Impressions of a land tour in Puerto Rico

18.05.2024

Of coffee plantations, Tainos and natural spectacles…

From Punta Salinas on the south coast, we set off on a rental car-driven day trip into the interior of Puerto Rico with Heike and Hans from the SY Makaan. The roads are mostly good, but the interior is dominated by the Central Cordillera, which reaches elevations of up to 1074 meters. The road winds up and down countless small switchbacks, making the travel speed incredibly slow.

Over 250 different plant species are native here – everything grows and blooms wildly and always offers a new and impressive picture of the local flora.

Visit a coffee plantation

A visit to Puerto Rico is a must – coffee from Puerto Rico is a household name in Germany.

To visit a coffee plantation, we have to go high up – because coffee grows at high altitudes.

We learn that coffee production in Puerto Rico is actually very low these days; only 10% of the coffee is actually grown in Puerto Rico – the rest is imported from other countries, such as Mexico.

Hurricanes cause great damage to the plantations – most recently Hurricane Maria – and a coffee tree takes several years to produce a yield.

rainbow tree

White River

Streams run through the area – fresh water is not scarce.

Caguna Ceremonial Center

When the Spanish discovered Puerto Rico at the end of the 15th century, the island was inhabited by around 600.000 Awakens or Tainos.

The Ceremonial Center in Caguna is one of the most important of its kind in the Caribbean.

Our visit fell on a holiday and so we were able to experience traditional dances.

Dona Juana Waterfall