How to Visit El Yunque in Puerto Rico
Rain forests are treasure troves for the planet’s fragile ecosystems. Not only do trees and plants breathe rejuvenating oxygen into the atmosphere, but within their darken depths are hidden animals and insects and flowers. Exploring these vast forests can be an adventurer’s delight, but not every curious soul is quite ready to battle the jaguars, or hundreds of thousands of spiders and snakes of the Amazon. For those with tamer tastes in adventure, there is a good compromise. Puerto Rico is home to the only sub-tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System: El Yunque.
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Instructions
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Prepare for a proper hike. You will be going into a rain forest so, no surprise, you can expect rain. However, if you are driving and taking a tour directed hike, rain gear isn’t really necessary. Most storms are swift and passing and may well relieve the heat of the day. Plus, tropical breezes make for an excellent blow dryer. Do wear sneakers and bug repellent and bring along a bottle of water.
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Bring a camera, and if it isn’t digital, load your film before you leave. Water wrecks havoc on pre-pictures.
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Choose a weekday. While El Yunque National Rain Forest is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and offers tours and well-maintained facilities, it does tend to get quite busy on the weekends. If you are in Puerto Rico for a week or so, make the trip a leisurely one and connect with nature in a way you will not be able to do will hoards of people around you.
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Travel about 25 miles from San Juan along Route 3 East to 191 S, following signs for El Yunque. It is an easy drive and the roads in Puerto Rico will be familiar to any U.S. Highway driver. However, if you are staying at a resort in San Juan, the likelihood that the facility offers tours directly from their premises is great. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of their tour; it is much the same as what you will see on your own unless you plan on going the in-depth route.
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Enter the 28,000 acre park and stop by the visitors' center to watch the rain forest movie. It's an excellent starting point. While entrance to the park is free, you pay $3 at the visitors' center and $5 if you choose to take their tour.
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Ask a park ranger. Whether you are joining a tour group, hiking on your own, or planning an overnight stay, the rangers are pleasant and informative. The park is open seven days a week, and closes at 6pm. If you are camping, you will need a park permit.
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Take the tour or followed well-marked and maintained trails. The forest is a botanist’s bounty with more than 240 species of trees and plants, including 20 varieties of orchids. Birders will delight in some 50 bird species, including the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot (although she stays well-hidden) and entomologists will find their creepy, crawly friends around every turn in the trail. And whether or not you get to see one, you will undoubtedly be able to hear one of the 13 species of the Puerto Rican coqui, the tiny little tree frogs that can be heard singing all over the island from evening til dawn. In addition to the bio-diversity on display, there are plenty of wading pools and waterfalls to step in and under, one of the most popular being La Mina Falls. Cascada La Mina drops more than 35 feet in its tumbling descent over rocks and through vegetation.
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Tips & Warnings
Call for information at (787) 888-1880. You can go directly to El Portal Visitors Center, El Yunque National Forest, HC-01 Box 13490, Rio Grande, PR 00745.
Pay attention to the rangers and guides. If they warn that a flash flood is approaching, they are not kidding.
Know that any of the snakes you see are not poisonous.
