of Piñones is the town of Loíza, where you can find authentic coconut vejigante masks, dubbed "Mona Lisas" because of their elongated smiles. Craftsman Raúl Ayala Carrasquillo has been making these pieces for nearly half a century, following in the footsteps of his late father. Collectors prize these wild masks, most with tentaclelike horns. His one-room shop, in a shack that was painted yellow many years ago, is on the road between Loíza and Río Grande.

At his studio on a short, dusty lane across the street from the Artesanías Castor Ayala, artist Samuel Lind sculpts, paints, and silk-screens images that are quintessentially Loízano. Lind's work is displayed in the two floors of his latticework studio. Of special note are his colorful folk-art posters inspired by everyday Puerto Rican life.