Cañón de San Cristóbal, Protected natural valley in central Puerto Rico.
This valley system runs nine kilometers through Barranquitas and Aibonito municipalities, with walls descending 750 feet (230 meters) at their deepest points along the route.
Municipal authorities operated a landfill within the gorge between 1954 and 1974, after which the Department of Natural Resources declared it a Protected Natural Area in 1978.
Local residents have honored the site by naming it after Saint Christopher, whom Puerto Ricans have regarded as patron of travelers since the nineteenth century.
Three entry points provide access Monday through Saturday: Finca Don Félix and Cañón San Cristóbal Recreation Area in Barranquitas, plus Finca Los Llanos in Aibonito municipality.
Flowing waters of the Usabón River spent millions of years cutting through layers of sedimentary and igneous rock formations that date back ninety to one hundred million years.
Location: Puerto Rico
Address: Carr.156, Km. 17.7 interior, Bo. Honduras, Barranquitas, PR, Barranquitas 00794, Puerto Rico
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 07:00-16:00
Phone: +17878573511
GPS coordinates: 18.16913,-66.29156
Latest update: December 1, 2025 16:08
Puerto Rico offers more than the beaches and colonial fortresses of San Juan. The island contains dozens of natural swimming pools, remote coastal sections and protected forest reserves. The northern coast holds limestone caves with pre-Columbian petroglyphs, while the southwest region includes bioluminescent bays and extensive salt flats. The interior features waterfalls cascading over volcanic rock and hiking trails through mountain canyons with native vegetation. Historic sites include 19th-century lighthouses on rocky promontories, Spanish fortifications guarding harbor entrances and archaeological sites like the indigenous ceremonial center of Tibes near Ponce. Coastal areas offer natural swimming holes separated from the sea at low tide, including Las Paylas in Luquillo and Pozo de Jacinto in Isabela. The dry coastal forests of Guánica and the wet rainforest of El Yunque show the range of the island's ecosystems. Visitors reach these locations via local roads that are often unpaved and poorly marked. Many natural pools and waterfalls require short hikes over uneven terrain. The best conditions occur during the dry season from December through April, when river flows run lower. Some locations like Reserva Natural Las Cabezas de San Juan require advance booking for guided tours, while others remain freely accessible year-round.
El Yunque National Forest
56.2 km
Toro Negro State Forest
16.8 km
Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño
13.4 km
Central Aguirre Historic District
24.8 km
La Plata Lake
18.4 km
Bayamón Soccer Complex
25.6 km
San Ramón Nonato Church
26.1 km
Arenas Bridge
16.7 km
Mavilla Bridge
20.4 km
San Blas de Illescas Church (Coamo)
12 km
La Robleda Natural Protected Area
17.8 km
Old Plata Bridge
17.4 km
Museo de Vida Silvestre
25.3 km
Cerro El Bolo
21.6 km
Planadas-Yeyesa Nature Reserve
12.2 km
La Liendre Bridge
17.3 km
Puente de las Calabazas
9.3 km
Pico Pomar Residence
11.9 km
Casa Natal de Luis Muñoz Rivera
2.8 km
Río Hondo Bridge
6.8 km
General Méndez Vigo Bridge
14.6 km
Hacienda Los Maldonado
13.8 km
Cascada Charco Prieto
17 km
Jesús Izcoa Moure Bridge
19.4 km
La Casa del Cuento y de la Historia Cayeyana Ramón "Moncho" Gómez
14.8 km
Carretera Central historic district
5 km
Lago Toa Vaca
20.7 km
Lago Guayabal
23.8 kmReviews
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