Exploring Extreme Diversity in Puerto Rico
by Mary Alice Hayward

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One of the lesser known exotic jewels of the U.S. National Forest system lies just 40 forty kilometers southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Containing 27,846 acres and about 75 percent of Puerto Rico's virgin forest, the Caribbean National Forest, or El Yunque, is a lush rainforest worth a visit and a hike.

Easily accessible by car, the interior of the rainforest is criss-crossed with clearly marked trails leading to waterfalls, vista points, and several lookout towers with excellent views. Boasting several types of forests-- montane, palm, and dwarf-- the Caribbean National Forest has been in a protected state since Spanish occupation and subsequent U.S. control. Consequently, the area is a pristine, rich ecosystem full of biodiversity in an easily accessible area.

We chose the Mount Brittan Trail, one of six main trials, to explore. The trail is a raised concrete sidewalk. I felt I was walking up to someone's front door, not embarking into the depths of a dark rainforest. The sound of dripping water filled the air and the humidity made the trail slippery. Traction was difficult going up the steep inclines. The wildlife appeared to be asleep, but we saw several fine specimens of orchids, bromeliads, and flowering trees. Somewhere birds up in the canopy called, but we could not discern where or what kind they were. We passed very few people.

After about a half an hour of steady climbing, we spied the Mount Brittan tower looming up, solitary and regal. Visions of Monty Python's The Search for the Holy Grail filled my head. Leaning out of the windows, to my horror, were hordes of teenaged kids, ice creams in hand and candy wrappers floating down. Their shrieks and laughter overpowered the silence we had enjoyed just a few feet below. Not my idea of rain forest sights nor something I wanted to endure, so we went back down the trail and waited a while with the hopes that this group would disappear (forever). We were rewarded for our patience when we tried again.

Empty and sadly littered with popsicle sticks and sweet wrappers, the tower commanded an impressive view of the south eastern side of the island and sparkling sea beyond. The rainforest swept out around below us. Built sometime in 1930-35 by the U.S. civilian conservation corps, this tower was named after a botanist from New York who studied here. We spent quite a while up in the tower savoring the sights and enjoying the cool breezes before our descent. I felt compelled to pick up the sweet wrappers and put them in the bin nearby.

On our way out, driving south on Route 191, we stopped at a collection of food kiosks on the left hand side of the road to admire the delightful view of the rainforest valley below. Tempted by the smells of comida tipica cooking-- fried plantains, yuca, and fish - we couldn't resist eating. It was delicious, authentic Puerto Rican cooking that we washed down with fruit liquados. Our fingers slippery from putting fried food into our mouths, we stuffed ourselves into our tiny rental car and head southwest for more.

Some 25 miles southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico's second largest city on the southern coast, lies another diverse, splendid ecosystem. The Reserva Forestal Guanica is excellent example of a dry, arid forest encompassing 1,620 acres of cacti, scrub, and subtropical flora and fauna. Being mid-afternoon and quite hot by the time we arrived, we chose the short, 2 kilometer Ballena trail, one of the ten marked trails in the reserva.

The Ballena trail was full of multi-colored birds, little brown lizards with neon blue tails, a squiggly copper snake, and a reportedly 700 year old guayaca tree with a trunk 6 feet in diameter. We nearly missed this old tree . When we realized that the tree we were searching for was this unimpressive, gnarly, thin trunked tree we were leaning against, we didn't bother to take a photograph of it. The walk back was far more interesting.

However, our disappointment with the tree was forgotten as we discovered another area of the reserva. I queried the reserva guide for directions to the coast for an early evening hike. He pointed us to the obscure section of Playa de Ventanas within the reserva. With his promises of a bosque de bonsai there, we snacked at a roadside kiosk, and set off for the coast.

The Playa de Ventanas is a spectacular, dramatic coastal area with beach swimming and intricate footpaths. We chose the path the reserva guide recommended - take the one that runs along the edge of the beach straight east. There we would find the magnificent bosque de bonsai. We walked for a mile and a half right along the beach and rocky coast, leaving the swimmers, picnic baskets, and random walkers behind. Suddenly we arrived at an area of wild, beaten, shrunken shrubs flanked by large boulders and high, sheer cliffs dropping off into the sea. This was the promised bosque de bonsai. Hundreds of little scraggy trees faded east as far as the we could see.

While not what we had envisioned as a bonsai forest, this terrain and flora were quite striking. The little trees twisted at sharp angles away from the sea creating intense shadows. The surf crashed high up against the cliffs, leaving waterpools in indented rocks, drenching me as a tried for a spectacular surf and spray sunset photograph. We watched the setting sun paint the rocks golden, red, and then purple. In the dusky light, we walked back to our tired car to search for a quiet bed in Ponce.

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