Lago Dos Bocas

Dos Bocas was created by damming the Río Grande de Arecibo, with work begun in 1937 and the dam completed in 1942 for hydroelectric power, and it drowned the valley floor between steep karst hills so thoroughly that several communities on its arms have no road access at all. The government runs free public launches from the main dock, a ferry service rather than a tourist boat, calling at jetties around the lake on a set timetable; residents use it for the school run and the shopping. Visitors ride it for the scenery, green mogotes dropping straight into still water, and to reach the handful of family-run eating places on the shore that can only be arrived at by boat.

Background

Dos Bocas Lake is a reservoir on the Arecibo River, lying in the municipalities of Arecibo and Utuado on the island of Puerto Rico. Work on it began in 1937 and was finished in 1942, when the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority completed the Dos Bocas Dam as part of a New Deal project, for use as a hydroelectric power plant. The lake also serves as one of the island's reservoirs of drinking water. In recent years silt has collected in it, reducing its capacity and making some areas impossible to reach by boat. Ferries run by the Department of Transportation of Puerto Rico carry residents and tourists on the lake, several restaurants and rental houses stand on its shore, and the Río Abajo State Forest is nearby.

Source: Wikipedia, "Dos Bocas Lake"

Highlights

• The public launch - a free scheduled ferry around the lake's arms.
• The karst shoreline - round limestone hills dropping into the water.
• The boat-access communities - houses with no road to them.
• The dam and main dock - the starting point off Route 10.

When to go

December to April is drier and the lake is at its clearest. The launches run to a published timetable with more sailings at weekends; check the schedule, since the last return is early. Mornings are calm and reflective on the water.

Good to know

This is a working ferry, not a cruise: no commentary, basic boats, and a timetable that governs the whole visit, with the last return in the afternoon. Eating places on the shore keep their own hours, mostly weekends, so a midweek trip may find nothing open. Water levels and quality vary and swimming is not the point here.

Nearby

Caguana ceremonial site is half an hour; the Camuy caves are west.

Key facts