Isla del Encanto: Puerto Rico — newest Geocaching souvenir!

A territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a paradisal Caribbean destination. Adventure seekers will find it worthwhile to cross crystal blue waters to visit Puerto Rico’s stunning beaches, beautiful mountainous landscapes and one of Puerto Rico’s best-kept secrets: its extensive cave system.

If that’s not enough and you need another reason to visit, we’ve got you covered. You can now earn a geocaching souvenir by finding a geocache or attending an event if Puerto Rico!

puerto_rico_souvenir

When you visit, be sure to meet up with local geocachers. The Puerto Rican geocaching community is famous for its warm hospitality and friendliness to strangers.

Puerto Rico by the numbers:

  • Over 1,000 hidden geocaches  
  • 9103 sq km. (3,515 sq mi) island. ~ 1 geocache every 3 miles
  • 3.548 million people
  • 6 Olympic Gold Medals
  • 13 living, native mammalian species, all of which are bats
  • 65 km (40 miles) at its widest part
  • 400 years of rum history and contribution to the economy

Here are our 5 bucket list caches in Puerto Rico.

puerto-rico-map


1. El Árbol Solitario

El Árbol Solitario
El Árbol Solitario—GC1GN4M

GC1GN4M | by El Surveyor | D3.5/T4.5 | Traditional | 24 favorite points

Hiding this cache required some hard work by the cache owner and friends. A two hour hike takes you to the top of the mountain where you can take in the gorgeous view of the Puerto Rican countryside. You’ll notice an interesting standalone tree that gives this cache its namesake. When you visit  this cache, make sure to snap a shot with the Puerto Rican flag as well!

2. Cat/ Dolphin/ Giraffe

Cat/ Dolphin/ Giraffe
Cat/ Dolphin/ Giraffe—GC2JWTD

GC2JWTD  | by lulusoy | D1.5/T1.5 | Traditional | 73 favorite points

The Cat/Dolphin/Giraffe sculpture at this cache location observes the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. Alonso Manso, a bishop in San Juan, was responsible for the construction of the San Juan Cathedral in 1521, making it one of the city’s oldest structures. Behind the sculpture, you can find the Museo del Niño (The Children’s Museum), a non-profit organization involved in preserving the island’s cultural heritage and presenting subjects in an interesting way for children.

3. Cueva del Viento

Cueva del Viento
Cueva del Viento—GC1XB18

GC1XB18 | by vocho725 | D2.5/T4.5 | Traditional | 14 favorite points

This cache is located at the entrance to Cueva del Viento in northwest Puerto Rico’s  Guajataca Forest. The forest is also the location of Camp Guajataca, the island’s main camping grounds of the Boy Scouts of America. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes, water, and a strong flashlight!

4. Playita Rosada, La Parguera

Playita Rosada, La Parguera—GC1BBAY
Playita Rosada, La Parguera—GC1BBAY

GC1BBAY | by milton_fmh | D2.5/T4.5 | Multi-cache | 14 favorite points

The Parguera village in Lajas is famous for the beauty of its coral reefs, mangrove islands and channels, and bioluminescent bay. As an ecotourism destination, you can enjoy a simple coastal town where scuba diving, relaxing and swimming all take place. The cache may bring you to Playita Rosada (Pink beach), but the views and warm water will keep you there.

5. Karate Kid

karate-kid-collage

GCXBH7 | by outsidegroup | D2.5/T3.5 | Traditional | 14 favorite points

Located along Road 333, Karate Kid is located on Playa del Tamarindo in Guanica. This area is home to many threatened and endangered species, including the dry forest anole (a type of lizard), the hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles, the Puerto Rican crested toad, the blue-tailed ameiva (another type of lizard), and the brown pelican. Don’t be fooled by the D/T ratings as the 4.8 km (3 mi) round trip and the intense heat and sun make it more challenging. If you enjoy bird watching and staring off into the ocean, this is the cache for you!


We’ll unveil one or two new souvenirs every week until all FIVE are officially released and awarded by mid December. Souvenirs that are currently available can be found here. A list of currently available geocaching souvenirs and even the ones you’ve already earned can be found on Geocaching.com. And, if you’ve already found a geocache in Puerto Rico, we will automatically add this souvenir to your profile.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or right here on our Blog to find out which countries are next.

Have you found a geocache in Puerto Rico? Tell us your experience in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellis is a geocaching Lackey and amateur weekend warrior. Her passion for travel and adventure has taken her to remote villages in the Brazilian Amazon, ski mountaineering in the Andes in Patagonia and sailing the isolated islands of the Kingdom of Tonga. She now resides in Seattle where her daily adventure involves competing with traffic while bike commuting and making frequent side trips to the beautiful Cascades and Puget Sound. She loves incorporating geocaching into all of these activities!