CAVING:

Explora

is owned by Mimi Ortiz. Call 787-751-9647 for information, or fax 787-250-1998. Trips can be tailored to physical ability levels, and experienced professional guides are provided. The company also offers rain-forest hikes, backpacking and camping trips, bird-watching tours and more traditional island tours. Cave trips such as the one described cost US$70 per person and up. Wear good, solid but lightweight boots that can handle complete submersion, and I'd go with heavy-duty nylon shorts. The company will provide all climbing gear including knee pads, harnesses, helmet, backpack, etc. Camera? Take a waterproof throwaway with flash.

HANG-GLIDING:

Tandem flights, US$150. Call Team Spirit Hang Gliding at 787-850-0508 or 787-645-7708. Team Spirit is a full-service U.S. Hang Gliding Association-affiliated and -certified operation, with a full complement of rental equipment for those with official rating cards. The company also offers hang-gliding lessons and refresher courses. Wear jeans and hiking boots. Bob can manage the big tandem glider with anyone up to about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds; over that, there's a safety concern.

DIVING:

Puerto Rico has plenty of top-shelf NAUI and PADI dive operations, many offering scuba certification and lessons. Dive Copamarina is professional and modern. Info: 787-821-6009. The west end of the Parguera Wall can be dived from the town of La Parguera. Call Parguera Divers at 787-899-4171. Also check with Aquatica Underwater Adventurers (787-890-6071) in Aguadilla for trips to Desecheo Island and other points on the west coast. A bit farther out is Mona Island, accessible by a five-hour boat ride across the sometimes rough Mona Passage. Mona is a very sensitive environment, so access is limited and regulated by the Department of Natural Resources. The Caribbean Reef Dive Shop in Cabo Rojo (787-254-4006) offers overnight dive trips and multi-day camping/hiking excursions to Mona. A permit is needed, so plan ahead and allow three weeks for the shop to get the paperwork. Some exceptions are made for tourists, but available permits go fast, especially for holiday weekends. On the east side of the island, Humacao, Culebra and Vieques are favored sites. Contact Coral Head Divers at the Palmas Del Mar Resort at 800-635-4529 or 787-850-7208.

HIKING:

Information on the El Yunque forest (and camping permits) can be obtained at the El Portal Visitor Center at the park entrance on Highway 191, Km. 4.3; or contact the El Yunque Ranger District at 787-888-1880. If you're planning on serious hiking, get the Caribbean National Forest topographical map from Trails Illustrated (800-962-1643). This is a rain forest, so be prepared for that eventuality. It is also tropical, meaning hot, so bring plenty of water. (It's not recommended you drink the free-running water unless you treat it first.) Solid, lightweight hiking shoes will do fine for any of the maintained trails. Keep in mind that on weekends, the forest will be far more crowded with visitors than during midweek.

SURFING:

There are plenty of surf shops along the coastal areas and even in San Juan. Rentals are available. There are plenty of board builders, and the island has a solid surf infrastructure. The local dudes can be a tough lot, so be polite and remember that you don't own the waves. At Rincsn, check out West Coast Surf Shop, 787-823-3935.

Posted online 08/01/98.