Charco El Survivor

Location: Patillas

Getting there: From San Juan, drive 1 hour 15 minutes south through Caguas and then the Carite State Forest. This charco is not far from the south coast. Pull off the 184 at a sign that says “Los Tres Chorros”. After you go over the bridge, park on the left. If parking is full there you can find a couple other spots driving around. The roads get steep in this area, though. The trailhead is after the 2nd bridge on the right side, along the river. You won’t have to follow it for long until you find the waterfall and swimming area. You can follow the river back under the bridge to some cool spots.

Things to do: Take it in – There is a lot of room on the rocks to set up under the shade, so bringing a chair isn’t a bad idea. Get in the water – There is a pool that you can swim in that gets more narrow as you get closer to the waterfall. There will be a shallow rocky ledge that you can sit on, but I wouldn’t suggest walking over it because it is extremely slippery.

Heads up: Be wary of slippery rocks. and depth test before jumping anywhere as there are a lot of rocks just under the surface here.