guajataca forest reserve

Great place for a day hike! We started up the trail and went to the observation tower first. Then continued on to the cave. When we reached the cave it was very reminiscent of Indiana Jones. Netting above the stairs held a large black snake asleep in the sun. Once down the stairs you will need your own flashlight. I used the light on my phone, but it wasn't quite bright enough. Lots of neat formations and lots of bats. Very cool place for the adventurous. There are bathroom facilities near the parking lot.

A nice hike through a well preserved forest to the Cave of the Winds. The two of us are in our late 50's, and even with some knee problems were able to make the hike without much difficulty. As other reviewers have stated,route 446 leading to the park (km 11.3) gets very narrow and winding as your approach it. Bring water and light snacks with you. We brought ponchos and hikers lights with us. Avoid the weekends, and go early in the day, less chance of getting rained on. The cave is not large, but if you haven't visited one before, or in a long time, it can be a cool experience.

January 2015, a day away from the beach (stayed in condo on Montones beach) drove up to this forest reserve to see the cave. Drove the width of the reserve and back again to find that path to the cave was at the entrance on the north end. Just the drive is interesting - narrow (like one car wide) so drive slow and honk like suggested when approaching corners. The trail to the cave felt like 2 miles but was just over 1. good trail, traversing steep heavily wooded hillsides. No mosquitos (unlike northern MN). The cave was worth the visit - big deep hole, and your on your own.

This place has an awesome view, picnic tables, restaurants close by, it makes a really nice day out.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a ranger who gave us info on hiking. Bring your own food and water.

Short trip from Isabela's beaches where we were staying. Beautiful scenery road at times carry because it was very narrow( you must honk your horn in the curves to let incoming traffic know of your presence). Across the parking area is the beginning of the hike. Path borders the edge of the mountain but is safe and wide. Their are good directional sings that lead you to various places. Beautiful and very lush rain forest with singing birds and we saw 2 fairly large snakes that slowly moved away from us. We walked to the Wind Cave( make sure to bring a flash light) about 1.5 miles from entrance, very interesting rock formations and you will see harmless bats. If you walke all the path is about 5 miles total. Is free, bring a picnic as there is no business near by, hicking shoes and insect repellant. Great & safe outdoor adventure for families

It was nice and sunny when we started the hike to the wind caves (cuevas de viento) and of course after 5 minutes it started pouring.. I'm talking tsunami style rain, while our rain jackets were in the car. It rained the entire time we were there (over 3 hours). By the time we got to the cave we were drenched, I had to twist my clothes to get the water out!! The caves are dry, thank goodness! If you are going, be sure to take good hiking shoes as the trails are very muddy and slippery. There are stairs down to the caves, but once there you will encounter total darkness! We took headlamps, which were sufficient! The place is amazing, very cool caves with bats everywhere!! They were flying about 1ft and up above our heads. You could see tons of bats sleeping on the cave ceiling. Don't go without flash lights or with flip flops please! It was nice walking in the jungle, drenched while you heard the skys roar with thunder.. When we went on a Monday there was no one at all in the caves! We saw one family on the trail, but that's it.. your on your own here.

Go Eagle. Many boys scout has earn their Eagle rank on this facilities. The lake is perfect for water safety and canoeing merit batch. Open area for the public outside the camping ground. Great for picnic, nature walk, nature hike, mountain biking and many other family oriented activities. Come and join the fun

Guajataca is an amazing place as far as tropical forests go. We went there on advice of a friend and had my cousin who knows Puerto Rico well drive us. The roads are winding, mountainous and in some places very steep. Some of the roads have no railings so they could be dangerous. There are many signs asking individuals to honk the horn when going around a curve as traffic comes from both ways. Overall the drive to the forest is very relaxed and cool.The state forest is not for everybody. Some of the trails are difficult to climb and get through. A few of the trails take a number of hours to get to the designated points. The place is well marked with signs and color coding. There is a huge biodiversity within this small area. If you like hiking, birdwatching, or just like the stillness and coolness of the forest this is for you. It may not be the best place to bring little kids. There is an office we can check in, and restroom facilities. This place is not wheelchair friendly. If you are in a wheelchair or scooter you can go up and down the main road which is paved and is a nice stroll especially for picture taking. You can find Puerto Rican boas and other nonpoisonous snakes as well as many plants and insects. The park closes at dawn so get there early to make the best of your experience.Tips:Bring Plenty of Drinking WaterBring Protein SnacksMake Sure Your Car Is in Working ConditionWear Comfortable Shoes or BootsIf You're Going to Visit the Cave Bring a Flashlight

