Venture off the beaten path for coffee and more in the town of San Lorenzo.
San Lorenzo
A small mountainous town in southeastern Puerto Rico, San Lorenzo has several off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions to enjoy.
This is the type of municipality that's perfect for a day trip to get to know a different side of Puerto Rico beyond San Juan or the beaches. Visit a coffee plantation, take a military vehicle up a mountain to enjoy an excellent lunch with an incredible view, or head to one particular bar that has a magic waterfall behind it. In San Lorenzo, you'll also find one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites on the Island.
Things to Do
Hacienda Muñoz
If you're coming from the metro area, one of the most accessible and beautiful coffee plantations to visit is Hacienda Muñoz in San Lorenzo.
At Muñoz you can book an easy walking tour to explore Puerto Rican coffee history and production while giving you the opportunity to enjoy the sprawling view of the plantation and surrounding mountain range. You may even run into some resident peacocks, chickens, or a friendly donkey. After your tour, savor a freshly made latte or espresso at their coffee shop or grab a bite at Yiya's Restaurant, which serves traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. You can also find specialty coffee beans to take home as an only-in-Puerto-Rico souvenir.
Touring the Hacienda Muñoz Coffee Plantation.
Siete Chorros
This is a unique experience. Behind the Colmado Bar González is a waterfall known as Siete Chorros (Seven Springs), which, as the name describes, is actually seven waterfalls about 12 feet high that fall into a natural pool enclosed by large, smooth boulders. To reach the swimming hole you have to go to the bar and ask permission to go in, the bartender will point out where to go.
El Cerro de Nandy
To reach the restaurant El Cerro de Nandy, you need a 4x4 vehicle that can handle a rocky dirt road, a river crossing, and extremely steep climbs straight up a mountainside. If you forgot to bring yours, the restaurant offers transportation in a rugged military vehicle. Once at the top the view is absolutely stunning, and is best enjoyed alongside Nandy's outstanding traditional Puerto Rican countryside food. Come for the adventure, and stay for the rice and pigeon peas, roast chicken, and rabbit stew.
Montaña Santa
Montaña Santa translates into the Holy Mountain. It's an important pilgrimage site for devout Catholics, particularly during Easter. At the top of the Holy Mountain is a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Carmen. It is a serene and silent place people visit to pray and meditate.
Montaña Santa was declared a holy site in 1985 in honor of a woman named Elenita de Jesús, known locally as Vuestra Madre (Your Mother), who between 1899 and 1909 evangelized and converted dozens of followers to Catholicism. Many believe she was an incarnation of the Virgin Mary. She would come to this mountain to pray, and for over a century thousands of people have followed her example.
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