Compare Hike, Kayak & Snorkel Puerto Rico’s Reefs, Rainforests & Reserves by Road Scholar

Day 1 Arrive, Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner San Juan

Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Program Registration. 5:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, ask the front desk for the location of the Road Scholar meeting room so you can register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. If your arrival is delayed, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. All transportation will be provided by motorcoach unless otherwise specified. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, engaging in available activities on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At a local restaurant a short walk from the hotel, enjoy a plated meal plus soft drinks, coffee, tea or water.

Day 2 To Guanica, Botanical Garden Hike, Ponce City Guanica

Hike about 1 mile, approx. 1 hour, on uneven terrain. Drive to Botanical Gardens is about 15 miles, approx. 1/2 hour; drive to Guanica is about 80 miles, approx. 2 hours.

We’ll check out of the hotel and board the motorcoach for our transfer to La Guanica. En route, we will stop at the UPR Botanical Garden a for an easy-to-moderate hike with a local expert. Taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s pristine climate, the gardens cover about 289 acres of land. It has a Herbarium which houses over 36,000 specimens of dried plants. The Garden provides the public awareness on issues related to native flora and information on environmental issues for the preparation of school projects.

Continuing our transfer to Guanica, we will travel via the Luis A. Ferre Highway over La Cordillera Central, the island's main mountain range. On our way, we will make a short stop in the downtown square of Ponce for a stretch and a look around. Upon arrival, we’ll check-in to the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will enjoy a buffet featuring a wide variety of options including eggs, pancakes, waffles, bread, toast, cereal, and breakfast meats, plus coffee, tea, juice, water.

At a local sandwich restaurant, plus standard beverages.

At the hotel, we’ll have a plated meal plus coffee, tea, soft drinks and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Day 3 Kayaking in La Parguera, Bioluminescent Swim Guanica

Paddling approximately 3 miles . Bring a towel from the hotel

We will meet at the hotel lobby and we will take you to get your kayak to explore mangrove canals ""Canales de la Parguera"" to Cayo Caracoles all the way to stepping foot on to the La Parguera Keys shores, coming eye to eye with the various marine life local to these areas.

At the hotel, we’ll meet at the pool for snorkeling practice where the Group Leader will provide basic instruction and training on how to snorkel as well as other useful tips to fully enjoy your snorkeling experience in Puerto Rico.

We will take transportation to La Parguera where we will embark on a nighttime boat trip with our Group Leader to see the marine light show produced by dinoflagellates when they sense a disturbance and shimmer in the water. Once there, we will have some time to swim and play with the glowing plankton. The Bioluminescent Bay in La Parguera is among the most famous in the world. We’ll then return to the hotel.

At the hotel, we will enjoy a buffet featuring a wide variety of options including eggs, pancakes, waffles, bread, toast, cereal, and breakfast meats, plus coffee, tea, juice, water.

At a local restaurant, we’ll order from a select menu, plus standard beverages.

At a local restaurant, enjoy a plated meal, plus coffee, soft drinks and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Day 4 Snorkeling,Salt Flats, Light House Guanica

Getting on/off boat. Snorkeling in water 3-10 feet deep. Hike about 1 mile, approx. 1 hour, over rubbly terrain. Bring walking shoes with good ankle support and swimwear and a towel for the beach following our hike. Getting on/off boat; ride lasts for approx. 1.5 hours.

We will embark on a boat with our Group Leader to sail to the coral heads, approximately 1 mile offshore. There, we will snorkel in La Parguera Reef, which protects a wide variety of marine life found in La Parguera Nature Reserve by providing them with shelter and food. The reef averages between 3 to 10 feet in depth with great visibility. We’ll then return to shore.

