Salty Paradise & Nature in Cabo Rojo
Have you ever gone on a bus tour? Well my best friends and I did! The best part is that it was completely FREE. Our mission was to investigate certain tourist attractions and experience them to the fullest. The bus left from Arecibo at six in the morning. The bus itself was very comfortable and it had air conditioning. To get to our destination we had to ride for about two hours through these cities: Arecibo, Hatillo, Camuy, Quebradillas, Isabela, Aguadilla, Aguada, Añasco and Mayagüez to finally arrive at Cabo Rojo. It was so tiring but only because it was so long and we didn’t stop anywhere because we needed to get there on time.
Cruising through the streets of Cabo Rojo felt almost magical. It felt like nature was speaking directly at us saying “Hey look at how amazing I am”. The city has varied scenery. From almost desert like places to jungle to beach paradise. Our first stop for the day was The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service of Puerto Rico. They are an organization that helps wildlife animals and teach others how they can help out as well. They operate with volunteers only and train all of those who want to join on their free time. Many animals suffer because of pollution. It is our job to ensure that at least we don’t contribute to this global problem. These animals are an important part of our ecosystem that needs to be protected. We received a tour of the facilities and a complimentary map of the island and another of Cabo Rojo both with a list of museums, landmarks, beaches and more. They showed us a short film featuring all of the animals living in that area; some were in extinction like the ‘Mariquita’. There was also as small wax figure museum of sea animals. The purpose of the museum is to make visitors aware of their way of living and how pollution affects them and how consequently it affects us as well.
Our second stop was in The Interpretative Center & Salt Falls of Salinas, Cabo Rojo. Oh, we had such a blast there! The Center has three separate parts which are: The Tower, The Salt Falls and The Forest. We climbed up the tower secretly hoping it wouldn’t collapse because it was so wobbly and since it is five stories high we were a bit skeptical. After we reached the top, one of my friends asked why the tower moved so much and the tour guide easily answered that it had been made with a type of wood which name I cannot remember that was very flexible so that the tower could move with the wind in any direction. She explained that they had first built it with normal wood but the in a storm it came crashing down. So they did a little research with the help of some scientist and discovered that the flexible wood would hold strong winds and even earthquake vibrations so we were as safe as could be. The view up there was insane. We could see ‘Cartagena’ Lagoon perfectly but beware the salt and fish smell is quite potent.
The Salt Falls is where the sea salt is recollected from the flats and organized into dunes or hills. After viewing the Falls we were guided into the Center were yet another short film was presented to us, this one explaining in more depth facts from our surrounding. Then it was off to the Forest where we were told to stick together and maintain ourselves hydrated because the temperature was at a steady 102 F. The forest was filled with cacti, trees and mangroves. The important thing besides maintaining ourselves hydrated was to put on bug spray repellant because the forest is packed with insects and they aren’t all friendly. I forgot to put mine and I had capri jeans on which are not advised but I didn’t know and I got stung by some rare insect and had to take some pills because the venom was eating the skin around the sting. I know, gross! So remember to always wear long jeans and bug spray when going to any forest, not just this one. We came across a dead salt lake where no animals can live in, only bacteria and other microorganisms. If an animal would fall in and not get out as quickly as possible it would die. The lake was a beautiful brick red and black color; the dirt beneath the water was cracked. At the end of the tour the guide said we could go up to the salt dunes and break off a piece of it as a souvenir. How cool is that?
By then we ate a snack and went to our last stop ‘Los Morrillos’ Lighthouse. I absolutely loved this place. We got off our bus and into a trolley that took us up a scenic mountain route where the lighthouse was waiting. Inside there was an art exhibit taking place featuring local artist’s paintings and SURPRISE, the Mayor was there! He introduced himself and was very nice throughout the conversation with the group. A quick climb up some metal stairs was all it took to get to the roof where we could soak in the wonderful view of Dirty Beach which is far from dirty. It was given that name because many artifacts that were washed up could be found there in the old days. Now it is one of the most visited beaches in the island. Outside the lighthouse were the cliffs that look over the ocean, being careful on the cliffs is a no brainer since a fall would be deadly. After exploring the Lighthouse’s surroundings we hopped on our bus for diner and another 2 hour drive back to Arecibo. Overall, I very much enjoy trips like these where I can get in touch with nature. I think we should all get more involved in any way we can!
Remember! See more photographs from this trip on my Instagram !