Mapa area metropolitana puerto rico: Puerto Rico’s Metropolitan Area

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March 4, 2023
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Plan a Trip Along la Ruta Panorámica

Dramatic peaks of the Island’s central mountain region.

Go out into the countryside and explore one of the Island’s most famous scenic drives.

La Ruta Panorámica Luis Muñoz Marín (the Panoramic Route, in English, named after Puerto Rico’s first elected governor) is a roughly 167-mile long network of roads that crosses Puerto Rico from west to east through the central mountain range. As the name suggests, this is the scenic route, and it can take anywhere from two to three days to drive the whole way, depending on how many stops you plan to make along the way.

This is not a drive for the faint of heart. This is a road trip on two-lane roads that crest steep mountains with farms on either side, skirt sheer cliff drops, feature hairpin turns, variable weather conditions, and which are also used by trucks, party buses, and speedy local drivers. This is an adventure road trip, ideal for the confident driver, the nature lover, and the visitor looking to know a different side of Puerto Rico beyond manicured hotels and tranquil beaches.

If this sounds like your kind of vacation, here’s what you need to know to plan your trip into the heartland of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is filled with places to enjoy the breathtaking views, such as this one at Miradero Villalba Orocovis.

Where to Go

La Ruta Panorámica officially begins and ends in the western-most town of Mayagüez and the southeastern town of Maunabo. It crosses through the towns of Las Marías, Maricao, Sabana Grande, Yauco, Lares, Adjuntas, Ponce, Jayuya, Villalba, Orocovis, Coamo, Barranquitas, Aibonito, Cayey, San Lorenzo, Patillas, and Yabucoa. You can either decide to cross the entire Island or pick sections of the route to explore, such as Maricao to Orocovis, Aibonito and Cayey, or San Lorenzo to Maunabo. It all depends on how much time you have, what you want to see, and how much you enjoy driving.

If you’re starting from San Juan, you can take either the northern or southern highways to Mayagüez (which can be its own warm-up road trip) so when you finish the Panoramic Route, you’ll be closer to the metro area. Or you can start east and head west. If you finish in Mayagüez or any of the western towns, consider flying out of the Aguadilla or Ponce airports, if you have that option.

At the Toro Negro State Forest, you can go for a hike and swim in one of several natural pools

What to See, Do, and Eat

There are many detours and stops along the Panoramic Route which are worth exploring. As a tip, set your GPS to the landmarks or points of interest that you want to visit and adjust the route, so it goes along the Ruta Panorámica. Throughout the route, you’ll find traditional open-air bars and restaurants known as chinchorros. If you’re hungry or thirsty, you can make a pitstop at the one you find most inviting, then continue along the way. On most weekends, they usually feature live music in the afternoons and evenings.

If you’re headed west to east, your first stop after Mayagüez can be the Maricao State Forest, where you’ll find hiking trails, a Stone Tower with a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains, or take a detour to Salto Curet, a waterfall at the end of a short hike with a deep natural pool. If you’re hungry, in town, you’ll find a handful of local restaurant, as well as a bakery and several chinchorros.

“Hola” from the central mountains of Puerto Rico!

Continue to Adjuntas, where you can hike in the Guilarte State Forest or kayak on Garzas Lake. For some tropical drinks made with fresh fruit and a delicious brick oven pizza, stop at El Campo es Leña, a rustic pizzeria overlooking coffee farms and lush green forests.

From there, head into Jayuya and Villalba, where you can visit Toro Negro State Forest here; you can go for a hike and swim in one of several natural pools. Or go a little off course to take photos at Salto de Doña Juana, an impressive waterfall just off the roadside. A popular stop for lunch is Las Cabaña de Doña Juana, an open-air restaurant best known for its pork ribs and chicken. Next door is a charming coffee shop selling local coffee and pastries.

Not far from there is the Mirador de Villalba-Orocovis, a strategically located park overlooking the southern central mountain range, perfect for a picnic or visit some of the local businesses along the road. Soon you’ll be close to Barranquitas, where you can take a detour to visit the Cañón de San Cristóbal or stay the course to Aibonito, where you can stop at Mirador Piedra Degetau. This outlook point is a collection of boulders on top of a hill with a wooden tower that allows you to see both the north and south coast of Puerto Rico, as well as a pizza and beer restaurant.

