Areceibo Tour post cruise?

[muzzy 10]

Does anyone Have any info on touring the Areceibo facility through a private tour from the dock after disembarkation? Would greatly apprciate your input. Muzzy

[Fontaid]

Muzzy, I don't have any information on a private tour of Arecibo after debarkation, but make sure you have a very late afternoon flight... or you're staying over another day. It's a 90 minute drive from the docks to the Arecibo Observatory... so that's 3 hours round trip, plus an hour or so to tour the Observatory and 30 minutes for lunch. If you leave at 9 am, you'll get to the airport around 1:30 or 2 pm. Being there 2 hours early, your flight should be leaving no earlier than 3:30 and preferably 4 pm or later.

 

If you're staying over a day, I highly recommend going to Camuy Caves and the Arecibo Observatory in a full day tour. Camuy Caves are about 15 minutes from the Arecibo Observatory and personally, I prefer them over the Observatory. Note: The guided Camuy Caves tour (by the government Park Service) is approx. 2.5 hours. Note: I don't have any tour guides to recommend, but I'm sure there must be some.

 

Dave:)

[countryside]

Hello Muzzy, Dave is right if you are taking a flight on that day.

But yes, there is a way of finding a tour endorsed company through the Tourist Board by going to this link www.*****

click on sightseeing and then on expert and wait for a respond.

Good luck and I hope that you enjoy your cruise

[muzzy 10]

Thanks for your help, guys. And yes our flight leaves about 5 pm so there would be time enough. DH is a real telescope nut so he would really love to go to the observatory. Fontaid, have you been to Luray caverns in Va., and if so how does Camuy compare? Muzzy

[Fontaid]

Muzzy, I have not been to Luray Caverns in VA, but I'll check them out. OK... back from looking at the Luray Caverns web site. I'd say that the Camuy caves are not quite as nice as the Luray Caverns, but they've only been "open to the public" for just under 20 years. They opened at the end of 1986 if I remember correctly (I was living in PR at the time). The main part of the Camuy Caves are a good 50 - 75 feet high and a couple of hundred feet wide (if I remember correctly).

 

One thing about the Arecibo Observatory is that it's a RADIO telescope and not a visual telescope. The "telescope" is actually a big dish set into a sinkhole. Think of looking down at a "giant" soup bowl several feet across. But, it's not a one piece telescope. There are hundreds of panels that can be focused separately or in combinations. Note: It's a pretty good "hike" up to the telescope from where you park. I say hike, but it's all paved roads and sidewalk... but it is definitely UP.

 

The Arecibo Observatory was a major scene in one of the James Bond movies sevreal years back, but I can't remember which one.

 

Dave :)