{"id":2052,"date":"2022-05-12T07:59:12","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T12:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?p=2052"},"modified":"2022-05-12T07:59:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T12:59:12","slug":"the-pterocarpus-forest-a-nature-enclave-within-a-sprawling-resort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/12\/the-pterocarpus-forest-a-nature-enclave-within-a-sprawling-resort\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pterocarpus Forest: A Nature Enclave Within a Sprawling Resort"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who would expect to find a beautifully preserved nature preserve in the middle of the largest resort development in Puerto Rico? But that\u2019s what we discovered when we entered the Pterocarpus Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pterocarpus Forest: A Nature Enclave Within a Sprawling Resort\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c5XAz1_0138?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pterocarpus Forest nature preserve at Palmas del Mar is a 51-acre swamp forest, one of the largest remaining swamp forests in Puerto Rico. It serves as a habitat for 44 species of flora and 52 species of fauna, and this is a relief to see when elsewhere in Palmas del Mar, trees are being razed to create the latest luxury developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This wetland forest is named after the&nbsp;Pterocarpus Officinalis&nbsp;tree (\u201cDragonsblood Tree\u201d), which has awesome roots that spread out majestically. It can grow more than 65 feet tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2022-04-20-13.09.49-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s also a lookout tower and a pond, which provide lively bird, turtle and iguana-watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"905\" data-id=\"2057\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks-1024x905.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2057\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks-1024x905.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks-300x265.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks-768x679.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks-1536x1358.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-ducks.jpg 1918w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"2059\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2059\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"2058\" src=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/4.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Palmas is a private development, the Pterocarpus Forest is open to the public. Just tell the guard at the gate that\u2019s where you are going. They have even been known to give out forest maps. There\u2019s also an<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.wiboxpr.pterocarpus&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> app<\/a> that offers a walking tour of the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pterocarpus.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Info<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/g.page\/PterocarpusForest?share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Map<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who would expect to find a beautifully preserved nature preserve in the middle of the largest resort development in Puerto Rico? But that\u2019s what we discovered when we entered the Pterocarpus Forest. The Pterocarpus Forest nature preserve at Palmas del Mar is a 51-acre swamp forest, one of the largest remaining swamp forests in Puerto &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/12\/the-pterocarpus-forest-a-nature-enclave-within-a-sprawling-resort\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Pterocarpus Forest: A Nature Enclave Within a Sprawling Resort&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[332,222,216,268],"tags":[30,46,434,27,436,435,266,28,9,12,5,6,261,262],"class_list":["post-2052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hiking","category-lisa-blogger","category-outdoors","category-puerto-rico","tag-adventure","tag-hiking","tag-humacao","tag-messysuitcase","tag-palmasdelmar","tag-pterocarpusforest","tag-puertorico","tag-retire","tag-retirement","tag-travel","tag-travel-blog","tag-travel-blogger","tag-travelblog","tag-travelblogger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2052"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2060,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052\/revisions\/2060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}