As you drive through Cayey, you’ll find many more chinchorros along the way. Stop at the Carite State Forest for a picnic or to stretch your legs. This is also where you can make a detour to visit Guavate, the famous pork highway.

As you continue east, you’ll cross through the towns of San Lorenzo and Yabucoa, eventually hitting the coast, then heading south to Maunabo. Here you can visit the Punta Tuna Nature Reserve and Historic Lighthouse. You can even lounge on the beach for the first time since embarking on your journey.

From Maunabo, you take the PR-3 back to the metro area.

Panoramic view of the Garzas Lake in Adjuntas.

Where to Stay

Along the western Ruta Panorámica, there are many charming haciendas where you can spend the night. In Maricao, there’s Hacienda Juanita, a coffee plantation with cabins, a lovely coffee shop, and a heated pool for guests. In Adjuntas, you can plan a stay at Parador Villas Sotomayor, where the rooms are comfortable, there’s an on-site restaurant, as well as a camping park, horseback riding, and a coffee farm.

If you decide to stop halfway around Cayey, you can look into short-term rentals, many of which are lakeside cabins and treehouses, or book a night at El Pretexto, a culinary lodge with its own farm and restaurant. In Barranquitas, there’s the Canyon Boutique Hotel, which offers rooms and suites as well as luxury villas. Some of these may be off the route itself.

On the eastern side, you can choose from several hotels in Maunabo and Yabucoa, including Parador MaunaCaribe, Parador Palmas de Lucía, or Parador Costa del Mar.

The Island’s central mountains are a respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.

What You Need to Know

If you plan to drive across the Ruta Panorámica, try to get a rental car that’s comfortable, sturdy, and can handle steep ascents and descents, preferably with good gas mileage. This is where you may want to splurge. It would also be helpful to ask if they have any road maps available if the GPS doesn’t work or lose cell phone service.

Plan for all kinds of weather. In the center of the Island, you can start the day with beautiful sunny weather and not a cloud in the sky. By noon the rain clouds move in, and by midafternoon rain and fog are shrouding the road, which eventually clears by the evening. The mountains are also substantially cooler than the coast, so make sure to pack a jacket or sweater just in case.

Always have cash. Some roadside businesses only take cash or ATH Movil (Puerto Rico’s version of Venmo). Most of the larger restaurants and bars accept debit and credit cards, and you can find ATMs at most gas stations.

And don’t forget to bring sneakers or hiking boots, sunblock, bug repellent, bathing suits, and towels. You never know where the road will take you.

View Places Mentioned on a Map

Puerto Rico, humedales [Puerto Rico, wetlands]

La isla de Puerto Rico, localizada al noreste del Mar Caribe y sus islas principales, Vieques, Culebra e Isla de Mona, poseen humedales en abundancia . El clima subtropical, la lluvia abundante y las complejas formas topográficas y geológicas de estas islas dan origen a los humedales, que varían desde los raros e inusuales bosques cubiertos por nubes en las tierras altas, hasta los extensos manglares, yerbas marinas y arrecifes de coral a lo largo de las costas Norte y Sur. Sin embargo, los humedales en Puerto Rico han disminuido en los últimos siglos como resultado del aumento en el desarrollo agrícola, poblacional y turístico. Algunos tipos de humedales como los bosques de palo de pollo (Pterocarpus officinalis) se han reducido a sólo unos pocos remanentes (figura 1).

Biológicamente hablando, los humedales de las islas están entre las áreas más productivas. Los humedales asociados con el bosque pluvial en las tierras altas del interior de Puerto Rico contienen varias plantas raras y especies de animales que no se encuentran en otras partes de la Isla. El agua de escorrentía proveniente de los humedales en las partes altas de la Isla proveen una fuente de agua que utilizan varias ciudades para abasto público. Los humedales costeros como los mangles, los colchones de yerbas marinas y los arrecifes de coral proveen áreas para la reproducción y crianza de varios peces, crustáceos y otras especies en la cadena alimenticia (López y otros, 1988). De esta manera, los humedales costeros contribuyen a la productividad biológica de las aguas llanas del mar alrededor de las islas . Los humedales también estabilizan las costas atrapando y reteniendo sedimentos no consolidados y amortiguan la acción de las olas y de las tormentas que tienen el potencial de causar daños en la zona.

