Cordillera Central Puerto Rico Photography Location
The Cordillera Central, also known as the Central Mountains range, is Puerto Rico’s primary mountain range. This range runs across the island from west to east, dividing it into northern and southern coastal plains. During our seven-day trip, we traveled around three-quarters of Puerto Rico. At one point, we crossed the country’s middle to reach the airport, our original destination. The central part of Puerto Rico is a stunning wilderness mountain country that we adored.
We highly recommend staying at the hotel listed below if traveling through the Central Valley Mountain area. We had a fantastic experience here, waking up to the peaceful sounds of nature and feeling a refreshing breeze through the window. We even found ourselves wishing we could wake up like this every day.
We were lost in the mountains when the sun was setting, and those dynamic colors came into the sky, as you can see in the picture above. Finding a spot to pull over and take a photograph is difficult. So, if you plan to do this in the Central Mountains, plan in advance.
ALL THE BASICS FOR YOUR TRIP
Here are some key things to know before you travel.
BEST TIME TO GO
When to Go: Any time of year. This area is not very crowded, but remember, summer can be hot.
HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS AREA
We stayed in this beautiful hotel resort in the middle of the country and traveled around the area looking for photography locations and opportunities. If you’re traveling through, you’ll find some spots to stop. We didn’t see anything worth mentioning that was dynamic enough to go out of our way on the particular route we took, but I’m sure there are more incredible things here. We only took one road.
WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR TO BRING
Bring your wide-angle and zoom lenses. There is some wildlife in this area. Always have your tripod with you if you encounter any moving water for the milky water blurring effect.
WHAT ELSE TO BRING
As usual, when you’re out photographing, a good pair of hiking boots, some organic sunscreen, and organic bug spray are handy to have with you.
NEARBY PHOTOGRAPHY
The window cave is nearby, so you can also stay at this marvelous hotel and then travel to the window cave from here.
The luscious foliage and the cool breeze and the sound of wildlife and nothing more made time stand still for a moment. We were here in the middle of the winter when the Milky Way core does not come above the horizon. These are dark skies, so If you go at the right time of the year, you will be able to do Milky Way Photography at night time.
PHOTOGRAPHY NEAR CASA GRANDE MOUNTAIN RESORT
When you stay at the Casa Grande Mountain Resort, make a left out of the main entrance onto PR-612, and you will come to a few very photogenic locations. There are a lot of houses in the wilderness of the mountains, and you may encounter some wildlife, too. There is a massive population of strays in this country. As you can see above, we made a new friend with our French fries that came with the meal, but we did not eat them. They are one of the worst foods for you. Don’t eat your french fries, and bring our friend some at Central Caonillas 1 near Casa Grande. This is a very calming, peaceful, tranquil place. One of our friends lost their dog to illness the day we were here. Her dog, Jinx, looked similar to the dog in our picture. It was so peaceful here with our new friend; we felt like we were visiting Jinx at the Rainbow Bridge.
You will also be near Lago Caonillas when staying at this resort. Lago Caonillas is located in the Municipio of Utuado and was constructed in 1948 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The reservoir’s primary purpose was to generate hydroelectricity for the people around the area. The lake area will offer an opportunity to get some pictures, but don’t expect anything jaw-dropping.
If you come in from the island’s southern side, you will pass a small town called Adjuntas, as seen in the picture above. The town square is beautiful, and you can stop for a bit of shopping in between your photography. We noticed only two hotels in the general area at a quick internet glance, so we kept going. Luckily, we did. We found one of the best places on earth. See our hotel section below.
You can also travel to the Window Cave and the Arecibo Observatory from the Casa Grande. Here, you can see a small museum, an educational film, and stand next to the world’s largest single-dish telescope.
THE CENTER OF PUERTO RICO
Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico, is the true Puerto Rico in our eyes. These mountains have twists and turns that take you deep into the jungle. The hairpin turns are not for the faint of heart. This is why this area is less traveled. It is not easy to get to, but the incredible beauty is well worth traveling for the adventurous photographer.
Photography Information
Lens: This area is a wide-angle lens location but right by this resort is an area where great egrets can be found, so be sure to have your zoom lens handy.
Gear List at a Glance: Circular polarizing filter, neutral density filters, tripod, shutter release, wide-angle, and zoom lens. CPL filters will help you create dynamic images. We recommend never shooting outdoors without one. They will make your white puffy clouds whiter, remove the silver glare from water, and replace it with a beautiful reflection. There are many moving waters at the location, so you’ll want to have your neutral density filters with you to achieve the long exposure, milky water effect.
Place your ad here for one year.
For our Area Information, Hotel,
and Restaurant sections.
Billed at $99 per year.
FOOD & DINING
Entrance Fees: There are no entrance fees at this location.
HOTELS
Casa Grande Mountain Retreat
Utuado 00641, Puerto Rico
Owned and operated by the same man for 20 years, this retreat is a true pleasure. The food was outstanding, the service impeccable, and the rooms were serene and comfortable. Relax on the porch in the middle of the jungle on your hammock, listening to the wildlife. The Photography begins just outside the resort.
WEATHER
CAMPING
