Puerto Rico boasts an incredible array of landscapes, and there are many ways to explore the Island while caring for these unique ecosystems. From caving adventures to farm tours, you can immerse yourself in a variety of natural settings — including coastal valleys, wetlands, mangroves, salt flats, coral reef reserves, bioluminescent bays, and the Island’s karst system.
Read on to find out why Puerto Rico is one of the best destinations for ecotourism and sustainable travel, and explore some of the experiences you can have while vacationing on the Island.
Agritourism Experiences on the Island
Agritourism is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of vacation time in the Caribbean, but it's a perfect way to learn about Puerto Rico's farming community while also enjoying our natural wonders. You'll soon discover that the Island's varied landscape and tropical climate have given rise to an innovative and sustainable agriculture industry.
Spend the Day at a Local Farm
Enjoy a day in the northern countryside and learn about Puerto Rico's farm-to-table movement at Frutos del Guacabo in Manatí. When you’re done learning, tasting, and even planting, you can hit the nearby beach, Mar Chiquita, inside a natural reserve. Close by is Hacienda Don Carmelo, situated in Vega Baja. There, you can experience the equestrian art of Paso Fino, understand the training and care for this elegant horse breed, and snap pictures around the majestic treehouse that sits atop a 125-year-old Samaena saman tree. Take a cart ride through Finca Don Manuel in Santa Isabel, a 320-acre farm with pineapple, papaya, banana, and plantain crops. In the western town of Lajas, you can visit the family-run Hacienda Cabezona pineapple farm—and enjoy a fresh pineapple at the end of your tour. Over in Aguas Buenas, stop by Finca Artesanal, a family farm that follows the practice of ecological agroforestry agriculture, or El Paraíso Agrícola de Aguas Buenas, to learn about the cultivation of pineapple and guava. Or book a stay at El Pretexto, the Island's first culinary farm lodge located in Cayey.
More farms in Puerto Rico to visit:
Learn the Art of Cheese-making
Are you a cheese lover? Indulge in an extraordinary experience learning the art of cheese and yogurt-making at Vaca Negra, one of the Island’s most innovative agritourism centers.
Nestled in the town of Hatillo (which is known for having more cows than people), Vaca Negra invites you to please your palate with a tasting of cheeses produced and aged in Puerto Rico, and make some cheese of your own. Add your preferred spices and stamp it with your initials before taking your creation home. Surprise the guests at your next party by breaking out some of your own Boricua cheese!
Visit a Cacao Farm
Agritourism on the Island not only invites you to slow down, but also helps you learn about Puerto Rico’s farming practices, blending jibaro knowledge and recent farming innovations. In addition to coffee and other produce, the Island also has various cacao farms that you can visit. Jeanmarie Chocolat is a small cacao farm in the town of Aguada, where you can book a hands-on grafting workshop or take a guided tour of the hacienda that ends with a pleasant chocolate tasting. You can also experience being a cacao farmer for the day at Hacienda Semila in Barceloneta.
Cacao agritourism experiences in Puerto Rico:
Additional Agritourism Adventures
Puerto Rico has plenty of other agritourism experiences as well! Hacienda Recaos Ortiz in San Lorenzo grows medicinal plants and teaches you about cultivation and propagation methods. When it comes to superfood production, Amasar in Jayuya and EntrePanas in Utuado can teach you a thing or two. These breadfruit haciendas produce breadfruit (known as pana in Spanish) gluten-free flour—just be sure to purchase your admission tickets beforehand! Explore an array of products derived from coconuts during an excursion through Coco's Lazzu facility in Maunabo.
Eco-Friendly Activities in Puerto Rico
From mountain to sea—yes, you can hit them all in Puerto Rico, and check them off your bucket list in just one trip! The best part? You’ll leave behind only footprints and take with you an unforgettable, sustainable travel experience of natural proportions.
Visit One of The Island’s Many Caves
Go underground into Puerto Rico's extensive network of caves for a truly off-the-beaten-path eco-adventure. From Cueva Ventana in Arecibo to the Natural Reserve of Cabachuelas in Morovis, you can learn all about the geological formation of the Island, see historical artifacts that belonged to the early Taíno tribes, and take spectacular pictures from the depths beneath Puerto Rico’s Central Mountains. Many ecotourism companies offer half-day and full-day excursions with different levels of difficulty.
Delve Into our Guide to Exploring The Island’s Caves
Kayak a Bio Bay in Vieques
While there are many kayak rentals and ecotours around Puerto Rico, Black Beard in Vieques offers guided explorations of the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world: Mosquito Bay. As ecotour operators, they also offer hiking, biking, small sailing boats, snorkeling, diving, and paddleboard tours around the island municipality. Through these watersports, you can enjoy both a recreational and educational experience on Vieques.
