PUERTO RICO , Cordillera - view over Lago Caonillas from near Casa Grande

Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

Lagos Dos Bocas & Caonillas

North Coast


These two lakes – each more than 2 miles long – fill a deeply cleft valley at a point where karst country gives way to the jagged spine of the central mountains, east of Hwy 10 and north of Utuado. The lakes are the principal reservoirs for the north-central part of the island and they can provide a tranquil escape if the beaches are too congested.

In calm weather, you can ride Dos Bocas’ free launch, which serves as a taxi service to the residents in the area. The boat landing is on the western side of the lake. Boats leave almost every hour. You can disembark at restaurants around the lake or just sit back and enjoy the two-hour ride. You can similarly pick up the boat launch on the other side of the lake at the end of Hwy 612, about 3 miles beyond the Casa Grande Mountain Retreat. Along the shore there are several comida criolla (traditional Puerto Rican cuisine) restaurants, some of which hire kayaks.