(continued)

Just minutes from Casa Canales, we pulled up beside the Rio Saliente at a popular swimming spot called La Piedra Escrita. Here several giant boulders dotted the river, creating both rocky shorelines and islands. Kids were waiting in a line to jump off one such boulder from a certain spot, so I scrambled up the same rock, watching as they splashed in water below. Before making my leap, I noticed that this rock was half-covered in ancient petroglyphs. This spot had certainly been popular for quite some time.

As I swam towards the shore, a young man shouted, “You are lucky!”

I asked why and then grabbed a large rock to pull myself forward. I had jumped into shallow water, he explained, and there were only a few deep spots. Maybe I should have jumped from where the other kids were jumping, I thought to myself. From further conversation, I was surprised to find that he and his family, scattered around the pool, were visiting from New York. His grandmother hailed from Jayuya, and he had been coming back to swim at this spot since he was four. He also reminded me that I was off the beaten track for a visitor to Puerto Rico. “I never see tourists up here!”

That’s because they’re all at the beach, I thought. These mountain towns, in addition to their historic charm, are surrounded by so many natural wonders: forests, extensive cave systems, and rivers that run through and under the forest canopy. With the thrill and enjoyment of our Toro Negro and Tanama staircasing adventures still fresh in my mind, I thought of the many tourists choosing to remain on the beach throughout their stay in Puerto Rico. To say they are missing out would be quite the understatement. And yet, for its sake, I would hope that central Puerto Rico remains off of the radar of mainstream tourism. Our travel defined true ecotourism: supporting the locals, sharing meals at their houses, doing our utmost to preserve the land we traversed while learning bits and pieces about their flora, fauna, history, and culture. Unless travelers were willing to do likewise, I would rather see them remain along the “beaten paths” of sand that circle the coastline.

The island’s new tourism slogan, “Explore beyond the shore,” urges beachgoers to take a day to see what’s on the other side of the sand. It suggests they take a day to explore El Yunque, or for the more adventurous, to check out the heart of Puerto Rico with adventures like ours on the Tanama and Toro Negro. As well as the many and varied physically-exhilarating experiences, I had enjoyed several moments of intense tranquility: floating in the bioluminescent waters of Bio Bay, listening to complete silence in the center of a mountain in Barrio Caguana, taking in the spectacular views of the Tanamá and Quebrada Rosa while flying above them on ziplines. I left Puerto Rico in awe at what such a small and often mislabeled island had to offer. Though my three-day visit was overloaded with adventure, it simply wasn’t enough time. A return visit someday is not an option--it is a must.

PREVIOUS PAGE

1

2

3

{4}