Orocovis
Orocovis is a mountain town and municipality of Puerto Rico along the island's Cordillera Central region. It is home to a state forest offering hiking, swimming and birdwatching opportunities, and it is famous for its traditional food.
Understand
[edit]Orocovis is in the Cordillera Central, and isolated: so deep in the mountain range, there may not be cell phone signal in some areas.
Get in
[edit]- San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
- Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport
- Ponce: Mercedita Airport
By car
[edit]Driving into Orocovis can be challenging. You should not speed through the streets. Try to follow the flow of the local traffic if possible. The mountain roads can be narrow, hilly and curvy.
By bus
[edit]Some people prefer to visit Orocovis by way of tour bus. The term chinchorreo translates to bar-hopping. Chinchorreo in Puerto Rico refers to the activity of visiting restaurants and other eating or drinking venues along a 'gastronomic route'. A chinchorreo bus can be booked, usually from San Juan and the tour could include stops in bars and restaurants in Morovis and Orocovis located on PR-143 and PR-155.
Get around
[edit]Driving in Orocovis is not for the faint of heart. PR-143 is in the Cordillera Central and the narrow roads feature hairpin turns, steep inclines, and sheer cliff drops. Drivers are sharing the road with trucks, locals and tour buses. The road is called the Panoramic Route (La Ruta Panorámica) because it is scenic and beautiful.
The highways into Orocovis are PR-143 (also known as the Panoramic Route), and PR-155 from Morovis which is on Orocovis' northern border. PR-156 connects Orocovis with Barranquitas on Orocovis' eastern border. PR-157 connects Orocovis and Ciales on Orocovis southern and western borders. PR-149 connects Orocovis with its southern neighbor, Villalba.
See
[edit]- 1 Orocovis Pueblo (downtown Orocovis). See the historic Roman Catholic church, Spanish-style recreational plaza, and the municipal buildings surrounded by streets and shops.
You can drive around the pueblo or park your car and walk around the square and into the plaza. The Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for celebrations and festivities.
- 2 Museo Orocoveño Celestino Avilés Melendez, PR-155, ☏ +1 787-867-2718. Santo Art, the art of handcrafting carved wooden saints and other religious statues out of wood is alive and well in Orocovis and showcased in the Museo Orocoveño Celestino Avilés Melendez.
- 3 Ruta Panorámica (Panoramic Route), PR-143. The Panoramic Route is PR-143 in Orocovis and offers breathtaking, mountain views. Whether you want to drive yourself or go on a bus tour, it is worth seeing.
- 4 Mirador Villalba-Orocovis (Villalba-Orocovis Lookout), PR-143 on the border of Villalba and Orocovis. On clear days the view is spectacular because you can see the Atlantic Ocean on the North Coast and the Caribbean Sea on the South Coast.
Do
[edit]
- 1 Toro Negro State Forest (Bosque Estatal de Toro Negro), Carr. 143 Km. 32.7 Barrio Ala de la Piedra (If coming from San Juan it is about 109 kilometers away, if you take PR-22 West, then PR-149 in Manatí, through Ciales to Toro Negro, for a trip that is at least two hours and fifteen minutes long. The roads are steep, narrow and crooked as they go through the Cordillera Central, the mountain range that cuts through Puerto Rico. Toro Negro is about 60 kilometers from Morovis downtown via PR-155 until PR-143 for 1 hr and 30 minutes. The road is very curvy, narrow and steep and can be difficult.), ☏ +1 787-867-3040, +1 787-349-3375. Toro Verde is a popular large park where you can ride one of the longest zip lines in the world. There is a waterfall, many rivers for fishing, or kayaking and there are hiking trails and camping areas. There is an observation tower at the forest which is more than 3500 feet above sea level.
- 2 Chorro de Doña Juana (Doña Juana Waterfall), PR-149 (the road is very curvy and can be difficult for non-locals), ☏ +1 787-867-5000. This waterfall also called Salto de Doña Juana has a natural pool for swimming. There is very little parking at the area but it is a nice place to take photos.
The Monster is an extremely long zipline, one of the longest ziplines in the world. There are 8 smaller ziplines at Torro Verde. Some of the companies you can contact to book a ride on the ziplines include:
- 3 Zipline Tours PR, ☏ +1 787-244-0099, geninfo@ziplinetourspr.com. The Monster is one of the longest ziplines in the world, at 2.5 kilometers long. The tour can last up to an hour and a half.
- 4 Toro Verde PR (Zipline Tours), ☏ +1 787-867-7100. There are different zip lines. The Monster is one of the longest in the world, at 2.5 kilometers long. The tour can last up to an hour and a half. $89.
- 5 Centro de Recepciones Luis Ángel Ortiz Hernández, Puerto Rico Highway 155. The venue can be booked for any type of reception.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Las Cabañas Doña Juana, PR-143 Km 30.7, ☏ +1 787-612-1598. This restaurant offers pork chops, ribs, chicken, rice and beans and other typical Puerto Rican dishes and desserts and mountain views.
Drink
[edit]- Chinchorreo bus, ☏ +1 787-998-5466. Chinchorreo roughly translates to bar-hopping in Puerto Rico. Groups take tour buses into Orocovis / Morovis and stop at bars and restaurants to drink and eat and spend the day in La Montaña (the mountain). $30 on a bus with A/C, $25 on a bus without A/C.
Sleep
[edit]As Airbnb becomes more and more popular in Puerto Rico, visitors may be able to find accomodations via Airbnb in Orocovis.