The rain forest is so beautiful we've been two days in a row and still haven't seen half of the rain forest but everything we have saw from the water falls to the swimming areas and the tower was absolutely breathtaking!!! Definitely a must see if you come to Puerto Rico read more

The fact that I can review a rainforest just seems laughable. I COULD take the approach of the chronic Negative Nancy reviewers with some arbitrary moaning and groaning ("The trees weren't green enough...and the waterfall was TOO COLD") but come on here. It's a tropical rainforest. It's as good as it gets. While the rainforest tour (and abysmal guide with Dragonfly Tours) was horrendous (and worth another review), hiking through such breathtaking surroundings with such amazing plants & wildlife was nothing short of a joy. Come prepared with sneakers, sandals and a bathing suit - La Mina Falls is the perfect break for a quick waterfall dip at the end of the trail. Careful on the rocks, though! Obviously, bring your camera. I have NOOO problem playing tourist here! read more

On your own with a rental car: Yokahu a Tower, Coco Falls, .7mile hike to La Mina falls, and checking out el bano grande can be done in about 2 hours (not including the drive out to the rainforest and back). We rented a car and did it this way. We're so glad we didn't spend the money on one of those tours that go to all the same sights and cost like $100/person. read more

Holy hell! What a gorgeous place. It was my first experience in the tropical rainforest. I hope it's not my last. We went straight to La Coca Falls Trail. It was about a twenty-minute hike before we reached the falls. They overlooked a rocky stream and sat under a canopy of bamboo and palms. It was out-of-this world beautiful-- I took pictures, but they don't do it justice. Bring a bathing suit so you can hike up the waterfall and sit under it like I did. It was amazing! Just make sure you're ok with getting your shoes a little muddy on the steep-ish, muddy hike down. I wasn't expecting it to be so slippery, but I guess it is the RAINforest, after all. read more

No big deal, just your typical tropical rainforest. What? You don't stroll through tropical paradises once in a while? You poor sap! Seriously though, El Yunque is a must see when in Puerto Rico. La Mina Falls were spectacular, all my cares drift away as I bathe in the waterfall. The hike through the rainforest was filled with lush tropical flora and fauna. Gorgeous! Bring your hiking shoes, swim suit, and camera and welcome to the good life my friends. read more

A must visit when coming to Puerto Rico for the first time. The only rain forest in the us national park service. Beautiful as everyone describes. Best part, it's free! Visitor center is optional. $4 per person. You can find all you need to know online if you opt to skip. It is a bit rundown nowadays, but the fees are donations to the park service to help upkeep the rainforest. It is somewhat a small park that can be done in less than a day. If you forgo the peak, it can easily be done in a couple hours. Stop at the lookouts and falls. Cold coconuts are sold halfway up. All the trails are easy to moderate as most are paved. The only caveat being the trails may be slippery on the slopes. It is a RAIN forest. That being said, expect to get wet either swimming or some showers in the clouds. If you see a particularly clear day, seize the opportunity to visit. Though some ppl do enjoy the pictures in the fog and clouds. The famous La Mina's falls can get crowded at times. It's not really a place to swim but rather somewhere to wade and take a refreshing dip. Don't expect Niagara Falls, you're on a tropical island. Pretty nonetheless. Depending on the time of year there may not be too many flowers or animals, but explore the less beaten trails and you'll be rewarded. Lastly, if you drive yourself as the majority of visitors do, get the small car so the drive and parking is less hectic on the narrow roads. Luquillo beach is close and nearby for lunch afterwards. read more

YOU GUYS: It's a rainforest in the United States (technically). I mean, there is that whole "commonwealth" thing or whatever. But seriously. How can you not give this place a fiver? I mean, sure it's annoying that it can be touristy and all that, but it certainly doesn't have to be. Hike off the beaten path. Go where the people aren't. Don't go chasin' waterfalls, and you'll find solitude amongst the chirping tropical birds and brightly colored flowers. It's pretty easy + cheap to rent a car and head the 45 minutes outside San Juan to El Yunque, and I highly, *highly* recommend doing so if you find yourself spending any amount of time in Puerto Rico. Go. Revel in nature. Commune. It's sunny and breathtaking. For us Midwesterners, it's like "a whole new world" (especially in winter!) read more

