Reserva Natural Bosque de Piñones — Attraction in Loíza

Fantastic habitat for birds and other wildlife, though not as adequately kept for humans. Many of the boards from the boardwalk are missing, so certainly watch your step or tires if you’re biking.

As far as birds go, dozens of waders like Great Egrets and Night-Herons call the lake home, along with Osprey.

In the grassy area in front of the observation tower, I logged Red-legged Thrush, a whole variety of doves including an intriguing size comparison between the diminutive Common Ground Dove and the standard-sized Zenaida Dove. From the observation tower itself, Osprey and Red-tailed Hawks were observed soaring around.

The parking lot hosted innumerable calls. My frantic audio comparisons in the field allowed me to identify a Black-whiskered Vireo, Puerto Rican Vireo, Puerto Rican Grassquit, dozens of Bananaquits and Grey Kingbirds and a fleeting look at Puerto Rican Spindalis.

On the mangrove boardwalk, I heard Mangrove Cuckoo, Smooth-billed Ani, Black-faced Grassquit, Louisiana Waterthrush in its wintering habitat and saw two quick White-winged Parakeets. Grey Kingbirds sang along the whole way through and both -quit’s at the entrance. Deeper in there were fewer passerines, perhaps due to a change in foliage or habitat. Eventually, we made it to an opening in the fence leading to an observation deck. There, we saw crabs crawling in and out of the mud, some duelling against each other presumably for a mate or territory.

Overall, an eager biome for many native species to live in. Any wildlife lover who doesn’t mind being a bit more attentive would certainly appreciate...

(Jan 2024) I've visited this place many times. This is a review of the entrance and most accesible area. You will find the parking and the entrance to a green area perfect for a picnic and to enjoy the place without a long hike. There's an observation tower good for bird watching that has a great view of the la Laguna de Piñones. There's an area where you can walk to the water, very slippery, not recommended unless you area kayaking, etc. Keep in mind of the closing time, they will ask you to exit the area, it's not open...

I was actually expecting a pine forest, but it’s mostly a boardwalk through a large mangrove, which was somewhat interesting. At one point it may have been a really lovely place, but the boardwalk is in terrible disrepair. There are so many large holes where boards have rotted and collapsed. Definitely not a good idea if you have kids, they might end falling through the boardwalk...