There’s More to Northern Puerto Rico than Its Beaches

Puerto Rico is famous for its legendary beaches, but there is a lot more to this little island than idyllic shores. With a pleasing, year-round tropical climate, Puerto Rico offers tasty delicacies not found anywhere else, exciting developments in sustainability, and often-missed, picturesque mountains concealing plenty of adventures for the intrepid traveler.

I knew very little about the island when I arrived in Dorado del Mar, a scenic beach town only a short drive from the capital of San Juan. I checked into my room at Embassy Suites, whose grounds came fully loaded—a fantastic stretch of the coastline with relaxing pools, a seaside bar, and around the corner, a casino and a black-lit bowling alley offering laid-back vibes. I changed out of my flying clothes and followed some music outside to a small booth to meet and mingle with the others from my group. A DJ was playing soothing, on-brand island music next to an intriguing set of coolers, whose insides concealed a colorful mixture of locally grown fruits and vegetables that powered the assortment of cocktails the others had been imbibing for the past hour. I grabbed one sans alcohol at random and was trying to figure out the combined flavors when I noticed a bit of strange gesturing in the corner of my eye. A chef was using a wooden mortar to mash an unseen substance, and after a few moments, he turned it upside down to reveal a perfectly cylindrical specimen of mofongo. A local Puerto Rican delicacy created from mashed plantains and whose taste isn’t very far removed from potatoes, the chef sprinkled some seasoning on it and handed it to me. After a few tasty bites, a mortar of my own was placed into my hands along with some plantains and I went to work. Before I knew it, I flipped the device and dumped out my very own mofongo, dusted it with some of the seasoning to give it a kick, and washed down my creation with the rest of my fruity mocktail. The soft glow of sunset was beginning to arrive by this point, so we followed up the meet and greet with dinner at Bocaito, which served fresh Caribbean seafood and locally made wine to round out our first foray into the local cuisine. Not bad, Puerto Rico.

A lot of the meals at Bocaito were prepared with local ingredients. The tropical climate in Puerto Rico allows pretty much anything to grow, and in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, sustainability has been on the rise. The next day saw a visit to Frutos del Guacabo, a local farm whose offerings can be found at many restaurants on the island. The farm, where the bleating of goats and the sight of roaming chickens and rabbits greeted us as we pulled in, was a bustling complex surrounded by an outcropping of rocks where I could see wayward animals lounging in some shade. There were rows of plots with every type of green plant imaginable amongst the numerous greenhouses, each containing an impressive arrangement of hydroponic systems growing worlds of innumerable emerald, yellow, purple, and orange bits of flora. Our tour began with a short walk up the very driveway we had just come in on, where I was surprised to learn that the unassuming plants we had driven by on arrival each had a specific purpose on the farm—one to block wind, others to replenish the soil, and yet another to ward off critters from nibbling on the produce. We stopped at each for a sample—there was pink amaranth swaying carefree in the wind alongside peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and squash. We tried some pak choi, bitter turmeric roots, sweet coriander, and tart curry leaf, some indigenous to places as far away as China and India. After shoving various bits of these roadside plants in my mouth, a peculiar, miniature popcorn-looking yellow flower called a “lemon drop” was placed in my palm. I knew something was up when I popped it in my mouth and saw an amused glance come over our hosts’ faces. Suddenly, my mouth lit up with a peculiar electric, buzzing sensation and a bizarre, metallic flavor that came in waves until finally dissipating moments later. I learned afterward that the lemon drop is used as a palette cleanser that would be our amusing segue into lunch.

The meal, where everything in sight was made fresh right on the farm, was a veritable smorgasbord—rice with chicken, stewed beans, house salad with homemade vinaigrette, fruits, wine, and a flan bruleé for dessert. After finishing this lovely meal and exploring the premises, I rounded a corner to encounter the surprise sight of a farm worker milking a goat. I had never seen somebody do this before, and after watching intently as he gradually filled a small metallic tin with dairy, he shot a glance my way and gestured me over to try it. I sat down but wasn’t expecting the abrupt confusion that came over me upon having a squishy udder placed in my hands. I was slightly apprehensive about squeezing bits of random animal and worried it might cause pain to the goat, so I let out a feeble tug and heard silence. After a few moments of awkwardly sitting there with a goat in my lap and with a stupefied look on my face, the farmer helpfully adjusted my grip, gave me a few encouraging words, and I was somewhat surprised when I then heard the jet of milk splash against the side of the tin after applying a little pressure. The bored, nonplussed look on the goat’s face gave me the confidence to continue. After a few rounds of pilfering the animal of its sweet dairy, I eventually found the whole activity meditative. I encouraged the others in my group to try it next, finding amusement as I watched them go through the same process of bafflement into fascination that I did.

Hurricane Maria was a watershed moment for Puerto Rico. In addition to the widespread destruction and spurring developments in sustainability, the storm also revealed a few surprises. At Roca Norte outdoor climbing gym in nearby Monserrate, walls once hidden by a thick snarl of vegetation were unexpectedly revealed in all their craggy glory after the storm swept the veil of brush away. The gym itself, literally located in a house’s backyard, offered an impressive selection of routes. The porous limestone, perfect for climbing with plenty of nooks for hands and feet, presented difficulties for beginners up to more seasoned climbers. Each successful journey to the top also came with the bonus of a pleasing vantage point over the surrounding valley. As a yoga teacher who had recently gotten into bouldering, I was eager to see how I would fare. We reviewed basic climbing knots and terminology and then strapped on our helmets and harnesses. We then took turns going up the beginner path, snapping dramatic selfies and congratulating each other as we each rang the little bell at the top declaring a victorious climb.