Mosquito Bay is one of three bio bays in Puerto Rico, all of which you can explore by kayak.
Discover More About The Island’s Bio Bays
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Adventures
Puerto Rico offers wonderful places for snorkeling and scuba diving in calm Caribbean waters. With protected marine areas and pristine islets and cays teeming with vibrant ocean life, several spots make water activities a dream-like experience during your vacation. Explore popular spots in San Juan with Scuba Dogs, discover the east side's underwater world with Pirate Snorkeling Shack or Pure Adventure, and dive into the turquoise waters of the west side with Rincón Diving & Snorkeling.
Hike Rainforests and Dry Forests
Puerto Rico's biodiversity is on display in two extraordinary parks: El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest Service, and Guánica State Forest, a coastal dry forest where trails are lined with cacti. Amazingly, these very different environments are located just 2.5 hours apart, and make for a memorable eco-friendly adventure!
If you love to hike, it's only a matter of deciding which park suits your fancy. El Yunque boasts hundreds of miles of trails for all levels of hikers, some of which lead to secluded waterfalls with refreshing pools. Just 30 minutes from the Metro area, El Yunque makes an easy day trip from San Juan. At Guánica Dry Forest, you can choose between short trails to the coast or longer trails that lead to the dramatic Fuerte Caprón, a historic fort on top of a peak. Make this part of a visit to Puerto Rico's south region, staying in vibrant municipalities such as Ponce or Guánica. If you’re in the Central Region, the Northwestern town of Utuado houses many wonders, including the Río Abajo State Forest along the Tanamá River.
Explore Popular Hiking Trails in Puerto Rico
Explore Eco-Diversity at Punta Tuna
One of Puerto Rico’s best-kept secrets is the Maunabo reserve Punta Tuna, a scenic coastal wetland with great ecological diversity. You’ll find the Island's first and only interpretive trail adapted for the vision impaired and customized for people with diverse capabilities. Visit the lighthouse and, if you’re in luck, you can spot sea turtles nesting in season. Did we mention the views of the beach are spectacular from atop the lighthouse?
Bike Around San Juan
Rent a bike at Rent the Bicycle for a unique sightseeing adventure in San Juan or take a guided ecotour of the community micro-entrepreneur project of the communities surrounding the Caño Martín Peña with Bici Caño. Get energized and have fun while learning about the Island’s history as you pedal through the city in a group.
Tour Puerto Rico’s History
Explore Puerto Rico's rich historical and cultural heritage with an array of tours available across various municipalities. Uncover the history of Old San Juan through guided cultural experiences. Immerse yourself in the city’s past with an architecture tour by the Puerto Rico Historic Building Drawings Society, or explore local artisan markets with Ruta Artesanal Boricua. Alternatively, delve into the diverse cultural, historical, and ecological tapestry of the south side of the Island with Puerto Rico al Sur, Inc. and discover the urban heart of Ponce through a walking history tour led by Isla Caribe.
Other history tours on the island:
Go Glamping at an Eco-Resort
Puerto Rico's scenic rural areas outside of San Juan have become glamping hot spots. Far from roughing it, you can enjoy many creature comforts at these eco-destinations — including swimming pools, plush beds, and private baths — while leaving a small environmental footprint.
Some glamping accommodations include Pitahaya Glamping Eco-Retreat and Hacienda Verde Tahití in Cabo Rojo, Yuquiyú Treehouses in Río Grande, and El Nido in Vieques, which is Puerto Rico's first "bubble tent" lodging.
Learn More about Glamping in Puerto Rico
Enjoy a Body Rafting Adventure
Enjoy an exhilarating adventure Body Rafting down Puerto Rico’s beautiful rivers! Float, twist, and turn with the current through breathtaking canyons, surrounded by lush tropical scenery. It’s a unique way to go canyoning, created by Explora Puerto Rico! Located in the mountainous municipality of Jayuya, they offer a 5-hour eco-adventure down the Tanamá River that flows through Jayuya, Utuado, and Arecibo. It's a fun and refreshing way to experience the Island's natural beauty, offering thrills and unforgettable memories.
Try Canyoning in Puerto Rico
Volunteer Opportunities in Puerto Rico
If you want to have more hands-on impact during your time in Puerto Rico, there are plenty of volunteer programs you can join, from educational initiatives, beach clean-up, soup kitchens, and many more.
Learn about the Volunteer Opportunities in Puerto Rico