On our way via motorcoach to visit Los Morrillos Lighthouse, we will stop at the salt flats in Rojo Cabo, located in the far southwest of the island. Take in the beautiful scenery as the sun sparkles and reflects off the dry salt and learn how the salt collects on the flats with a local docent. At the tip of the small peninsula sits Los Morrillos Lighthouse, constructed in 1882 by the Spanish to help guide ships from the Caribbean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse sits atop 200-foot cliffs and is surrounded by salty lagoons and marshes. From the top of the hill, enjoy impressive vistas of the beautiful crescent shape bay beach with calm, clear blue waters. The area is also a local birding spot allowing for the chance to see a variety of herons, egrets, sandpipers, plovers and some of the island's indigenous birds.

At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

At a local café, we’ll have plated meals with standard beverages.

At a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel, we’ll enjoy plated meals with standard beverages.

Day 5 Cueva Ventana (Window Cave), San Juan, Dinner San Juan

Drive to Cueva Ventana is approx. 63 miles, about 2 hours. Drive to San Juan is approx. 60 miles, about 1.5 hours. Walking about 1 mile, approx. 1 hour, on uneven, slippery and paved terrain; wear solid walking shoes with ankle support. Small flash light is recommended for this visit.

We’ll begin our journey back to San Juan today making several stops along the way. First, we’ll board our motorcoach and go to Cueva Ventana, a cultural landmark of the island , is large cave situated a top a limestone cliff in Arecibo. A biologist will provide guided visit of the natural cave, which contains insects, snakes, and bats. Your guide will also discuss the plants on our site, some of which are near extinction, and you will learn about the history of the original Taino Indians during the 45-minute walk.

As we make our way to the capital city, we will enjoy the scenery out the windows and make some restroom stops. Upon our arrival in San Juan, we will check into the hotel.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

At a local restaurant, we’ll have plated meals with standard beverages.

At a local restaurant a short walk from the hotel, enjoy a plated meal plus standard beverages.

Day 6 Hiking El Yunque Rain Forest, Beach Time ,Free Time San Juan

Hike about .5 miles, approx. .5 hrs , over uneven terrain with high humidity. . Drive is about 32 miles total, approx. 1 hour.

We will then head to El Yunque Rain Forest where we will pick up our local naturalist and expert to receive a brief orientation about the forest followed by a visit to La Coca Fall. Following our orientation, we will set out to hike the trails along Angelitos Trail. This short trail (about ½ mile) is an in and out and takes about 20 minutes to walk one way. As you will notice, this trail is lower in the forest than the other trails, so you will see different types of vegetation. At the end of the trail is a fantastic natural pool area where you will have the opportunity to swim depending on the weather. At the end of our hikes, we will be visiting the Yunque Observatory Tower and then we will return to the hotel.

We’ll stop at local beach for some relaxation time before continuing our way to the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will enjoy a buffet featuring a wide variety of options including eggs, pancakes, waffles, bread, toast, cereal, and breakfast meats, plus coffee, tea, juice, water.

At a local sandwich restaurant, plus standard beverages.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 7 Old San Juan, Free Time, Farewell Dinner San Juan

Walk about 2 miles on uneven terrain, approx. 1.5 hours. Drive is about 10 miles, approx. ½ hour.

From the hotel, we’ll transfer to San Juan and explore the old city on a walking field trip with a local expert. We’ll visit iconic sites such as the San Felipe de Morro Fort and La Muralla while learning about the city’s history. Enjoy the rest of the time on your own to see and do what interests you most in Old San Juan. You may wish to walk the cobblestone streets rich in architectural delights and tree shaded squares more reminiscent of Europe than America. The city is built on a hill so comfortable walking shoes and a reasonable level of fitness are a must to ensure you enjoy all of the diverse experiences the "Vieja Ciudad" has to offer.

Continue to enjoy your free time in Old San Juan before meeting the Group Leader at a designated time and place to return to the hotel.

At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

On your own to sample the local fare.

At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy delicious plated meal for farewell dinner plus coffee, soft drinks and water; other beverages available for purchase. Share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Day 8 Program Concludes San Juan

Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers. If you are an independent traveler (POP status), see “Ground Transportation from Last Location.

Hotel buffet. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!