Hiking 3,950 ft. above Sea Level
When I was planning the trip to Adjuntas I knew I had to hike Cerro Guilarte! If you haven’t read part one of this blog series make sure to click here. Getting to the forest was an adventure all on its own. The GPS got us half the way there but when we had supposedly arrived the only thing in front of us was a small orange house. None of my three friends wanted to get out of the car and ask for directions so I did. Outside the car I was greeted by three massive Pit bulls. They looked tough but were actually the sweetest dogs ever. The owner, a kind farmer, pointed us to the right direction and in five minutes we found Guilarte Forest.
There are two trails in the forest: 1-mile walk or Cerro Guilarte hike. The 1-mile walk is great for all ages. It has paved walkways and gazebos. It also has fresh water stations, as in tubes that pour fresh spring water. The reward of an amazing view awaits at the end of the walk. Then there is the Cerro Guilarte hike which is for healthy, strong, experts, just kidding, anyone can do this hike but it is quite difficult. For starters it takes 45 minutes to get to the top. There are no paved walkways, only big rocks to climb and there are no rails so watching your step is mandatory. No one wants to fall off a cliff!
Hiking essentials (or at least the things I took)
Water
Nutritious snacks like dried fruit or nut bars
Running shoes
Bug spray
Extra pair of socks
A hat
Sunscreen
Camera
I began the hike with an open mind and on my way up I encountered two 68-year-old ladies who had made it to the top and were telling jokes about how they would have loved a slide down. We climbed, walked and almost crawled our way up in between breaks and a ton of water drinking but after exactly 45 minutes we had finally made it to the top. All of the pictures I had seen and the description I had received fell short. The view was stunning, majestic and completely breathtaking! There were mountains as far as the eye could see looking towards the north and east. In between some of the closer mountains the entire downtown of Adjuntas could be appreciated and Lake Garza. A blog post about my kayaking experience in the lake will be coming up soon! Meanwhile, the Caribbean Sea and Caja de Muertos Isle could be seen when looking south and west. The beautiful blend of colors danced painting a truly unforgettable scene.
After about half an hour of enjoying the view and taking tons of photos my friends and I decided it was time to go before it rained because it usually rains almost every day in Adjuntas even if it’s a light shower. Going back was easier since we already knew where to step and what trees not to hold on to because some had thorns. Also, it is important not to eat any of the berries because they are poisonous. To finish our day, we ate at Lucy’s Pizza and headed to the Parador Villa Sotomayor where we set camp and relaxed with anticipation for our kayaking session the next day!
Remember see more pictures on my Instagram!