Peeking out over the Cordillera Central range of Puerto Rico is Cerro de Punta. Cerro de Punta, endearingly referred to by locals as Puntitas, is located in the middle of the island territory, straddling Ponce and Jayuya. Rising to an altitude of 4,398 feet (1,388 m), it is the tallest mountain on the Isla del Encanto. Cerro de Punta’s montane forest like much of Puerto Rico, breathes with a life that is as verdant as it is rare.
Housing one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States, Cerro de Punta is home to a wide range of bushes, shrubs, palms and other trees, flowers and other plants, and animals. The mountain is the only known location in the world of Elaphoglossum serpens, a fern that grows from the trunks of six trees and has held steady on the list of endangered species in the United States for at least twenty-five years. Due to its special habitat requirements, and the constant threat of encroaching developers, the E. serpens population continues to be at risk of distinction.
Cerro de Punta is located within Toro Negro State Forest, which, aside from being a cloud forest with the tallest mountain on the island, is worthy of exploration. Until the 1930s, the land was used for coffee plantations, growing some of the best beans in the world. Many visitors to the area stay at the nearby Hacienda Gripiñas, which was established in the 1860s as a coffee plantation and converted to a hotel in the mid-1970s. As a coffee plantation, the hacienda produced world-class coffee, winning the gold medal at the Louisiana Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. Trails from the hotel property link directly with the mountains of the Toro Negro Forest, including Cerro de Punta.
At the summit of Cerro de Punta, climbing up onto the observation platform for the closest anyone can get to a view of the entire island. (Whether you see the entire island or not will depend on the clouds, which are often heavier in the afternoon.) Take a deep breath and appreciate the unique beauty of the land. There is a narrow road up to the communications tower at the top, which can be risky after a rainstorm. If you hike, it’s an easy walk up the steep road, less than a mile total distance.
Getting there can be a little tricky, as there is no clear signage. (The best places are always the hardest to find, aren’t they?) There is a small parking area at the base of the mountain off route 143. If you’re coming from route 149, it will be on the right; from route 10, on the left. If the weather isn’t too cloudy, you might be able to see the three towers at the top of the mountain. If you are able, the hike is recommended. It won’t take more than a half an hour.
