Side Trip from San Juan

About 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on traffic, of course) west of San Juan, off Route 22, lies Arecibo, home of the world-famous Arecibo Observatory. If you’re in the area visiting the nearby Río Camuy cave park or the Barceloneta outlets—or if you’re just an astronomy buff—it’s worth a stop to see the massive radio telescope. Once you’re out of the metropolitan area, the drive takes you through Puerto Rico’s karst country, with its strangely beautiful limestone formations covered in vegetation.