This is the biggest tip that I can give you if you are trying to go to the popular trails such as La Mina Falls, and Big Tree Trail, and you're not going with a tour guide. When driving to El Yunque, do not put in "EL YUNQUE" in your GPS. Put in the address for "EL PORTAL VISITOR CENTER" which is located on 191. I came to El Yunque before using gps with it set to go to EL YUNQUE and could not find the trails that everyone was talking about, but we did see the Entering EL Yunque signs. No matter where we drove we couldn't find it which it turned out we were on the other side of the rainforest. Second time I visited we also made that same mistake, but then ended up putting in the visitor center which if you get to the visitor center the other trails are further up, you might think that you're lost but you're in the right place, we didn't have any issues with parking, but we did come on a weekday. We did the La Mina Falls trail which took about 45 minutes total, but we stopped at the waterfall for quite some time, wear your bathing suit if you want to go in the water, and wear swimming shoes if you want to stand on the rocks for that coveted waterfall picture. Views are gorgeous!! read more

La Mina Falls is one of the most visited spots in El Yunque Rain Forest. You'll notice that the parking lot will fill up really fast - but don't be worried, there are lots of places to park along the side of the road. I hiked to the falls via the Big Tree Trail. The trail is nice, paved and well maintained. I believe the hike in was my favourite part of the journey. This was my first time being in a rain forest, so being surrounded by the large plants, and the lush greenery was very pleasing to me. The hike was pretty easy - downhill on the way to the falls. Since this place is so popular, there are always people on the path. I prefer to hike in peace, so I really didn't like this aspect of it, but for those who aren't use to hiking may like the fact that there are a lot of people around. When you arrive at the waterfall you will see that you can get a lot of good pictures. There is a bridge that you can stand on to get your pictures. A lot of people choose to go right under the waterfall, and get in the water for more pictures. I didn't go in, so I cannot comment on the water temp, etc. Be advised once again, it is a busy spot - so you'll have a hard time getting photos without anyone else in them. If you want to see my video of this location, please visit my YouTube page at "Josh the Travel Guy" Thanks so much! read more

I can't really give a negative review to a rainforest can I? But I will tell you that I was disappointed with El Yunque. It's the US Forest system's only tropical rainforest and is very nicely maintained but there are some real let-downs... (-) The top two-thirds of the forest is palm rainforest and is very lacking in diversity or animals compared to other rainforests I've been to and certainly compared to the lush tropical vegetation all around Puerto Rico further down. (-) The park is small - essentially one road in and out, see it in an hour or two. As such it gets very crowded and all the sights are obvious 'tick list' things you almost have to stand in line to see. (-) It never feels wild or remote - it's just too well maintained. On the plus side it does have beautiful accessible waterfalls (+++) and lookout towers (++). Plus it's free (+) as long as you don't feel the need to go to the visitor center. Apparently those in the know bypass the National Forest section and hike in the wilderness on the south side of the island. Personally, I found the vegetation and wildlife of the foothills to be the best on the island... just down from El Yunque is the wonderful Paylas which I'll have to tell you about sometime soon. ;) read more

The hike to get here is long (about 30 minutes) depending where you park when you're driving up the mountain. The scenery on the way to the waterfall is beautiful!!!!! When you finally get to the waterfall it's incredible, kind of small, water is freezing but nice to take pics! read more

Hiking in El Yunque is more like a leisurely stroll for me, as the elevation gain is in the hundreds of feet for most trails not the thousands. It's pleasantly a few degrees cooler too partly because of the higher elevation and due to the seemingly always cloud cover or fog. The hike to the waterfall is one of the main attractions and you can swim in the water just below the falls. read more

El Yunque Rainforest - Hiking Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

