ELTIPS AV R T
Not, you might think, the optimal conditions for kayaking.
But our guide Juan, with typical Puerto Rican optimism, is quick to reassure us it is ideal for exploring the bioluminescent bay in this reedy inlet of his country’s south coast.
As fat drops of warm rain slide down my face and lightning cracks above distant dark hills, I am sceptical – but keen for the prospect of the promised spectacle.
The bioluminescence is the eerie light of microscopic organisms that glow green when disturbed.
The rain tails off and we hop into our glass-bottomed kayaks. We are soon paddling along a dark, narrow river – roofed by a canopy of trees that trail thick vines in our path.
Juan leads the way and I follow the tiny light from the back of his kayak, listening to the rhythmic slosh of the paddles and orchestra of crickets and frogs.
As we near the bay, tiny flashes of bright green burst in the water below. With each paddle stroke, vibrant specks glow brightly for a millisecond, then vanish.
“We’re here!” shouts Juan, pushing back a tumbling curtain of vines. The lagoon, an expanse of blackness fringed with thick reeds, looks unexceptional until we begin to paddle and the water is ablaze. The faster we row, the stronger the glow.
“Now you see why it should be called the eighth natural wonder of the world,” calls Juan.
Mosquito Bay was well worth braving a little rain for. Thankfully, for the rest of our trip we are fed a solid diet of tropical sunshine.
We’re staying at Olive, a reasonably priced boutique hotel in capital San Juan near the Condado Lagoon.
Its Tuscan decor may seem a little incongruous in the Caribbean but the sumptuous surroundings are welcoming. The room is homely, with a charm rarely found at larger hotels. But its selling point is the private terrace with Jacuzzi, luxurious outdoor shower and a lazy EAT mofongo, Puerto Rico’s national dish of fried crushed plantain and garlic, with crispy bacon. VISIT the Tobacco Museum in Caguas. See how cigars are made and roll your own from scratch. HEAD to La Casita Blanca, a rustic family-run restaurant full of local art.. The salt cod fritters are renowned. POP along to Santurce, San Juan’ss hipster neighbourhood, for its murals, bars and beautiful but dilapidated art deco buildings. day bed perfect for sundowners. Like many Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is culturally diverse.
A walk through the Old San Juan neighbourhood reveals its colonial past. Traditional Spanish architecture is painted in vibrant hues. The streets have dark Manchester cobbles, brought over by 18th Century sailors as ballast on ships that would return laden with molasses and rum.
Zipwire
The next day we visit the Torro Verde adventure park, home to the longest, highest zipwire in the world.
El Monstruo is a mile and a half long, whizzing over a valley forest 1,200ft below. My nerves reach a crescendo as I climb the tower and the crew strap me into a sturdy sling.
For a terrifying moment I dangle