El Yunque Overview

Occupying over 28,000 acres of land, the Caribbean National Forest, referred to as “El Yunque,” is one of the island’s greatest treasures. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US Forest Service, and the largest protected land area in Puerto Rico. With four different types of forest, over 200 native species of trees, 50 species of native orchids, several varieties of mammals, and countless insects, El Yunque is one of the best places to experience and examine the natural landscape of Puerto Rico. The narrow Rte. 191 cuts through the forest, providing access to the park for the over one million annual visitors. On busy afternoons, it can seem like a good portion of them are right behind you on the path. Longer, more difficult trails offer more seclusion and often better views.

Because there is no public transportation to El Yunque, most visitors come either with a tour group or by car. Renting a car is the best option, as it’s cheapest and allows you to hike the trails at your own pace. It usually takes a little over an hour to drive the 25 mi. from San Juan to the park. From San Juan, take Hwy. 26 east to Hwy. 3. About 4 mi. past Río Grande, turn right on the small Rte. 191 and follow signs up the hill. Alternatively, from Isla Verde take Rte. 187 east through Piñones until it intersects Hwy. 3. This route takes about 10min. longer, but offers scenic ocean views. Although the park is easily navigable without a guide, those who can’t rent a car may want to book a tour from San Juan .

Orientation And Practical Information

Although El Yunque occupies almost 25% of the land area of northeast Puerto Rico, most tourist activities occur around Route 191, which leads past the tourist centers and the trailheads.

• Visitors Center: El Portal Visitors Center, Rte. 191 Km 4.0 (☎888-1880; www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/caribbean), is the first stop for most visitors. The well-maintained center offers a 12min. movie (in Spanish on the hour and half-hour, in English on the quarter-hour), gift shop, snack bar (smoothies $4, sandwiches and wraps $5), and small museum with interactive exhibits. The friendly staff distributes brochures with rudimentary maps and lots of information. Bathrooms, pay phones, and snack machines. Entrance $3, ages 5-12 and seniors $1.50, under 4 free. Open daily 9am-5pm.
• Palo Colorado Information Center, Rte. 191 Km 11.9, has a souvenir shop, the same maps as El Portal, and a park ranger who can answer questions. Entrance free. Park tours (see below) also leave from here. Open daily 9am-5pm.
• Maps: Campers and serious hikers should purchase the National Geographic map available at both Visitors Centers; day visitors should be able to navigate with the Visitors Center brochure and the map in this book.
• Hours: The gate at Coca Falls is open daily during official park hours, 7:30am-6pm.
• Supplies: All visitors should bring comfortable clothes, insect repellent, bottled water, food, a swimsuit, and sturdy walking shoes. Many visitors prefer getting wet to sweating in a raincoat if it rains, but you might want a light jacket if you would rather stay dry.
• Tours: Many companies in San Juan offer excursions to El Yunque . A National Forest Service ranger leads 1hr. English/Spanish tours from the Palo Colorado Information Center along the Caimitillo and Baño de Oro trails (every hr. 10:30am-2:30pm; $5, children under 12 and seniors $3). Tours are first-come, first-served.

Camping

To camp in El Yunque you must get a free permit, available in the park. From Monday to Friday, permits can be arranged before 4pm at the Catalina Service Center, Rte. 191 Km 4.3, directly after El Portal Visitors Center. (☎888-1880. Open M-F 8am-4:30pm.) On weekends and holidays, permits can be found at the Palo Colorado Information Center . Permits can be used within the dates specified by camper. Park rangers also hand out a map designating permissible camping areas. There are no facilities in the park, so campers should plan to take out everything that they bring in (including trash). There are no hotels along the northern section of Rte. 191, but upscale options await near Naguabo and on the western edge of the park, near Río Grande. Fajardo , with its large selection of hotels, is only a 15min. drive away.

Food

There are no food stands along the hiking paths, so many families come with picnics. Covered picnic tables at Caimitillo, Palo Colorado, and Quebrada Grande have running water and grills. Palo Colorado, at the head of La Mina trail, is the most popular area, and fills up with families and parties every day around lunchtime. For those who don’t want to cook their own food, there are several options inside the park. El Bosque Encantado , Rte. 191 Km 7.2, has a small seating area with cliff’s edge view; also serves up whole coconuts sliced into drinkable sections ($2), batidas ($4), freshly fried empanadas ($1-3), and “pincho” shish kebabs. (Open daily 9am-6pm.) Just down the road, La Muralla , Rte. 191 Km 7.3, serves similar fare, minus the coconuts and view. (Tacos $1.50, piña coladas $4. Open daily 9am-6pm.) For slightly healthier fare, try Yuquiyú Delights , Rte. 191 Km 11.2. (Smoothies $4. Sandwiches and wraps $4.50. Open daily 9am-5pm.)