After being told I made this first route “look easy,” I was encouraged to attempt the more challenging walls. I indulged my curiosity, tied myself in, and was quickly stunned by how deceiving looks could be when assessing these new climbs. Each was a genuine puzzle to be analyzed and solved, despite looking relatively simple and clear-cut at first glance with their numerous visible crags seemingly good for a grip. I made it about a quarter of the way up the first of these more challenging choices before I was abruptly stumped by a protruding edifice above me, daring me to pass with its scant places for hands and feet and lack of mobility left and right. I had to step back and take things inch by inch, each gain revealing more opportunities until I finally conquered it, only for the next protruding obstacle immediately above to laugh in my face. Ignoring the tired signals from my legs and arms, I made it to the top after considerable effort, flailing my arm at the bell and making sure to conceal my exhaustion to look as badass as possible for my selfie before rappelling back down.

In the evening, we sampled more dimensions of the local cuisine at Cacau Chocolate Bistro in the charming town of Arecibo. Cacao, a tropical plant that has been having a moment as of late for its energizing properties and unique taste, can be grown in Puerto Rico. While chocolate lovers can and absolutely should visit Cacau for its prowess in crafting sweet treats, the restaurant is more than just a fun place to grab a dessert. Virtually every dish, from sugary to savory, creatively incorporates cacao. My delicious plate of pork tenderloin came drizzled with a chocolate sprinkle, whose hints of sweetness and bitterness perfectly complemented the umami of the meat. The ingenuity of the cacao made ordering a possibly irresponsible nighttime cup of coffee too much to resist, but the richness of my evening brew infused with the plant was 100% worth it.

While distracted by the legendary beaches, it can be easy to miss the wealth of majestic mountains in Puerto Rico’s interior. If you want a thrilling take on this lofty landscape with the bonus of 360-degree views and aggressive amounts of speed, look no further than Toro Verde Park near the island’s geographic center in Orocovis. Offering two of the longest ziplines in Latin America, Toro Verde is the place to go if you want an up-close—perhaps too up-close—look at this often-overlooked side of Puerto Rico.

We took a winding drive to the top of a mountain, where I listened to the elated screams of people attached to the wires fade into the distance as I admired the excellent scenery. After checking in, I was handed a strange safety apparatus that resembled a peculiar set of overalls with extra hanging bits that I didn’t fully understand until we scaled to the top of The Monster. The longest ride in the park, measuring just over a mile and a half in length (or approximately 25 football fields), things began to make sense as I watched someone in front of me unfurl a cradle in their suit that they laid down in as the workers strapped them in. I should have half-expected the pangs of anxiety to hit me as I proceeded to witness this person who was only mere feet from me suddenly vanish face-first down the line, morphing from a human form to a tiny imperceptible dot that would have disappeared from my sight if not for the speck in the distance denoting the outpost at the other end of the wire. I was practically in a trance watching this spectacle unfold when I was brought back by a tap on my shoulder informing me that I was next.

I hunkered down in my suit, unaware of what was happening above me, my senses limited to the snapping sounds of the metal clasp and the hand gripping my foot keeping me from careening off into the void. Suddenly I was released, and before my brain could fully process what was happening, tears began accumulating in the corners of my eyes from the incredible speed of the nearly 95 miles per hour I reached in mere seconds. I remember being instructed during my moments of anticipation before the ride to keep my arms close to my body to reduce rocking. The velocity ended up being too much to resist as I spread my arms to fly superhero-style across the chasm, enjoying the texture of the wind against my chest as I showed up the birds circling beneath perplexed by the strange human soaring above. After a blur of time, I reached the outpost on the other end, thinking I was moving too fast to be approaching at first before a mechanism blunted my speed. Two people helped me saunter onto the platform, my legs still coursing with adrenaline as I watched the dots on the opposite side slowly take human shape as the rest of my group flew in one by one. After riding The Beast, the second-longest ride but no less exhilarating, and a few other lines to round out our course, we satisfied our now-hungry stomachs at Toro Verde’s rooftop cafe, offering tasty meals and pleasing views of the elevated terrain punctuated by the occasional yells of thrill seekers dissipating into the distance.

Later that night back in Dorado del Mar, we dined at COA, an elegant restaurant tucked within a Ritz-Carlton resort whose inviting wooden aesthetic and refreshing, open-air sea breeze accented the fiery sunset gradient that merged perfectly with the cool blue hues of the pool visible from our table. COA’s signature feature is its “mibrasa,” or traditional Spanish wood-burning oven, whose versatility puts a unique spin on the restaurant’s numerous mouthwatering tapas best shared with good company. We took bites out of delectable red snapper, seared pumpkin, roasted cauliflower, braised lamb shanks, and much more, each bursting with flavor as they made their rounds around the table.

While the beaches are indeed everything their reputation claims to be and more, Puerto Rico is so much more than relaxing stretches of coastline. Considering the proximity to the U.S. mainland (flights from Florida are only a couple of hours), the ease of entry (no passports are required for American citizens to visit), and an attractive tropical climate year-round, there’s never a wrong time to visit. The treasures concealed within this incredible little island are yours to discover if you need a little more enchanting mountains, beautiful beaches, stunning cuisine, and unforgettable adventures in your life.

John Sizemore is a travel writer, photographer, yoga teacher, and visual entertainment developer based out of Austin, Texas. Follow him on Instagram at @sizemoves. In his downtime, John likes to learn foreign languages and get immersed in other worlds, particularly those of music, film, games, and books in addition to exploring the world.