San Juan Excursions

Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory

America's ears and eyes are focused on the stars from the island of Puerto Rico. In the northwest mountains of the island about 90 minutes drive west of San Juan, among the Karst Country hills, is one of the most important astronomical research facilities on earth, the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory. Its massive dish is larger in area than a dozen football fields and is sited in a sinkhole, aimed at the heavens and tuned to detect the slightest sounds emitted from the farthest stars. This is the home base for NASA's 'SETI' (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) project and as such holds great fascination for visitors. A Visitors Centre is equipped with interactive exhibits to demonstrate how the huge structure works. Visitors can hike to the viewing platform to view the vast tiled dish.

Website: www.naic.edu; Telephone: 878 2612; Opening time: Open daily from 9am to 4pm in June, July, December and January. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in the remaining months ; Admission: US$5 (adults), US$3 (children)