Taino Indian Culture in Puerto Rico

An Off the Beaten Path Journey to Puerto Rico, the Island of Enchantment 

Traveling off the beaten paths is an engaging way of going to places that are undiscovered, with a sense of exploration. It is finding stories of 'hidden gems', exploring them, and engaging with local Puerto Ricans. This way you will discover the unconventional routes and stories that offer a more authentic or secluded experience.

If you have ever paddled a canoe, napped in a hammock, savored a barbecue, smoked tobacco or tracked a hurricane across Cuba, you have paid tribute to the Taíno, the Native people who invented those words long before Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492.

Discover Puerto Rico while exploring the history and culture of the southern majestic City of Ponce and the Taino Indian culture in the municipalities of Jayuya, Adjuntas and Utuado located high in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico.

The Taíno people populated most of the Caribbean and some adjacent territories during the pre-Columbian era, long before the arrival of Spaniards and others to Puerto Rico. 

It is commonly known around this part of the world from evidence of Taíno beliefs from markings in Yucatan, Cuba, and Hispaniola that Puerto Rico was indeed the spiritual center of all the islands – as it was the balance between the lesser and greater Antilles chain of islands that make up the Caribbean mountain(s) that resides under our oceans.

DATES AND COST - for 6 participants

(DATES AND DATES FOR FUNDRAISING GROUPS UPON REQUEST)

April 13-18, 2026 - 4 spaces available

May 11-15, 2026

Single Room   $1700

Double Room  $1500

• Three nights accommodations at Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Utuado, PR
• One night accommodation at Casa Blanca Hotel in Old San Juan
• Meals: Welcome Dinner, 3 breakfasts at Casa Grande Mountain Retreat
• Full-time Ground transportation in AC van
• Tips for docents in venues visited
• Pre-departure readings and face-to-face / online orientation 
• Travel Guide to plan for the trip
• Culturally sensitive-bilingual Puerto Rican Journey Leader
• Admission to all venues in the itinerary 
• Venues

IN PONCE

1. City Hall
2. Ponce Cathedral
3. Ponce Firehouse 
4. Tibes Taino Indian Ceremonial Park

IN UTUADO, JAYUYA AND ADJUNTAS

1. Caguana Taino Indian Ceremonial Park
2. Taino Cemi Museum
3. Canales Museum
4. Casa Pueblo

The Journey is carefully planned to offer exceptional experiences, and occasionally, certain experiences or restaurants may not be accessible. In such cases, they will be substituted with alternatives of equal or greater quality. A finalized itinerary, including daily experiences and dining options, will be shared approximately two weeks before the departure date.

To walk into centric Hotel CasaBlanca is to be transported to a parallel reality in which colors explode and eclecticism reigns. Voted Best Hotel in Old San Juan, This quaint old San Juan hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico one of America’s oldest cities on famous Calle Fortaleza. 

In 2021, the new chapter of Casa Grande began when Jon Vidar, who had been living in Puerto Rico for almost four years was sent pictures of Casa Grande by his lawyer asking if he might be interested in the property. It was the middle of the COVID pandemic and Jon had been focusing on his own personal self growth, while developing a community of likeminded individuals on the island called Treat Your Self.

When Jon and Steven met, they soon developed a deep bond. They became a team in making the deal happen and both worked hard to make sure that Casa Grande would live on.

Jon’s vision is to continue to steward Casa Grande as a place for reflection and relaxation, a place to connect with others, as well as with nature. He hopes to create a space that practitioners of all varieties are excited to bring their own communities and individuals look forward to retreating from city life.

• Round trip airfare to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Air tickets will be individually booked as soon as the group is complete with a minimum of 6 participants. Return flights must be booked after 1 pm 
• Ground transportation Airport to Hotel Casa Blanca 
• Tips for staff in hotels and driver
• Meals: 1 breakfast, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
• Optional Wellness Services at Casa Grande
• Travel Insurance

Our Journeys require moderate physical activity combined with short travel time in bus (max 2 hours). Activities may include city-walking tours (sometimes on uneven surfaces), stopping along the way, standing in museums for a few hours and some stairs (some restaurants will require the use of stairs. 

Day 1  ¡Hola Puerto Rico! 

Participants will book their flights and travel to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport to meet the Journey Leader at Casa Blanca Hotel in Old San Juan. 

Upon arrival, you'll find convenient transportation options. In the evening we will meet for a welcome dinner.

Day 2  City of Ponce and Tibes Taino Indians Ceremonial Park  

After breakfast and check-out we will begin our transfer to Ponce, birthplace of our Journey Leader,  over the Central Mountains Range into the Valley of Cayey, then south to Ponce. 

Our tour of the City of Ponce will expand our understanding of Puerto Rican history and culture, when we explore its unique architectural venues. Ponce is also known as the "Ciudad Señorial" (Majestic or Noble City), because of its many beautiful neoclassical buildings and facades. Ponce was founded in 1692 by Juan Ponce de León's great-grandson - Loíza Ponce de León. Ponce was Spain's capital of the southern region until it fell to the U.S. in 1898.  

After lunch, we will visit the Tibes Taino Indians Ceremonial Park where  details about life during the Igneri, pre-Taíno, and Taíno cultures are on display in two ceremonial plazas and seven ball fields. Burial sites, petroglyphs, and other articles such as cemíes (carved figures of Taíno divinities), necklaces, and blades made of stone are also part of the exhibit. 

Then, we will travel to the City of Utuado for check in at Casa Grande Mountain Retreat.