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The most fascinating area you will ever see. Lush forest with a variety of flowers, water falls. All naturally beautiful. Try Puerto Rico. read more

El Yunque Rainforest - Hiking Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

Rainforest. Tropical Rainforest. Massive. Magnificent. Moving. Do not expect lions and tigers and bears around every corner - the only mammals in the entire forest are the bats. It is also the home to the rare Puerto Rico parrot - only about 50 of them left, so they are on the brink. There are three spectacular and world class things about this forest: 1. The visitor center - built in '96 it is an airy, modern building offering a panoramic view through the forest to the ocean at one point and also giving you a brief canopy skywalk where you can walk over the canopy of the forest - that is pretty cool. They show a good movie and the exhibits are pretty good, or rather they would be pretty good if they had been written by a sixth grader. Wait a minute - maybe that's the intended audience. 2. Coca Falls - a big waterfall along the road, my kids were able to climb on rocks for a really cool photograph. But that's not the coolest part..... 3. La Mina falls. Its 'a bit of a hike to get to - but you are on a concrete path the whole way - but these falls are fantastic and have a small lagoon you can swim in. Pretty cold, but pretty fun. Come on - in the rainforest, in the upper reaches of the forest, in the water, by a waterfall - it really doesn't get much better than that. I should also add that there is also a large tower and from the top you can see almost the whole 28000 acre forest, the ocean and St THomas, St John and St Croix...the day we were there the guide said it was the first day in six years you could see St Croix.....but maybe he says that to all the groups..... But again, the really sweet thing is simply walking through the twists and turns of the forest path, you take one turn and soon look out on a sweeping valley vista of verdant magnificence,,,,you take another turn and it is almost as if you are locked in a dark green room......silence, beauty, peace and nature..... Also, all through the forest they have these fantastic BBQ huts where the locals cvome, bring their food, their drink, their hammocks and just spend the day hanging out in large family groups.....if you have time and there are a few of you that is definitely the way to do it..... read more

When we visited the park, there was a mudslide so most of the park was closed. We stopped at the visitor center for information on hiking, but the employee working the info booth was very short with us and unhelpful. It was 8 am and he basically told us we cannot hike anything since it was "too late in the day." The park closure didn't affect all of the hiking trails so I asked if we can hike a short portion of any other trail besides La Mina. He said we shouldn't hike anything and that La Mina Falls and Yocahu Tower would take the whole day (it definitely did not take the whole day). He then rushed us to take a picture of the map and sent us off. Get to La Mina Waterall trail head early, as parking fills up! The trail begins at the Palo Colorado Information Center. It's 0.7 miles from the trail head to the falls . The walkway is a little slippery and my water shoes seemed to do the trick. Along the trail, you will find several shelters where you can sit and picnic. Although crowded at the base of the waterfall, the hike is still pretty. The vegetation is lush and super green. After you finish the falls, you can stop at Yocahu Tower. There's a huge opening at the top, giving you a nice view of the forest and mountains. It's a 50 minute drive from San Juan and it allows for a nice change of scenery. El Yunque displays one of the many diverse landscapes of Puerto Rico. Although we didn't see animals, the rain forest is unique and I still recommend coming here. If you plan on hiking, you can call ahead to see if there are any park closures. Hopefully the employees are more helpful to you than they were to us! read more

By far the best thing we came to see on our trip to Puerto Rico. El Yunque is a short drive (less than an hour) from San Juan and is a must see if you are visiting San Juan. We first stopped in at the El Portal Visitors Center. We watched a short but informative 15 minute video about the history of the rain forest. We also did the short trail that is right beside the visitor center. Its not a very hard or long trail, but we did get to see some cool plants and flowers. Next we got in the car and headed up the mountain. Unfortunately for us there was a tropical storm passing PR at the time and we were not allowed to go further in our car than La Coca Falls. We did get out and walk past the gate and down to the falls. Its definitely worth seeing. Its a huge and awesome waterfall. After a few pictures at La Coca Falls we decided to push our luck and continue walking up the road. About a 10 minute walk up the road and we came upon Yokahu Observation Tower. Even though it was closed we were still able to get some pretty good views of the rain forest. We decided to head back to our car after that as all the trails were closed because they had yet to be cleaned/cleared. I do hope to return some time soon though. I would love to be able to swim in the La Mina Falls and hike the El Yunque trail to the peak. read more

