Guánica, Puerto Rico

When you think of Puerto Rico, do you think of a tropical rainforest? Jungle? Or do you think of a dry forest? The first time I drove west of Cayey, I remember being so confused. The countryside went from green to a gorgeous yellow.

Juana Diaz, I'm coming for you soon.

Puerto Rico is broken up into 78 municipios, kind of like counties on the mainland US, except as 100 feet by 35 feet, Puerto Rico is smaller than some counties in Utah.

Guánica will always have a piece of my heart, and will probably get more space here in this series since Guánica also features a lot in future books in the Secretos del Oceano series.

In this post, though, we are going to talk about the dry forest. El Bosque Seco in Guánica, where we lived in Barrio Montalva, right on the faultline and smack dab in the middle of the dry forest.

Guánica is actually where the US first invaded Guánica when they came to the island to take it away from Spain.

And wow, cutting your way through the three story high cactuses and thick dense cactus and stabby holywood was hard enough to make our way to our favorite, secret hideout, I couldn't imagine trying to invade through it. And cross over the stinky lagoons. That smell could reek to high heaven.

But the one thing Guánica has the best of on the whole island, are the beaches. Wow. Nothing beats a gorgeous, secluded, Caribbean beach. The thorns are pretty intimidating, but the ocean is much more gentle, and the sunsets are still amazing.

Now, you might correct me and say that Luquillo's beaches are amazing. The beaches on the north shore, and seriously, Crash Boat and any beach in Cabo Rojo are way more accessible, less muddy, and more 'beachy', and you wouldn't be wrong. Still, the warm bathwater, empty beaches at the southwest of the island, hidden by the formidable barrier of the dry, spiny forest, bring me joy.

So keep an eye out for Guánica in Depth of the Ocean, and if you ever visit, let me know!