18 Best Sights in The North Coast and the Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico

Hiking trails surrounded by wild impatiens lead up to the 3,900-foot Pico Guilarte and elsewhere in this state forest. Bird-watchers have 26 different species to look for, including the carpenter bird. If your interest is botany, you can find a variety of trees, such as candlewood, trumpet, Honduran mahogany, and Honduran pine.

Many trails have been affected by recent hurricanes, so hike with caution.

The main attraction of the 7,000-acre "Black Bull" State Forest is the island's crowning glory: 4,398-foot Cerro de Punta. Toro Negro also has the island's highest lake, Lago Guineo, as well as an impressive waterfall, the 200-foot Salto de Doña Juana. The best place to start is at the ranger station on Route 143. Ask the friendly staffers for a map; the trails—like the one that leads from the ranger station to an observation tower with views of the northern and southern sides of the island—are not always well marked. There are more trails east of the ranger station, at the Area Recreacional Doña Juana. Keep an eye out for exotic birds, such as the Guadalupe woodpecker. The reserve also contains a huge swimming pool (often out of service) built into a mountainside. Note that some trails have not been fully cleared or restored following Hurricane Maria's devastation in 2017.

The canyon may be difficult to find, but it's well worth the effort. Trails of tropical vegetation lead to a breathtaking waterfall. Tour guides can take you straight to the action while you learn about the plants and animals that inhabit this stunning region. 

A beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture, the Faro de Arecibo is one of the loveliest lighthouses on the island. Dating from 1897, it sits on a bluff high above Arecibo. Although the museum inside the lighthouse has maritime treasures that will interest everyone in your group, the rest of the park is strictly kid stuff. There are scaled-down replicas of Christopher Columbus's Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, as well as replicas of the huts used by the island's original inhabitants, the Taíno Indians. On weekends, groups in traditional costumes play live music; you can watch the revelry from the sitting area of the café.

This huge boulder with a handful of highly visible Taíno petroglyphs is located in a stream among several other large rocks. There are several viewing areas and a shady spot for a picnic lunch. Don't worry: the boulder in the parking lot painted a lurid shade of blue is not La Piedra Escrita. Also remember wet rocks are slippery, so for your own safety do not jump from the stones or climb them after dark. 

Degetau Lookout Rock is a scenic point near Aibonito. From the tower, use the telescope to get a closer look at the surrounding mountains. You'll find picnic tables under gazebos and a playground nearby. The tower is currently closed for renovation and safety concerns, so views are limited to those in the surrounding hill area. 

The 268-acre Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy contains one of the world's largest cave networks. The guided tour of the caverns will lead you on foot through the 170-foot-high cave, which is teeming with wildlife. You're likely to see blue-eyed river crabs and long-legged tarantulas. More elusive are the more than 100,000 bats that make their home in the cave; they don't come out until dark, but you can feel the heat they generate at the cave's entrance (and you can certainly smell their presence). The cavern trails are wheelchair accessible, so anybody can join in on the fun! There is a mile-long walk from the visitor center to the cave entrance (with a ride offered for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and parents with young children), and each tour is about an hour and a half.  Make sure to get here early, as this is a popular destination for locals as well. There's a picnic area, cafeteria, and gift shop in the visitor center.

This exceptional strand is known for surfing, but adventurous swimmers also enjoy the waves. The beach itself is crescent-shape, and its light golden sands are a popular backdrop for local photo shoots. Amenities: none. Best for: surfing.

The 2,500-foot-long beach, one of Puerto Rico's government-administered balnearios, is a crescent-shape stretch of groomed sand lined with cliffs. It's very popular and can get crowded on weekends. Take care if you intend to scramble around on the rocks; currents here are strong, and it's not uncommon for crashing waves to wash over the rocks unexpectedly. This beach also has a large camping area and some facilities, including food kiosks that tend to be open only on busy days. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: walking.

This beach is popular for both swimming and surfing, but take care with the strong current. There's a summer festival with live music and water-sports competitions here, normally the first week of July. Lots of local scuba instructors hold classes and do dive certifications here as well. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; surfing; swimming.

This Dorado beach—not to be confused with a beach by the same name in the northwestern town of Isabela—is suitable for swimming and has shade trees, changing rooms, and restrooms, although it's certainly not top-of-class among North Coast beaches. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Puerto Rico has incredible geographic diversity for such a small island, from the rain forest of El Yunque to the dry forest of Guánica. But along the northern coast, there are all sorts of micro-habitats, including marshes and lagoons and flat stretches of grasslands that have reclaimed their territory after their use as sugarcane fields for much of the 20th century. If you're speeding past in a car, they're hard to appreciate, so stop at this nature reserve, which is crisscrossed with mountain-biking trails and has a kayak launch point. Marsh and coastal birds, as well as an occasional caiman, can be spotted here.