Besides El Yunque, Puerto Rico has fourteen forest reserves scattered across the island. Some of the best ones for hiking are the Guanica Reserve, a mecca for bird watchers on the south coast, and the Toro Negro Reserve, which surrounds Puerto Rico's highest peak, Cerro de Punta at 4,390 feet. For most hikes on the island you do not need a guide because trails are marked, but it can be more enjoyable and educational to join a group run by an outfitter. Two wheels can take you further than two feet. On a bike, you achieve lung-expanding workouts on the uphills and relish the cool thrills of the downhills.
Mountain bikes are ideal for exploring the islands, with their rough and often unpaved roads.
However, some Caribbean islands are so traffic-clogged that bike riding can be unpleasant, if not unsafe. Anguilla has rolling terrain, a friendly population and outstanding beaches, many of which have escaped development. From your beach resort or guest house, you can take day trips by mountain bike over little trafficked jeep roads through the island's rugged interior. Most often, your destination is an isolated beach you're bound to have to yourself. Another day, go to Shoal Bay, the island's most popular beach, via a newly cut dirt road through the village of Brimegin.