Loved walking the well kept trails, signs to direct you to Cueva del Vuento are easy to follow. There is an observation tower off the trail and an observation deck right on the trail. We heard qute a few birds along the way. The hike on trail #1 is fairly easy except for the cave entrance itself which is not terrible but is steep, however handrails are installed for safety. Do bring water and powerful flashlights, the cave is fairly large and there are many interesting formations to explore. The cave is completely dark once you take a couple of steps away from the entrance. This forest is in the karst region, terrain in the trails as well as inside the cave is uneven and may be slippery so bring appropiate shoes. Allow 2-3 hours to walk, explore and return.

This park was impressive. Very secluded and off the beaten path which we like. Strayed off the path after Cueva de Viento and ended up following trail#4 till we got to road 446 and walked another mile and 1/2 to the car. Thank goodness we packed a hearty lunch, snacks, and water - we needed it! We want to go back and explore more of the trails but can't find much information online. Would love suggestions.

We took paddle boards down the river and hiked to the old tunnels. It's pretty cool in there! Lush and rainforesty and right near the beach.

Warning if you go on this hike and plan to go to the Cueva del Viento, take some powerful flashlights! Our phone flashlights were totally incapable of lighting the huge capacity of the cave!While we were shedding the cold weather in Puerto Rico, the month of January (2014) (we are natives of the island but long time residents in the US) my sister, owner of the only gourmet cheeses made in P.R.(Vaca Negra,,another great activity to do while you visit the island) invited us to spend couple of days in her villa in Isabela. One of the days we were there she invited us to go and hike with her in the Guajataca Forest Reserve. The road to the forest was beautiful, with huge bamboo trees, large ferns hanging over the road, windy curves as I remembered most of the roads being when I lived in the island. Honking the horn was not noise pollution but a necessity since the road in many of the stretches could only accommodate one vehicle. After traveling for about 20 minutes which seemed as an hour, we arrived at the Forestry Register. One of friendly guides, from the Forestry Division met us and explained to us our options in the trail and cautions we needed to heed. We wanted to go to the Cueva del Viento, so we began our climb and descends as we began our hike. It took us (3 of us) around 40 minutes to arrive at the opening of the cave walking slow and admiring the vegetation and the cliffs! Follow the sign or you will end up in the next town! When we arrived at the cave we had to descend through a steep ladder which is in need of repair!, Carefully we kept on descending. The cave is HUGE and magnificent with many stalagmites and stalactites. Our phone flashlight were totally inefficient to explore the cave, so we stayed only where the outside rays of light could illuminate the cave! There were bats and we could see them fly once in a while! The cave is amazing, but take a powerful flashlight. We are planning to return better armed for the experience!

Fresh grapefruit and banana trees, iguanas running around, waterfalls and beautiful scenery. Highly recommended for nature lovers

We drove to guajatica forest to walk on the interactive trail. The road into the forest is narrow and winds upwards through forest and quaint neighborhoods. The road is so narrow that it can barely accommodate one lane of traffic let alone the two way traffic it carries. It is important to follow directions and honk as you go around the sharp curves to avoid an accident. Bring water, wear. Good shoes, and remember your flashlight (our cell phone flashlight apps were inadequate). This attraction is a national park and it is free of charge!When we arrived at the beginning of the trail, the information center was closed. We read the map and headed on trail one to the interpretive trail/cave of the wind. After about an hour, we reached a steep set of Wooden stairs that leads down to the cave opening. The trees surrounding it were huge and had roots growing down into the cave. This cave was a wonder. There were 2 large rooms with beautiful rock formations. We were unable to fully explore the inside as our flashlights were not strong enough. Some of the people that were there before us shined their lights on the inner walls for us. This is a natural unlighted place. A treasure! There were restless bats inside and one woman showed us a picture of a scorpion she saw on the cave walls. This place was so cool better than the commercialized rio camuy caves although on a smaller scale and more difficult to get to. On the hike out, we climbed up to an observation tower to view the surrounding hills and valley. This is the karst region so the hills were uniquely shaped an interesting to look at. On the way out, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant (very good chicken burrito) Highly recommended for a day of adventure off the beaten path.