By Lisa Russell
Las Cabezas De San Juan Nature Preserve Travel Guide
Las Cabezas de San Juan, literally translates into "The head of San Juan." It is a 178 hectare nature preserve at the tip of Fajardo in Puerto Rico. Free from the development of tourism and commercial structures--and housing five different ecosystems--the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Preserve in Puerto Rico gives guests a rare glimpse into the intertwined existence of tropical plant and animal species.
Touring Las Cabezas de San Juan
Visitors to Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Preserve are only allowed when accompanied by an official tour guide. Reservations for tours must be made in advance by calling the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico at (787) 722-5882 during the week and (787) 860-2560 on the weekends. Tours are scheduled at 9:30 and 10:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. They have a visitor's center that's open Friday through Sunday. However, it's not open on holidays.
El Faro
El Faro is the second oldest lighthouse in Puerto Rico. Construction began in 1878 and was completed in 1880. The Spanish used it as a lighthouse until the United States took it over during the Spanish-American war. After the war, it was used by the United States Coast Guard and then transferred to the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico. It's the best preserved old lighthouse in the country.
Mangrove Trees
Mangrove Tree at Las Cabezas de San Juan
Mangroves are distinctive looking trees that thrive at saltwater shorelines. The tree's root base is above the water level quite often and looks like giant spidery trunks. At the Las Cabezas Preserve, there's a mangrove forest, part of which is mixed with coconut palm trees from an abandoned coconut plantation that occupied the land in the early-mid 1800's.
The Lagunas
A series of lagunas and tide pools lie throughout the preserve. Laguna Grande is bioluminescent; some species of jellyfish, crustaceans and other sea creatures glow in the dark when the water is stirred. Their glow spreads throughout the water like jacuzzi lights. Sea stars, mollusks and other creatures can be seen in the water, depending on the time of day that you visit. Ask to tour at low tide for more of a show.
The Nature Center
The visitor's center at Las Cabezas de San Juan has souvenirs, postcards, photos, interpretive displays, and samples of the local flora and fauna. Docents are well-informed, and there are topographic maps of the preserve, explaining how each of the ecosystems is different.
About the Author:
Lisa Russell is an entrepreneur and writer from Washington State, with a professional background in education, cosmetology and the restaurant industry. She's been published in regional parenting publications, homeschooling publications and has published over 10,000 articles online since 1999. She studied Early Childhood Education at Antelope Valley College.
Photo Credits:
Visitor's Center at Las Cabezas
