Within easy reach of San Juan's cosmopolitan bustle are superb attractions and natural wonders. With San Juan as your base, you can explore the island by day and return in time for a final dip in the ocean and an evening on the town. Other places near San Juan, such as the Hyatt resort at Dorado, are destinations unto themselves.
About 90 minutes west of San Juan is the world's largest radar/radio-telescope, Arecibo Observatory. After touring this awesome facility, you can travel west to nearby Río Camuy, for a good look at marvels below ground. Here you can plunge deep into the subterranean beauty of a spectacular cave system carved over eons by one of the world's largest underground rivers.
Prefer to stay closer to San Juan? Virtually on the city's doorstep, only 18 miles (29km) to the west, is the Dorado resort, home of the famed Hyatt Dorado. The property opens onto beautiful white sandy beaches. If you want to avoid the congestion of the Condado's high-rise hotels, consider a beach holiday here. The Hyatt is family-friendly.
Just 35 miles (56km) east of San Juan is the Caribbean National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Park System. Named by the Spanish for its anvil-shaped peak, El Yunque receives more than 100 billion gallons of rainfall annually. If you have time for only one side trip, this is the one to take. Waterfalls, wild orchids, giant ferns, towering tabonuco trees, and sierra palms make El Yunque a photographer's and hiker's paradise. Pick up a map and choose from dozens of trails graded by difficulty, including El Yunque's most challenging -- the 6-mile (9.7km) El Toro Trail to the peak. At El Yunque is El Portal Tropical Center, with 10,000 square feet (929 sq. m) of exhibit space, plazas, and patios. This facility greatly expands the recreational and educational programs available to visitors. La Coca Falls and an observation tower are just off Route 191.
Visitors can combine a morning trip to El Yunque with an afternoon of swimming and sunning on tranquil Luquillo Beach. Soft white sand, shaded by coconut palms and the blue sea, makes this Puerto Rico's best and best-known beach. Take a picnic or, better yet, sample local specialties from the kiosks.
