San Juan Day Trip to Rio Camuy Caves and Arecibo Observatory
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 9 hours 30 minutes
Check out the Rio Camuy Caves and the Arecibo Observatory all on this one exciting tour! This 9-hour adventure begins with a tour of the Camuy Caves, a 268-acre ecosystem that is part of this hemisphere's most impressive subterranean cave network, intricately carved by the mighty Camuy River. You and your guide will then board a tram that takes you down to the cave before we start exploring! Then, visit Arecibo Observatory, where you'll learn about the observatory and even get to see it up close!
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Check out the Rio Camuy Caves and the Arecibo Observatory all on this one exciting tour! This 9-hour adventure begins with a tour of the Camuy Caves, a 268-acre ecosystem that is part of this hemisphere's most impressive subterranean cave network, intricately carved by the mighty Camuy River. You and your guide will then board a tram that takes you down to the cave before we start exploring! Then, visit Arecibo Observatory, where you'll learn about the observatory and even get to see it up close!After pickup from your hotel head to your first stop: Rio Camuy Cave Park, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour of this marvel of nature. In the park, 3 crater-like sinkholes and 1 cave are open to the public. You’ll encounter sinkholes and cathedral-like caverns, eons-old stalactites and stalagmites, and a mysterious underground river. There are a few cave systems in the world that are as massive or dramatic as the Rio Camuy Cave Park, and no other has a thundering tropical river traversing countless miles of underground channels.
After exploring the cave system, your tour continues to the Arecibo Observatory. Nestled in the mountains of northern Puerto Rico, the observatory is home to the world's largest radar/radio telescope. Scientists from around the world make use of the giant 1,000 foot-diameter dish to listen to the universe. You’ll have views of the huge telescope from an observation platform, where its austere metallic symmetry shimmers in dramatic contrast to the dense, green, tropical landscape.
You'll spend about 1 hour walking inside, highlights include:
After the Camuy Caves, we'll go to one of Puerto Rico's most recognizable landmarks, the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory. Built in 1963, it is a very important part of investigations of inter-spatial communications in the US. The radio telescope's dish measures an amazing 20 acres, the largest in the world. Once we get to the observatory, we'll walk up a fairly steep hill to get to the observatory itself. The walkway is a combination of steps and an inclined sidewalk, but the observatory offers a free ride to the entrance for elderly & handicapped guests.
You'll have an opportunity to see more than 25 various exhibits and see the dish! In addition, you will get to:
After exploring the cave system, your tour continues to the Arecibo Observatory. Nestled in the mountains of northern Puerto Rico, the observatory is home to the world's largest radar/radio telescope. Scientists from around the world make use of the giant 1,000 foot-diameter dish to listen to the universe. You’ll have views of the huge telescope from an observation platform, where its austere metallic symmetry shimmers in dramatic contrast to the dense, green, tropical landscape.
You'll spend about 1 hour walking inside, highlights include:
- Going through the dense tropical vegetation down the mouth of Clara cave.
- Stop at the 650 ft. wide Tres Pueblos sinkhole, where special platforms allow visitors to view the river passing 400 feet below from one cave to another.
- Stop by the Espiral Sinkhole, where visitors can actually descend some 205 steps to reach its striking entrance.
After the Camuy Caves, we'll go to one of Puerto Rico's most recognizable landmarks, the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory. Built in 1963, it is a very important part of investigations of inter-spatial communications in the US. The radio telescope's dish measures an amazing 20 acres, the largest in the world. Once we get to the observatory, we'll walk up a fairly steep hill to get to the observatory itself. The walkway is a combination of steps and an inclined sidewalk, but the observatory offers a free ride to the entrance for elderly & handicapped guests.
You'll have an opportunity to see more than 25 various exhibits and see the dish! In addition, you will get to:
- Learn about the Earth and our solar system.
- Learn about our neighboring stars and galaxies
- Learn about technology used in studying these natural sciences.
- See meteors on display
- Watch a short movie called "A Day at the Telescope"
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