The Ruta Panoramica is a series of roads along Puerto Rico's mountainous interior. Very often these roads are no more than one lane asphalt trails hugging a mountainside, rugged slope on one side, open cliff face on the other. It took three days to make this trip because even though the entire island is just over 100 miles across, average speeds can drop as low as 15 miles per hour. There was no shortage of danger here including an incident where we slid backwards down the steepest paved road I have ever driven on. We hosted a family of cats one night while car-camping in El Carite State Park's deteriorating camp site. Experiencing the entire Ruta had long been on the to-do list and it felt really good to a) knock it out, and b) to see all the magnificent views and features cenrtal Puerto Rico has to offer. Here are a few shots from this amazing experience. Continue reading →