Cañón Blanco

Location: Utuado

Getting there: From San Juan, drive 1 hour west to Arecibo, then head south for an hour into the interior of the island along the scenic highway 10. I love this drive, hopefully it’s a sunny, clear day when you make the drive so you can appreciate the amazing limestone hills you drive through. When getting there via Google Maps, make sure you pass this church. If not, it might take you down a road on the other side of the river where you’ll find a locked gate blocking the route. There is one other route not passing the church that winds its way down a steep hill that will also get you there, but I’d add the church as a stop just to be safe. Park here and walk through the river passing some petroglyphs and arrive at the canyon walking or park here to be closer to the canyon. The best spot to hang out in the water is next to El Sofá, a vaguely sofa shaped rock you can sit on. If it’s busy you can dodge the crowds here. 

Things to do: Hike – Walking along the small canyon carved into the white rock is beautiful. I suggest parking at the first location so the hike is a little longer. The view of the white canyon extending down the valley with a giant green mountain in the background is breathtaking and the main reason to visit this spot. Petroglyphs – If you do hike in from the first location (it’s really only an additional 5 – 10 minutes of walking compared to the next parking spot), you’ll pass by some petroglyphs on your left side on some larger boulders (around here). There is very likely more scattered around, but these are the ones I happened to notice. Swim – The depth of the river in the canyon varies, and getting in may not always be safe. But, it has been calm the times I have visited. Once, the water was waist deep in the El Sofá area, another time it was ankle deep. You are sure to find deeper water at the end of the canyon. In the right conditions there are a couple cliff jumping spots.

Heads up: Look out for glass on the river bottom, I suggest wearing sandals because I saw a lot of broken glass last time I was there. Make sure to closely follow the directions above. It is common to get lost while using Google Maps to navigate to Cañón Blanco.