Beyond Puerto Rico's beaches: 8 farms and haciendas to visit

Puerto Rico's beaches are a major draw, but there’s so much more to do on the island than sunbathing and water sports. Those who leave the coast and venture inland are rewarded with unexpected finds, including local farms and haciendas (ranches or large estates).

If you’re interested in frolicking in fields of flowers, snacking on local produce, or crafting signature rum cocktails, the treasures of Puerto Rico are best found outside of San Juan. Below, we’ve rounded up the top spots beyond the beaches, from a cheese factory to a cacao farm, where you can get a fuller picture of the island's history and culture.

Want to make your own cheese wheel? The process is simple. Just reserve your spot at Vaca Negra, a shop-turned-restaurant in Hatillo featuring aged cheeses made entirely in Puerto Rico. Tours are held every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. After viewing the facility and learning about the dairy industry on the island, you’ll pick your own spices and be guided in the cheese-making process. Once you’ve completed your wheel, you’ll leave it in the Vaca Negra cellar for two months and the staff will ship it to you when it’s aged to perfection.

A cacao farm in Fajardo, Hacienda Chocolat fully embraces agritourism, offering various experiences by reservation only. Take a walking tour of the property, available in English or Spanish, to learn about the cacao growing and harvesting process. You’ll taste cacao pulp exactly as it comes out of the pod, hot chocolate with spices, and even cacao marmalade. Another option is to sign up for speciality programming, like wine and chocolate pairings, whiskey and chocolate tastings, or an art, wine, and chocolate experience that involves painting on canvas.

Hacienda Santa Ana in Bayamón is where Puerto Rico’s famous Ron del Barrilito has been made since 1880. There is a deep sense of culture and history here, punctuated by the legendary Freedom Barrel, which was filled with rum in 1942 and will only be opened when Puerto Rico receives its independence. Explore the property, complete with mansion and windmill, on a heritage tour, which includes a complimentary cocktail. Or, if you’re feeling indulgent, splurge on the tasting tour and sample the extremely limited-edition Ron del Barrilito Five Stars (priced at $799 a bottle). There’s also a mixology tour on offer to help you improve your bartending skills.

A small, hydroponic farm in Manatí, Frutos del Guacabo was featured on the Netflix series Down to Earth with Zac Efron and prides itself on growing rare produce. Tours are available to the public, as are farm-to-table dining experiences for parties of six or more who reserve in advance. In an outdoor seating area adorned with bales of hay turned seats; long, wooden tables; and the Puerto Rican flag, guests enjoy meals prepared by some of the island’s best chefs with ingredients from the farm.

Puerto Rico might be the last place you envision frolicking in sunflower fields, but you can do exactly that at Finca el Girsaol in Guanica in the late summer and early fall. The farm is only open Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and there’s a $2.50 admission fee, but once you’re in, you can roam the premises on your own and pose for pictures amid long rows of sunflowers. There’s also a shop selling cut flowers, fruit, and other small souvenirs.

A family-run farm at the base of the El Yunque rainforest, Finca de Rustica specializes in beautiful cut flowers and has become a local favorite for anniversary, wedding, and quinceañera photo shoots. There’s no official tour but, for a $2 admission fee, you can explore the property on your own; at certain times of year, the farm even hosts “U-pick” events, during which you can choose your own flowers for an arrangement. While walking around, look out for the Norwegian-style thatched-roof cottage and the resident animals, including chickens and a large pig.

Hacienda Buena Vista is a 19th-century coffee plantation in Ponce that was restored by Para La Naturaleza, a government organization dedicated to protecting Puerto Rican lands of high ecological value. Today, it operates as a living museum, with original machines from the coffee and cacao manufacturing days on display. You can visit the manor, stables, and surrounding trails on a 1.5-hour guided tour. Reservations are required and can be made online.

A large ranch in Daguao, La Finca Naguabo sits 500 feet above sea level, overlooking the old Roosevelt Roads naval station and the island of Vieques. Here, you’ll find a delicious restaurant with traditional Puerto Rican dishes like skirt steak, red snapper stuffed with shrimp, and fried pork mofongo, plus a drive-in movie theater showing free films Friday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. On weekend days, visitors can also go off-roading around the property in two-person buggies.