If you're visiting PR, this is a great change of pace if you're looking for something other than a beach. It's mother nature at her best and so breathtaking and beautiful to explore. We only had 1 destination (La Mina Falls) and took everyone's advice in skipping the Visitor Center and driving until we saw the signs for Big Head Trail and La Mina Falls. I'm not an expert hiker but this one was very do-able, but not a total piece of cake either. I was impressed to see children and also "older" folks walking the trail when I was out of breath and tired. Lots of inclines but nicely paved so you don't have to worry about muddy feet. Lots of great signage and information as you go along as well. Parking was limited so take everyone's advice in going earlier. ALSO, PRO TIP: We were coming from the southern part of the island and simply put "El Yunque" in Google maps to navigate. Unfortunately, we drove about 30 minutes up a super windy, narrow road, only to find a dead-end that took us to a campsite on the opposite side of where we wanted to go. Make sure you put in "El Yunque Visitor Center" to be directed to the main entrance. It cost us another hour to loop around to the other side. read more

Check out "Louie's VIP Tours" on TripAdvisor. He has tons of 5 star reviews. We chose to go with his tour to see El Yunque and we were so happy with the experience. He gave us a very informative overview of Puerto Rican history on our drive from San Juan to El Yunque and while in El Yunque he had a wealth of information about the rainforest itself. Go as early as possible. Bring a raincoat. You may get lucky like us and not encounter any rain but it's always good to be prepared. If you're hiking, take a light bookbag and take plenty of bottled water and towels if you plan to jump in to the Mina waterfall. The visitor center has a good introductory movie. The Yokahu tower is a must-do so you can get a 360 degree view of the rain forest. Louie actually had a very good suggestion for us: starting at the end of the trail to get to La Mina waterfalls..and working our way backwards. We were mostly walking down hill until we got to La Mina which took us roughly 25 minutes, and then it was a 15 minute walk up hill. That particular hike took us less than an hour so it wasn't bad at all. Don't expect to see to many animals or birds. They're pretty rare sights but there are definitely lots of plant species. read more

This is a gorgeous place with amazing views of the ocean from its heights and excellent trails alongside rivers and waterfalls otherwise only created on Hollywood sound stages. A beautifully constructed Visitor's Center that starts you off on your exploration provides a gift shop with very cool souvenir t-shirts depicting ancient rock drawings of what they believe to be the souls of dead babies. I'm not kidding. This forest is not so big that you could get lost for days without aid (so it's good for city folk). The wildlife is pretty cool, and is perhaps best seen via the video at the Visitor's Center. This is a great thing to do when it's unbearably hot outside, as the forest provides nice shade. (In case Yelp doesn't fix the website posted, this is the real one: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean/ ) read more

AHMMAZZZING! I loved our day trip to El Yunque. Two tips. You can go yourself. We went without a tour guide and drove ourselves and had a blast and found everything we needed to find. Don't get sucked into paying for a tour guide. BRING CASH. LOL major duh moment but its a Rain Forrest. There is no electricity meaning the food vendors and souvenir shops do not have ATM machines and Debit capabilities. while La Cocoa waterfall is on the side of the road, La min is a nice walk but once you get there it is so worth it. We wore water shoes and were glad we did as its a little rocky once you get in the water. Do yourself a favor and wear a bathing suit so you can fully enjoy the water. Trust me you will dry off ont he walk back to the car. This was my first time visiting a waterfall and it was remarkable. read more

Relaxing place. The view is wonderful, there's parking if you get early. Great personal. The waterfall are amazing. You can observe a great diversity of flora and fauna. read more

