Activities

La Mina Falls, in El Yunque National Forest (Joshua Cogan) [enlarge photo] PUERTO RICO REVEALED View Joshua Cogan's gorgeous photos of beaches and back roads throughout the island. • Launch the slide show

• Rincón Surf & Board Puntas, Rincón, 787/823-0610, surfandboard.com, board rental $20

DAY 4
Nearly everyone we met the night before raved about breakfast at La Rosa Inglesa. Opened in 2006, the hilltop B&B is run by Ruth and Jethro Wickenden Rivera, a cheery couple who met in Britain and moved to Rincón. They constructed the building from the ground up, and, says our waitress, "have been serving the best breakfast in town ever since." After trying the huevos rancheros and limeade, we couldn't agree more.

We're used to getting lost by now, and we take some time to find Río Camuy Cave Park, home to one of the world's largest cave systems. The guide's humor feels canned, but once inside the main cave, we pay little attention. The place is huge. My childhood trip to Virginia's Luray Caverns was nothing like this. The dome is 170 feet high, and there's a giant stalagmite directly below that's 30 feet in diameter. Each step is more eye-popping than the last.

We drive north to the coastal city of Arecibo. Ice-cream trucks and food vans line the road near Arecibo Lighthouse & Historical Park, and dozens of cars are parked at all angles. But where is everybody? After climbing the steps of Los Morrillos Lighthouse, we're still baffled--until we spot La Posa, a packed, crescent-shaped beach. When we go down for a closer look, we see a massive tidal pool. It's jammed with kids and other shallow-water swimmers; Josh and I are convinced that we're the only tourists.

It's our last chance for a swim before our drive to San Juan, so we dash for the water. A little while later we visit a food truck for mofongo al ajillo--made with mashed plantains and garlicky shrimp--then drive east on scenic Route 681. The ocean-hugging road doesn't last as long as we'd like it to, but neither did our time in Puerto Rico.

Food

• La Rosa Inglesa Ensenada, Rincón, 787/823-4032, larosainglesa.com, eggs $7

Activities

• Río Camuy Cave Park Rte. 129, 787/898-3100, $12
• Arecibo Lighthouse Rte. 655, Arecibo, 787/817-1936, arecibolighthouse.com, $9

Finding Your Way
To get a copy of Puerto Rico's tourist mag, Qué Pasa!, in advance, contact Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (800/866-7827, gotopuertorico.com). Also, a GPS navigation system like the Garmin StreetPilot will come in handy. As for your rental car, stick with an economy or compact, especially if you're driving along La Ruta Panorámica. The one-lane roads can be fairly difficult for larger vehicles.