El valor de los humedales de Puerto Rico para la vida silvestre está muy bien documentado . Por ejemplo, las salinas de Cabo Rojo, en la costa suroeste, proveen áreas para el descanso y la alimentación de cientos de aves migratorias en ruta entre Norte y Suramérica. Antes del drenaje de los humedales costeros para propósitos agrícolas, pantanos de agua dulce como los de la Laguna Cartagena, Laguna Guánica y Ciénaga El Anegado proveían hábitat a más de 1 00 especies de aves residentes y migratorias . Los humedales de las tierras altas del área central son el último refugio de la cotorra puertorriqueña, una especie en peligro de extinción. Aún los humedales del área metropolitana de San Juan (Laguna La Torrecilla, Torrecilla Baja, Laguna de Piñones hasta Punta Vacía Talega) proveen un hábitat excelente para la vida silvestre, mantienen criaderos de peces de alto valor económico y proveen recreación y oportunidades educativas a la población urbana.

Treintiocho especies de vertebrados, moluscos y crustáceos, y 46 especies de aves, algunos raros o en peligro de extinción como la mariquita, el alcatraz, el pato dominicano, el pato silbón y la paloma cabeciblanca han sido observados en el área . También las playas asociadas con estos humedales urbanos proveen sitios de anidaje para las tortugas carey de concha y tinglar, ambas en peligro de extinción (Del Llano y otros, 1986).

90,000 primary Hierarch of the Russian Foreign Church Metropolitan Halarion visits the Australian-North-Zeland diocese / News / Patriarchy. ru

Home / Diocese and Exarchate

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PROPROICAL Church Church. Hilarion of Eastern America and New York is on a pastoral visit to the Diocese of Sydney and Australia and New Zealand, of which he is temporary administrator. Shortly before his departure, Vladyka gave an interview to the Unification newspaper, the ROCOR official website reports. nine0003

As Metropolitan Hilarion said, he plans to stay in Australia for two months and during this time “to visit as many churches, monasteries as possible, meet with clergy and parishioners.”

On Saturday, May 9, Vladyka served at the Cross Church in Croydon, and on Sunday at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Sydney. In the coming days, Metropolitan Hilarion will chair the quarterly meeting of the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Sydney.

According to Vladyka, work with young people is being intensively carried out in Australia. A program aimed at revitalizing youth participation in church life has been adopted. nine0003

Metropolitan Hilarion shared his plans for his trip to Korea: “We have a small mission in South Korea. Its founder, the wonderful father, Archpriest Justin Kang, has been carrying out difficult apostolic and missionary work for many years: he translates liturgical and spiritual books into Korean, gives lectures on Orthodoxy. He and his mother Elena decided to devote their lives to monasticism. Now father Justin lives at the church of St. Anna, and mother lives at the women’s community. So one of the purposes of my visit to Korea is their monastic vows, as well as the ordination to the priesthood of their son, deacon Pavel Kang, who will head the Orthodox mission in Korea.” nine0003

One of the questions concerned the bishop’s recent trip to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. According to the ROCOR First Hierarch, “In Puerto Rico, under the spiritual leadership of Archimandrite Andrei (Vuesic), there is an Orthodox community in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Father Andrei is an educated priest, one might say the successor of the work of Bishop Alexander (Mileant). He composes textbooks, deals with translations. For those who aspire to church service and simply for those who are interested in Orthodoxy, with our blessing, he opens pastoral courses in Spanish. Those who wish can study via the Internet. For the Spanish-speaking people of the continent who want to serve the cause of Orthodoxy, this is undoubtedly an important missionary work. nine0003

During his stay in Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Hilarion ordained a permanent parishioner, an American by birth, to the rank of deacon to help the new community.

Then Vladyka spoke about his trip to the Dominican Republic, where there are two communities of the Russian Church Abroad: “The first one is in the resort area of Puerto Plata, where our only priest, Father Rafael Martinez Gonzalez, lives. He received his higher education in Russia and speaks Russian. But Russian parishioners, mostly Russian women, their Latino husbands, as well as numerous tourists (up to 4 thousand of them come every week) are mainly in the city of Santo Domingo. An Orthodox church is needed there.” nine0003

With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, a community was organized in Santa Domingo in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, “by analogy with the translation into Russian of the name of the city – “Holy Sunday””. While the issue of finding and registering a land plot is being resolved, Father Raphael will serve twice a month in the community’s house church.

Patriarchia.ru