Adjuntas Overview

Because Adjuntas is situated in the central mountains, visitors might expect it to be a quiet town; however, during the day “La cuidad del gigante dormido” (the city of the sleeping giant) is wide awake and full of life. This fruit- and coffee-exporting town has not developed much tourist infrastructure, but has affordable accommodations and unique eateries. It is also a gateway to the Bosque Estatal de Guilarte and home to one of the most successful ecological activism projects in Puerto Rico.

Transportation. From Jayuya, take Rte. 123 south into town, where it becomes Calle Doctor Barboza and leads to the plaza. From the Ruta Panorámica, Rte. 123 north becomes C. Rodulfo Gonzalez, which runs one-way along the plaza. These two roads run the length of the town and are perpetually clogged with traffic due to ongoing construction on the plaza. It’s best to park near the plaza and walk around town. San Joaquín is the Catholic Church on the plaza and is a good landmark. If you’re facing the church, you’re facing south.

Practical Information. The Oficina de Turismo is in the library and has information on the town and its history. The friendly staff can also direct you around town. (Open M-F 8am-noon and 1-4:30pm.) Visitors will find an ATM at the Banco Popular on C. San Joaquín on the plaza. (☎829-2120. M-F 8am-4pm, Sa 9am-noon.) Police are available 24hr. at C. San Joaquín just off the right-hand side of the plaza, facing the church, in the small green building (☎829-7800). The hospital, Centro de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento (CDT), C. Doctor Fendini 4, is two blocks east of the plaza. (☎829-2860. 24hr. emergency room.) Free Internet is available at the public library on C. César Gonzalez; go past the police station and take a right. (☎829-5039. M-Th 8am-8pm, F 8am-4:30pm, Sa 10am-1:30pm.) The post office, C. Luis Muñoz Rivera 37, is a block up from the northeast corner of the plaza. (☎829-3740. M-F 8am-4:30pm, Sa 8am-noon.) Postal Code: 00601.

Accommodations And Food. The cheaper of the only two accommodation options is the Hotel Monte Río 3, C. César Gonzalez 18, just past the library, at the end of the road. It offers a pool, bar, and simple rooms with bed and futon. (☎829-3705. TV. A/C. Lunch buffet $6. Rooms with bed and futon $50; larger rooms with balconies $65-88. Extra person $10.) The much more elaborate Parador Villas Sotomayor 3, Rte. 123 Km 37.6, a few hundred meters up Rte. 522 from Rte. 123, is a popular vacation destination. Villas with bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette are spread around a grassy area with basketball and tennis courts and a swimming pool. (☎829-1717 or 829-1774. TV. A/C. Horse rental $25 per hr. Bicycle rental $5 per hr. Doubles $85; more for multiple bedrooms.) The resort also has a small campground 1 with barbecue pit, water spigots, bathrooms, and showers. ($35 including access to pool. Extra person $5.)

On the northeast corner of the plaza, Esquina de la Amistad 1, C. Rodfulo Gonzalez 56, bakes daily pan de hogaza (homestyle bread) that draws customers from the whole region. (Pastries $0.50-0.70. Bread $1-2. Open daily 5:30am-11pm.) Old men smoke their cigars at La Playita Coffee House 2, Rodulfo Gonzalez 3, marked by the sign “Lechonera La Playita,” around the corner from Casa Pueblo. A bar, back patio, and a couple of pool tables round out the relaxed atmosphere. (☎316-9095. Comida criolla entrees $5-10. Open M and W-Su 9am-midnight.) If you really want your fill of delicious comida criolla, head to Hotel Monte Río 2 for their all-you-can-eat $6 lunch buffet. One meal here is all you may need for the day. (Open daily 11am-2pm.) Lucy’s Pizzeria 1, on the right corner of the plaza, facing the church, offers a taste of the States, with pizza and sandwiches. (☎829-1555. Sandwiches $1.50-3. Sm/M/L/XL pizzas, $5/7.50/9/11. Open daily 10am-10pm. MC/V.) If you’re wondering where the delicious smell is coming from, follow your nose to Sun Hill’s Fried Chicken 2, on C. Rodulfo Gonzalez, one block away from the plaza. The closest thing to fast food in the mountains, the lunchtime crowd moves through quickly, enjoying chicken and various side dishes. (☎829-1952. Open M-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 11am-7pm. Cash only.) The Villas Sotomayor 3 also has a restaurant serving comida criolla. (Breakfast $3-5. Lunch entrees $9-13. Dinner entrees $9-22. Open daily 8-10am and noon-10pm.)

Sights.  Casa Pueblo, C. Rodulfo Gonzalez 30, is the epicenter of Puerto Rico’s ecological activism movement (see In the People’s House). The house includes displays on the group’s community projects—ranging from the 15-year struggle to prevent open-pit mining in the town’s watershed to more recent studies on Puerto Rican rainforests. A collection of butterflies and various agricultural experiments fills the backyard. The gift shop sells the group’s coffee, Café Madre Isla, which pays for the entire operation’s expenses. Large groups can call ahead about volunteering for a weekend at the plantation. (☎829-4842. Coffee $6 per lb.; you can try some in the small kitchen. Open daily 8am-4:30pm. Free.)

Southwest of Adjuntas, the Ruta Panorámica winds through Bosque Estatal de Guilarte, a protected area composed of six distinct units of land, created in 1935 to preserve several different river areas throughout the central mountains. Visitors coming from the east first pass Lago Garzas (Rte. 131 Km 7.7), a popular fishing spot. Farther west, the official forest entrance is marked by a patrol unit at the intersection of Rte. 131 and Rte. 518. Drive up the hill across from the office to reach the DRNA office, which provides information about the forest and nearby swimming holes. The Área Recreativa, at the end of a short path from the DRNA office, has a mirador (scenic overlook) with superb views of the surrounding valley. (☎829-5767. Open M-F 8am-3:30pm, Sa-Su 9am-3:30pm.) The only marked trail in the forest is Camino al cerro (Pig Road), a slippery 30min. path leading up to the peak of Monte Guilarte. The trailhead is 75 ft. from the guard station, next to a private driveway across from a ramshackle roadside eatery near the dead end of Rte. 131. Don’t hike if it is raining, since the trail becomes a continuous creek bed and a little rain at the base may mean a downpour at the summit. There are two sheltered rest stops along the trail, and the summit is just past the metal handrails. To make use of the wilder eastern segment of the forest, visitors will need to arrange a trip with either the DRNA officer or another local guide, as those trails date to before the reserve was established and require local knowledge. The highlight of Guilarte is its exceptional cabins . Guilarte has bathrooms, rustic showers, trash cans, running water, and fire pits. To stay here you must have a DRNA permit and a reservation. (Call the DRNA offices in either Mayagüez or Ponce, ☎844-4660 or 844-4051. Cabins $20, bedding not provided.)