3 Best Sights in Arecibo, The North Coast and the Cordillera Central

A beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture, the Faro de Arecibo is one of the loveliest lighthouses on the island. Dating from 1897, it sits on a bluff high above Arecibo. Although the museum inside the lighthouse has maritime treasures that will interest everyone in your group, the rest of the park is strictly kid stuff. There are scaled-down replicas of Christopher Columbus's Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, as well as replicas of the huts used by the island's original inhabitants, the Taíno Indians. On weekends, groups in traditional costumes play live music; you can watch the revelry from the sitting area of the café.

The 268-acre Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy contains one of the world's largest cave networks. The guided tour of the caverns will lead you on foot through the 170-foot-high cave, which is teeming with wildlife. You're likely to see blue-eyed river crabs and long-legged tarantulas. More elusive are the more than 100,000 bats that make their home in the cave; they don't come out until dark, but you can feel the heat they generate at the cave's entrance (and you can certainly smell their presence). The cavern trails are wheelchair accessible, so anybody can join in on the fun! There is a mile-long walk from the visitor center to the cave entrance (with a ride offered for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and parents with young children), and each tour is about an hour and a half.  Make sure to get here early, as this is a popular destination for locals as well. There's a picnic area, cafeteria, and gift shop in the visitor center.