Cerro Punta

Location: Jayuya

Getting there: Drive for 2 hours from San Juan to get to the bottom of the poorly paved road that leads to the top of the mountain. The hike up the road isn’t too bad, but it is steep. It will take you 20-30min. You’ll reach radio antennas on the top. You can go a little higher. Look for the sign that says “Cerro Punta” on a wall. To the right are some stairs. They were overgrown with grass and difficult to see when I went.

General Info: This is the tallest peak in Puerto Rico at 4398 ft or 1338 meters. It is possible to drive all the way up to the peak, but you’ll need a vehicle with 4×4 and clearance, non negotiable. The road is extremely washed out in some sections as of 2023. If you drive up, this isn’t a hike, but still a great experience. You’ll park in a gravel lot at the bottom of the hill and walk up the road that is fairly steep nearly the entire way. 

Heads up: The downside is it is often raining in this region. When it isn’t raining, the peak is often covered by clouds so that you won’t be able to see anything from the top. We spoke with a man who owns a radio and television station and was having something serviced or updated when we were there. He said that he’s only rarely seen sunny days on all the times he has visited over the years. We were lucky to get a pretty clear day.