7 Best Sights in Dorado and Environs, The North Coast and the Cordillera Central

Hacienda Don Carmelo

Hacienda Don Carmelo means different things to different people. To couples getting married, it's a gorgeous backdrop for a dream wedding. To jockeys and horse lovers, it's a school of equestrian art and a venue for the finest horse shows on the island. To visitors who stop by on the first Saturday of the month, it's a pleasant opportunity to take a break from the traffic on a walk through a 60-acre property with views of the Atlantic Ocean. The branches of a 130-year-old tree hold a beautiful tree house. If the property looks vaguely familiar, you might have seen it before: the hacienda appeared on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. You will, however, need to make a reservation if you want to access the property and go on a tour of its grounds.

Hacienda La Esperanza

One of several Conservation Trust properties around the island is a restored sugar plantation with a functioning steam engine that once powered the sugarcane press, increasing production fourfold. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hacienda requires an appointment for tours, but visitors with a little time will find it a worthwhile opportunity to learn a great deal about the bittersweet role of sugar in Puerto Rican and Caribbean history.

Playa Breñas

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.

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Playa Cerro Gordo

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.

Playa Los Tubos

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.

Playa Sardinera

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.

Reserva Natural Laguna Tortuguero

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.

The North Coast and the Cordillera Central

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