Bosque Estatal de Guanica (Puerto Rico)

Stumbles Recommended!

Bosque Estatal de Guanica is a state "forest" in Puerto Rico with beautiful beaches, trails, and views.  This park is one of the more diverse places I've been, and it is no surprise that it is a designated United Nations Biosphere Reserve.  Although it is on the same island as the more well-known El Yunque forest, it is not a rain forest.

Overview: The park is located in Guanica, PR, on the southern side of the island.  It has (at least) three distinct climates to experience: deciduous forest, desert/dry forest, and coast.  Most of the 36 miles of trails are short (under 4 miles).  The highlight, in my view, is Vereda Meseta trail along the coast.  

The smaller of two beaches at the end of Carretera 333

Vereda Meseta Trail (3.5 km; in-and-out):  This flat trail begins at the parking lot where Carretera 333, a lovely drive in itself, dead ends at two large beaches.  As much as you might want to spend your time right there in the waves, start heading east (the ocean to your right) along the shore and you'll pick up the Veredra Meseta trail.  It may take some trial and error to find the right route, as several paths cut between the trees that people use for shade when hanging out at the beach. 

One of the paths between shade trees

The trail is well-defined and easy to follow, although we did not observe any "blazes" marking the way.  You stay close to the coast for the entire length, with access to small beaches early on giving way to short but nevertheless photogenic oceanfront cliffs.  We could have spent hours exploring the area but, sadly, came across the trail without adequate water or sunscreen and without our camera.  Once you reach the end of the trail ... well, I hope I wouldn't have to tell you to turn around and come back the way you came, but I'll tell you just the same.

Other Things to Explore:  There is a limestone cave near Vereda Meseta that you can explore, but only with a ranger.  See the Information Center at the park headquarters (below).  My sister and I attempted a less popular route in the deciduous forest section of the park that we enjoyed for the novelty of the experience but rapidly deteriorated into bushwhack that I wouldn't do again.  

Beginning the bushwhack, trail guide in hand

Logistics: I strongly recommend paying a visit to the Information Center in the interior part of the park (take Carretera 334 east until it dead ends in the park) before heading out on any hikes.  There, you can pick up an English-language information booklet with trail descriptions and other useful information, such as what plants to avoid brushing up against.  The day we hiked through the forest, a friendly gentleman staffed the Information Center, but he did not speak very much English.  So if you want to ask questions, it's possible that se necessita hacer preparado de hablar espanol.

Oh, so that's what I'm not supposed to touch...

Water, sunscreen, and a hat are essential for any hike in the park.  It was extremely - drippingly - humid, even early in the day.  In the dry forest / desert and coastal areas of the park, there is almost no shade.  For supplies, you can stop by the Econo grocery store right off Carretera 332 in town.  Alternatively, you can drive 15-20 minutes to Yauco, which has a large commercial supermarket.