Fuerte

Trail within Guánica State Forest that climbs to Fuerte Caprón, an old hilltop fort overlooking Guánica Bay. The structure was originally built in wood by Spain and later reinforced with brick, and in July 1898 it saw combat during the landing of U.S. troops at Guánica, the first invasion point of Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War. After the American takeover, the fort was renamed in honor of Captain Allyn K. Capron, a U.S. Army officer killed in action that same month in Cuba.

Today the fort still stands as a stone-and-brick tower with eight rectangular windows, a circular interior bench, and 28 steps leading to the top, where views open onto Guánica Bay, Jaboncillo Beach, and the surrounding dry forest. The trail crosses the rocky, arid terrain of the Guánica Dry Forest, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with little shade and a chance to spot some of the more than 180 bird species found in the area.