On our way to Jayuya we will visit the municipality of Villalba.  Villalba is known as "La Ciudad del Gandul" (pigeon pea city) and "La Ciudad de los Lagos" (city of lakes) and was founded in 1917 by José R. Figueroa (our Journey Leader's great grand father) and Walter Mac K. Jones.

After dinner, sweet dreams with the soothing song of million of coquis. 

Listen to coquis   HERE

Day 3  Jayuya, the Indigenous Capital 

8 am Breakfast

After breakfast we will visit the Cemi Taino Museum in Jayuya. Jayuya is also known as “La Capital Indigena ” ( The Indigenous Capital) home of many Taino Indian sites. Jayuya was discovered in 1883 and was made independent on March 9, 1911. The name is derived from a local chief.

The cemí was an essential element to the Taíno people that held tremendous spiritual significance. Carved from stone, it was a three-pointed artifact with animal characteristics, often of a size to hold in the palm of your hand. Many cemís have been excavated throughout the island, wherever Taíno people lived. They have since come to symbolize the Indigenous culture that once ruled the island.

Built in 1989, Museo del Cemí makes quite a statement for itself as you drive along PR 144—it’s shaped like a massive cemí. Downstairs, the museum features a collection of Taíno artifacts. In addition to cemís, there are necklaces of stone and shells, ritual vomit spatulas, ceremonial maracas, a dogolito (a phallic symbol of power for caciques), and the mysterious stone collar/belt, the purpose of which is unknown. The collection is small but contains some of the most elaborate artifacts found on the island. 

Next door to Museo del Cemí is Casa Museo Canales, a replica of the home of the celebrated author Nemesio R. Canales (1878- 1923) and his revolutionary sister Blanca Canales (1906-1996). This traditional criolla-style wood-frame structure contains many of the Canales’s furnishings and a room devoted to the nationalist revolt Blanca led against the United States, called the Jayuya Uprising, aka El Grito de Jayuya, in October 1950. One of several revolts orchestrated around the island that day, 

After lunch we will meet José Valentín Núñez Berríos, Chief of the Yuké Taino tribe to participate in a Taino ritual. The Tribu Yuké provides services and orientations to visitors and the general public. Margarita Nogueras explains their worldview,

“The Tribu Yuké ceremonies unite ancestral knowledge and are committed along with other indigenous communities of the Caribbean to create solutions or alternative ways that can be implemented to safeguard life during these times of great climate change.”

Learn more about the Chief of Yuké HERE

Wellness services will be available at Casa Grande upon request. After dinner, sweet dreams with the soothing song of million of coquis. 

Listen to coquis   HERE

Day 4  Utuado 

8 am Breakfast

After breakfast we will visit the Caguana Taino Ceremonial Park in the municipality of Utuado.

One of the most essential Taíno archaeological sites on the island and a true testament to the indigenous legacy is found in the Centro Ceremonial Indígena Caguana in Utuado.

The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Site is the Caribbean's most important Taíno archeological site, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the indigenous cultures that inhabited the region before the Spanish colonization. The Caguana site is located in Puerto Rico's mountainous town of Utuado, to the east of the Tanamá River. Administered and protected since 1955 by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, visitors to the park are allowed to walk through the extensive site, which has 10 "bateys," stone monoliths, and countless petroglyphs.

After lunch we will travel to the municipality of Adjuntas to learn about the community development effort at Casa Pueblo and La Olimpia Forest School.

Casa Pueblo is a community self-management project that is committed to appreciating and protecting natural, cultural and human resources. It was born in 1980 when the government of Puerto Rico wanted to start mining exploitation in 17 silver, gold and copper deposits. Mining would have caused an ecological and social catastrophe in 36,000 acres of land in the municipalities of Adjuntas, Utuado, Lares and Jayuya.

The foundation and values of the Forest School are education, conservation, agro-ecological protection and research.The Bosque Escuela is no ordinary school; classes entail hands-on exploration of the surrounding natural elements and inquiry-based learning to teach ecologically sound lessons.  Students are exposed to an interdisciplinary education that goes beyond textbooks and exams.  In the woodland environment of the Olimpia forest, younger generations are imparted with social and cultural values. They develop admiration and respect for nature and their community, thus receiving a “humanizing education.”

Wellness services will be available at Casa Grande upon request.  After our farewell dinner, sweet dreams with the soothing song of million of coquis. 

Listen to coquis   HERE

Day 5  ¡Hasta Luego Puerto Rico! 

Return flights must be booked after 1 pm

After breakfast we will travel to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time¡

Please Contact Us and provide your contact information. As soon as we hear from you, we will email a registration packet with required forms and instructions.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

1ST PAYMENT 

Registration Deadline  - 50% of the Inclusion Package

2ND PAYMENT 

60 days before departure - remaining 50% of the Inclusions Package 

PAYMENT OPTIONS
 

Check - payable to Marcos Carvajal 

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
 

1. All cancellations must be submitted via email in writing and dated 
2. If we decide to cancel a program due to insufficient number of participants, all funds received will be 100% refunded. 
3. If we cancel the entire program for any reason, participants shall have no claim other than for a 100% refund. 
4. Refunds for airline tickets are based on individual airline policies. 
5. Cuban tourist visa costs are non-refundable.

IMPORTANT DATES                                                           REFUND 

Less Than 60 Days Prior to departure                            0 % of total

90 to 60 Days Prior To Departure Date.                          50 % of total

120 to 90 Days Prior To Departure Date                       100 % 

Citizens of the United States traveling to Puerto Rico need only a government-issued form of photo identification. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, a driver's license or a photo ID card issued by a U.S. Department of Motor Vehicles.