Fajardo
Navio Beach, Vieques Island © El Yunque Travel Guide
Fajardo, on the Atlantic Ocean east coast of Puerto Rico, is the island's scuba diving Mecca. Dozens of boating companies offer charters and diving excursions on a range of craft, most based at the town's Puerto del Rey Marina, the largest marina in the Caribbean. Besides having two beautiful beaches just minutes away from town, there are also several uninhabited small islets just offshore, surrounded by coral reefs, and the neighbouring islands of Vieques and Culebra connected by ferry and air charters. Fajardo is thus in striking distance of a variety of watersports playgrounds.

Fajardo's forest-fringed public beaches, Seven Seas Beach and Luquillo Beach, offer calm, clear waters ideal for snorkelling and swimming, and are equipped with cafes, ablution blocks and lifeguards. For landlubbers, or those wanting a break from the ocean blue, the area also sports El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest administered by the United States National Forest Service, noted for its biodiversity and stunning walking trails.

Fajardo town itself does not offer much in the way of attractions, but it serves as an accommodation centre for this delightful part of Puerto Rico. It is also a social hub for holidaymakers thanks to the presence of the luxurious Wyndham El Conquistador resort, which has a lively casino and world-class golf course.



Attractions

El Faro lighthouse, Las Cabezas
El Faro lighthouse, Las Cabezas © Puerto Rico Convention Bureau

Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve

Located on three promontories on the extreme northeast corner of the island, Las Cabezas reserve is one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse natural areas in Puerto Rico. The reserve is close to Fajardo, a major marina and diving resort, about an hour's drive from San Juan. The area offers pristine beaches ideal for snorkelling. The reserve contains seven different ecological systems including coral reefs, sandy beaches, lagoons, mangroves and dry forest. It is also home to several endangered species. Boardwalk trails provide easy access. A restored 19th century lighthouse, El Faro, is situated on one of the headlands and offers an information centre and observation deck.

Telephone: 722 5882 (weekday reservations), 860 2560 (weekend reservations); Opening time: Wednesday to Sunday, reservations required. English language tours 2pm.; Admission: US$7 (adults), US$4 (children)

Excursions

Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque)

The Caribbean National Forest, 35 miles (56km) east of San Juan, is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Park system and was named El Yunque by the Spanish. Its 28,000 acres contain about 240 different species of tree and numerous other plants from tiny wild orchids to giant ferns. Visitors can start their visit at the El Portal Tropical Forest Centre where there are films, exhibits and interactive displays on the rainforest. Maps are available and you can choose from dozens of walking trails through the forest, graded according to difficulty. Nearby is Puerto Rico's best beach, Luquillo Beach, with its soft white sand and coconut palms.

E-mail: mtirado@fs.fed.us; Website: www.fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean; Telephone: 888 1880; Opening time: Daily 7.30am to 6pm. El Porto Rain Forest Center: 9am to 4.30pm


Culebra and Vieques

Dubbed 'the enchanted isles' Vieques and her smaller sister Culebra lie off of Puerto Rico's east coast, accessible from San Juan by air and from Fajardo by ferry. Both support a few thousand friendly, laid-back inhabitants who live life peacefully and slowly, enriching rather than impacting on the natural beauty of their home. Vieques is 20-odd miles long and five wide and consists largely of the biggest wildlife sanctuary in the Caribbean, protected by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with azure clear waters and sugary white sand, are to be found in the sanctuary. If you plan to visit Vieques stay overnight to experience its premier attraction, Bio Bay. On a moonless night the bay glows with the bioluminescence radiated by a microscopic one-celled organism called a dinoflagellate, providing an unforgettable sight. Smaller Culebra, just seven miles long and three wide, is a few miles north of Vieques and is renowned for the clarity of the waters washing its shores. This is occasioned by the fact that the island has no rivers or streams causing run-off: the arid island has to have water piped from Puerto Rico via Vieques. This quiet, unspoiled island offers unrivalled snorkelling and scuba diving in its magnificent encircling reefs, kayak expeditions and hiking trails for bird-watchers through the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge.

Telephone: 863-0705 (for current departures to Culebra and Vieques)

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