Sights

Heading up Rte. 191, the first major sight is Coca Falls, Km 8.1. There is not much more to see than the view of the waterfall from the road. Yokahú Tower appears on the left at Km 8. Built in the 1930s, the tower provides spectacular views of the mountains of El Yunque, Luquillo, and far-off Fajardo. La Mina Falls, accessible via a 25-35min. walk along Big Tree Trail or La Mina Trail, is undoubtedly the most popular destination in El Yunque. On weekend afternoons it can seem like every family in San Juan (and every tour group of North Americans) has journeyed out to the falls to picnic on the rocks and swim in the small lagoon. The sight merits its popularity, but if you come early in the morning, you may have the place to yourself. In any case, bring a swimsuit and join in the merriment.

Hiking

 El Yunque. This aptly named path travels from Rte. 191 all the way to the peak of El Yunque mountain, offering a challenging trek that can be completed in an afternoon. The path passes over countless tiny waterfalls and through several cloud forests on the way up. This route is much less traveled than any of the shorter trails, and it is unlikely that you will encounter any other hikers until you reach the summit. Several turn-offs (Mt. Britton Spur, Los Picachos) allow hikers to choose an alternative ending along the way. When you reach the road at the end of the trail, turn left and go past the many satellites dishes, all the way up to the El Yunque tower for the best views. On a clear day you can see all the way out to St. Thomas, and even if it’s foggy, the haze shrouding the surrounding mountains looks mysterious and beautiful.

La Coca. The first trail on the way up Rte. 191 is the ideal path for exploring the forest in blissful solitude and seeing a secluded waterfalls. The path descends from the trailhead, making the uphill return trip extremely challenging. This is one of the more rugged hikes, with dirt trails and small streams that you must cross without the aid of a bridge. The steep inclines get quite muddy, so do not try this hike in the rain.

Big Tree. As one of two hikes that lead to La Mina Falls, Big Tree is one of the most popular hikes in El Yunque. Almost the entire path is paved and the steepest inclines have stairs, but the rocks can get slippery. Even with the stairs, the inclines can be difficult. Informative signs along the path provide educational facts about the surrounding lush tabonuco forest.

La Mina. This hike is essentially the second half of the Big Tree Trail, and an alternative route to La Mina Falls. La Mina receives slightly larger crowds than Big Tree and is completely paved; it runs alongside Río de la Mina, allowing hikers to take a quick dip on the way down. La Mina is slightly easier than Big Tree. It is possible to walk down one trail and up the other, but you will have to walk 1.5km along Rte. 191 to return.

Baño De Oro. This short trail across from Palo Colorado is one of the park’s hidden treasures. Baño de Oro is easy enough to be accessible to most visitors, but retains the naturalism of the longer trails and is much less crowded than La Mina or Big Tree. It also makes a good warm-up for those ascending El Yunque. Be aware that you may have to cross small streams without a bridge if there has been rain recently.

Los Picachos. A small turn-off about 30min. from the peak of El Yunque, Los Picachos provides an alternate ending for hikers who would like to turn back, or a stopover for those who want to see views unobstructed by the electronic equipment that mars the peak of El Yunque. The short, rocky trail ends in 59 steep steps, which make for a tough finale.

Mt. Britton Spur. Mt. Britton Spur is an easy pebble path connecting El Yunque to Mt. Britton. To make a full loop, head up El Yunque (perhaps via Baño de Oro), cross over on Mt. Britton Spur, then head down Mt. Britton. At the end you will have to walk a mile or so down the road to get back to your car. Mt. Britton has a steep incline that can get very slippery, so it is easier to ascend El Yunque, then descend Mt. Britton, rather than vice versa. If you’re coming off Mt. Britton Spur, walk downhill on the road to reach Mt. Britton (walking uphill will get you to the Mt. Britton Tower lookout point).

Mt. Britton. Rugged hikers may be disappointed that the entire Mt. Britton trail is paved and ends with a short walk along the road. However, the trail is shorter than El Yunque and offers great views of the forest as well as a quick route to another observation tower with views of Fajardo, Luquillo, San Juan, and the Spanish Virgin Islands. For this reason, Mt. Britton is quite popular with foreign tourists. The steep path gets extremely slippery when wet—proceed with caution.

National Recreation Trail. Consisting of El Toro Trail and Trade Winds, the National Recreation Trail, the longest trail in El Yunque, follows the mountain peaks from Rte. 191 to Rte. 186. The highlight of the path is the summit of El Toro, the tallest mountain in El Yunque. Along the way, the path passes through all four types of forest present in the park: tabonuco, palo colorado, palm, and dwarf. Only experienced hikers should attempt this hike, as they must battle mud, overgrown plants, steep hills, and isolation.