Take the guided tour along level trails through this coastal forest reserve, and then cool off with a dip in one of the spring-fed lagoons, which native Tainos called "eyes." Each of the lagoons has a Taino name and all are fed by the Yauya River,

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Take the guided tour along level trails through this coastal forest reserve, and then cool off with a dip in one of the spring-fed lagoons, which native Tainos called "eyes." Each of the lagoons has a Taino name and all are fed by the Yauya River, which runs underground and empties into the ocean in a area of mangroves on the beach near the entrance to the park. As you walk through the reserve, the guide will point out some of the most interesting of the plants and wildlife that live on the property. Some species live nowhere else in the world. At certain times of the year, you will spot hundreds of red land crabs that have come out of their underground homes to mate. In the winter, you will see a hundred different species of migrating birds. The big brown mounds in the trees are termite nests, an indication that the forest is healthy. Because the forest is thriving, it is alive with butterflies, frogs, lizards, and harmless snakes. The students you may encounter are not indigenous, but international scholars who come to the ecological reserve to study and conduct research through the Center for Sustainability.

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