El Paseo Piñones, La Bomba, and Ziplining

Puerto Rico Week 3: From Cycling the Seas to Ziplining in the Skies

Read about my second week in Puerto Rico here!

During the first part of the week I worked on a lot of homework, finishing a final presentation due Tuesday morning, and had been on my laptop way too much. I knew I needed a break after the presentations were over, and wanted to get outside and explore another part of San Juan. With this in mind, I joined a group taking an Uber to the beach, and walked through the Condado area to find a bike rental shop.

After securing a bicycle for a few hours, I took off east. It felt great to be riding near the coast, with the ocean breeze helping to make the weather feel less hot and humid than it truly was. I passed multiple beaches and even the entire airport on my way to the Paseo Piñones, a pedestrian and bicycle trail northeast of San Juan.

I rode back towards the city the same way I came, but had some extra time before I needed to return the bike, so I went through Condado and into Old San Juan, circling around the area. Once I finally ended back at the rental shop, I had ridden over 20 miles in a little over 2 hours, exploring the area in an amazing way. For most of the route as well there were protected bike lanes, which definetely helped make the experience better than it could’ve been. I passed other people on bikes and some on electric scooters, and highly recommend exploring San Juan on two wheels when you’re there.

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After I returned the bike I walked for about 45 minutes to the Sagrado Corazón Tren Urbano station, stopping by the huge two-story Walmart in San Juan to grab dinner from Panda Express along the way. I rode the Tren Urbano from there back to the University Plaza. 

La Bomba: Taller Tambuye

Wednesday we began the second course of the program, focused on Latin American music. As an introduction, we visited the Taller Tambuye de Bomba a few blocks away in Río Piedras to participate in a workshop. The workshop was about the traditional Puerto Rican music genre Bomba. We learned about the genre’s history, the instruments used, and even spent time learning some of the basic dance moves as well.

Our instructor, Marien Torres Lopez, was incredible. She’s an incredibly accomplished musician, including directing the internationally acclaimed music video “Canción Sin Miedo,” linked above. She was also very personable and an expert at explaining even just the basics of the rhythm of Bomba. You can find more about the Taller Tambuye on their website here: tallertambuye.com

Looking for other things to do in Río Piedras? Check out our list of the top 15 places to visit!

Ziplining at Toro Verde Adventure Park: An Unforgettable Puerto Rican Experience

The rest of the week was spent in class and on homework, but on Saturday came one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Six of us from the program chartered a vehicle to pick us up and take us into the middle of the mountains of the island, driving for about an hour and a half from San Juan. Finally, we reached Toro Verde Adventure Park, excited for a morning of ziplining.

After checking in and receiving our wristband passes, we walked down the hill to begin the canopy tour. For the next hour and a half we zipped through the trees of the mountains of Puerto Rico, full of adrenaline and in awe of the views the eight ziplines offered as we flew down and around the mountain.

These ziplines were lots of fun, but there was an even better one waiting for us when we finished. Known as the Monster, this 1.57 mile long zipline is the longest in the Americas and is an incredible experience. Unlike typical ziplines, on the Monster and the Beast, the other major zipline in the park, you fly through the air laying flat on your stomach, and the park claims you can reach speeds of up to 95 mph. I’m not sure if I went that fast, but I definitely went faster here than on any other zipline I’ve been on.

To get to the Monster, you have to climb up a tower at the top of the park, and once they hook you in you fly right over the rest of the park. After flying for what seems like forever but is really just a few seconds, the trees give way to a massive valley tucked into the mountains, with a gorgeous river running through the bottom. I had no idea the cliff was there, and the scenery was extraordinary. Although ziplining at Toro Verde was one of the more expensive things I did on this trip, I have absolutely no regrets, and will remember this one-of-kind adventure for a long, long time.

Want to zipline in Puerto Rico too? Check out available tours on Viator.com!

Ziplining was incredibly exciting, but in the heat it was also a little draining. Most of us napped in the bus on the ride back to San Juan, and once we returned took an Uber to Escambron Beach in Old San Juan. We spent the rest of the afternoon there, and I relaxed in my hammock for a while. After watching the sunset we went and got dinner to celebrate a classmate’s birthday before heading back to Río Piedras, ending what was for sure the most exciting day of the trip.

Follow the adventure here, including a trip to the southern and western coasts of Puerto Rico!