Arroyo

Arroyo is a quiet agricultural community far off the tourist’s beaten path, which makes it a pleasant place to visit if you want a peaceful getaway in a low-key, pastoral part of Puerto Rico [1].

Closed for renovation at press time, Tren del Sur de Arroyo (Carr. 3, km 130.9, Arroyo, 787/271-1574, Sat.–Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) is a nostalgic reminder of the height of Puerto Rico’s sugarcane production, when the product was shipped to mills in Arroyo for processing. A section of the railway remains here where visitors can take a 25-minute ride each way through an old sugarcane plantation in historic train cars pulled by a diesel engine.

Also closed for renovation, Museo Antigua Aduana (Calle Morse, Arroyo, 787/839-8096, Tues.–Sun.) contains memorabilia from when Samuel Morse himself first brought the telegraph to the island.

Balneario Punta Guilarte (Carr. 3, km 126, Arroyo, 787/839-3565, daily 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., $2) is a publicly maintained beach with facilities east of Arroyo on the west side of Puerto Patillas Bay. At the entrance is Faro de Punta Figuras, a recently renovated lighthouse built in 1893.