A day trip to Lago Dos Bocas in Utuado and Arecibo is so much fun—especially for families with children— that it should be on any avid traveler’s list of things they must do in Puerto Rico on a sunny weekend.
For this short excursion “out on the island,” you’ll travel along the north coastal plain from San Juan toward Arecibo on Highway 22, one of the island’s most scenic expressways; take Exit 75B to Road 10 Sur (south), a modern highway; turn left at Road 621, a gently curving two-lane country road; and keep right on Road 123, following the signs to El Embarcadero, a mooring at the edge of spectacular Dos Bocas Lake.
There you will board a courtesy ferry for a gentle ride to a restaurant that serves authentic Puerto Rican food. The round-trip from San Juan and back, including time for lunch should take a total of four hours or so. But you don’t want to rush, so plan a side trip to one of the nearby attractions. A good plan is to leave your home or hotel early, sightsee in the morning, reach Dos Bocas for a late lunch, and head back to arrive before sunset.
On a recent visit (on a Saturday in March, when this issue was being prepared), there were just a handful of visitors waiting for the boats that were ferrying happy couples and families to and from the lakeside restaurants and the lake was an emerald gemstone set in the white cliff s and moss-green trees of the Río Abajo forest. It is wonderful in the summer—when the sun is hot and the lake is cool—but it is best to avoid Sundays in July, when the restaurants and the ferries often reach their maximum capacity early in the afternoon, according to one boatman.
There are four lakeside restaurants that are accessed by the ferries. The best-known is Rancho Marina (787-894-8034), which serves fine, creative criollo cuisine in an informal but sophisticated al fresco setting. It is open year-round on weekends and holiday Fridays or Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and then daily from July 18 to July 27. Next door is Restaurante Otoao (787-312-7118), a bright and friendly family restaurant that serves traditional Puerto Rican dishes on a huge covered terrace. It is open on Fridays, making it a great choice for vacationers, and weekends and holidays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you’d prefer to remain on terra firma, both Rancho Marina and Otoao are accessible by land. Just take the road across the Dos Bocas dam (Road 123 norte or north) and continue on to Road 146. Watch for the signs or call for directions. Most cellphones work in the area.
Travelers on a tight budget might try Restaurante Vista Al Lago (787-814-6934, open Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays), whose modest menu features inexpensive dishes of the day. Scheduled to open at Villa Attabeira is a new restaurant, La Montaña Gourmet, which will serve both native and, for variety, Italian fare.
At El Embarcadero, you can see the different menus and decide on such specialties as goat, veal or rabbit fricassee, asopaos and mofongos—or on more conventional chicken, seafood or meat dishes. Boats leave every half hour or so from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and the last return trip is at 5:00 p.m.
Most lake restaurants take Visa, MasterCard, and ATH and a few take American Express—for specifics, ask the boatman at the pier. The restaurants occasionally close for special events, such as weddings and birthdays, so if you have your heart set on one in particular, call ahead to make sure it is open.
Side Trips
Utuado is just a short drive from Dos Bocas on Road 10. The town was once considered nearly inaccessible but now it is one of the easiest central mountain towns to reach. Many of its Spanish colonial buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The town’s Catholic church, founded in 1746, and several other structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
If you find yourself desperate for a Wi-Fi connection, you can head for the University of Puerto Rico’s Utuado campus (Road 10 km 52.2, 787-894-2828). If you would rather retreat into the unwired pre-Columbian past, visit the Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana (Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center) in Barrio Caguana, one of the most important archeological sites in the West Indies and a National Historic Landmark. The park is located on Road 111 km 12.3 and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Call 787-894-7325 or 787-724-5477 to confirm hours.
The Arecibo Observatory is another logical alternative for a side trip before or after a visit to the lake. To get there, take Road 652, which is just before the entrance to Highway 22 on Road 10, and follow the signs. The famous radio-telescope and its Ángel Ramos Foundation Visitors Center is open every day during the summer season (June 1 to July 31) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is of special interest to older kids, college students, and scientifically minded adults. Call 787-878-2612 for information or visit www.naic.edu, which has a good map.
Also in the town of Arecibo, a great place to go with kids of all ages is the Arecibo Lighthouse & Historical Park. The small ones will like to climb on the Pirate’s Ship, visit the African Slave Quarters, an Indian Village, a Pirate’s Cave, and the mini-zoo—and everyone will like the beautifully restored Punta Los Morrillos lighthouse built in 1898, an ideal place for photos. The park is on Road 665, Barrio Islote, near the Arecibo Pier. Call 787-880-7560 for information or visit http://www.arecibolighthouse.com/ .
