When we arrive at Cabezas de San Juan on a sunny Saturday morning, the temperature is already 90 degrees.
The tours in Spanish are at 9 or 10:30am, in English at 2pm (reservation required).
Check-in is at the centro de visitantes, an inviting structure with a wraparound porch, rocking chairs and a gazebo overlooking a stretch of Seven Seas Beach. The water is calm, clear, forever blue.
Our guide Jim reminds us to bring water, a hat or an umbrella. It’s breezy now but we’ll need protection from the sun when we leave the vehicle to walk around.
The 2-hour journey begins on a narrow paved road between the Atlantic Ocean and a large mangrove area west of Laguna Grande, one of three bioluminescent bays found in PR.
After a mile or so, we stop to learn more about the mangroves while walking on a sturdy boardwalk that makes a loop around a small forest area. This is when the umbrellas come in handy.
Back on the truck, we continue for another mile to stop at Playa Los Lirios, a unique beach (not safe for swimming) covered by white, brown and gray rocks.
The last stop is the Faro de Fajardo, a neoclassical-style lighthouse built in 1880 to guide ships through the Vieques/Culebra passage. This is the island’s second oldest lighthouse, still in use with LED lights operating on a timer.
The building has been skillfully restored to resemble the original construction, except for a modern observation deck with a breathtaking 360-degree view of Fajardo’s northeastern tip.
After exploring this beautiful nature reserve, it’s hard to imagine that, back in the 1960’s, the former landowner had a serious plan to turn this whole area - more than 400 acres - into a massive private hotel/condo project.
Lucky for us, the Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico was able to acquire this land in 1975 - a location recognized for its strategic and ecological value - to protect it in perpetuity from the unchecked forces of capitalism.
And why is it called Cabezas de San Juan when it’s in Fajardo?
The best way to find out is by taking this enjoyable tour.
Hasta la próxima.
Yanira