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LA MINA WATERFALL REVIEW If you are ever hiked and saw a waterfall in the Northeast it's really not worth the time. The waterfall is beautiful but there are people EVERYWHERE and there is barely any breathing room between the masses, coolers, and towels. The area is not very big so you will feel overwhelmed and the water is filled with oily suntan lotion, etc.I would try and go very early in the morning when it is quiet, that's your best bet. The things I do recommend: Coco waterfalls. You pull over, it's on the side of the road, take a picture. It's lovely. Hiking up to the Yokahu tower to the look out point, amazing views. read more

It was awesome! The views were so beautiful and the vibes are great. My instructor Ivan was very cheerful and informative about the rainforest. Mitchell the lifeguard made sure i was great especially because i cannot swim. I would absolutely come back again. read more

Since I didn't come here by choice and was sort of just dropped off in the rainforest, not completely prepared to sweat out my - everything...nor was I equipped with super-traction-y shoes that would have enabled me to do what I can only call "mountain climbing," It wasn't that fun to me. More like scary, uncomfortable, hot. And at the end was a waterfall...it was ok but very crowded and all people around me kept complaining about slipping on rocks and hitting their head on a huge rock that almost bust their head open last time they came here (so they weren't going in again). I took that as a warning sign from the creator of the universe, that I should stay out, and I did. The water was cold. It felt tiring, especially in my situation, but I appreciated the workout, which was a vigorous 1.4 miles - 0.7 each way on the La Mina trail. Earlier in the month, I was being pulled up the mountain and through the falls by TWO handsome strapping Jamaican guys at Mayfield Falls (the second one was probably doing it for his own pleasure, and tips of course)...El Yunque is not like that at all...very independent; it's a U.S. National Park and I saw no guides, or even a park ranger, except for the ones who were giving parking tickets. Tips: Use the bathroom before you get there! Bring water. Wear shoes with lots of traction. Remember that if you keep going downhill with a steep slope, on the way back, you're climbing that same slope, so save some energy for the climb back or you will hold up the exit to the rainforest (the path is narrow and it's easy to fall to your severe injury and/or death) while trying to summon the strength to go up another incline. There is a decent food place/bathroom not too far up the road/hill - potentially walkable but I'd drive. The mango smoothie was delicious! read more

Getting to El Yunque is via narrow curvy roads but it is simply a must see if you are going to Puerto Rico. I have been here twice and it is one of my favorite places in the entire world. The trees are beautiful and the trails can be challenging but the views are spectacular especially from Yokahu Tower. There are many waterfalls scattered throughout but the star of the show is La Mina, which you can swim under if you're a bit adventurous. There is a visitor center at El Yunque, which can give you a bit of history and lots of information. You won't need to go to the visitor center more than once, in my opinion. If you want to make a nature day of it, the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo is a good evening activity to do afterward. read more

NPS = 9 A must-do while in Puerto Rico! El Yunque is a beautiful rainforest found on the East side of the island. You can drive in, free of charge, and park to hike the island. We were there for 2 hours and I feel like we didn't see half of the rainforest. There is a part that after your hike, you reach a waterfall where you're able to jump in the water. Be careful however, there are no lifeguards on duty and there are many rocks in the path and waterfall area. While we were hiking, some gentleman fell and broke his leg. Additionally, two tourists went missing the same day which we later saw on the news. Overall, please be careful while visiting. The rainforest is very well taken care of. It is also great to take adventurous kids to particularly since entrance is free. read more

The road through El Yunque has more curves than a Sir Mix-a-lot rap video. Take it slow. "El Portal" is the visitors center that has maps, bathrooms, food options and a gift shop...$3 gets you in. Be careful on the trail to the La Mina waterfall. I saw more slip and fall accidents than an ambulance chasing lawyer. 30 min hike down and up, right off the main road. Bring lots of water and a schvitz rag. read more

El Yunque is a national treasure. It is a rainforest, which is is preserved and managed by the U.S. National Park Service, a.k.a., those iconic brown and gold signs with Yogi. At the center of El Yunque is a 13 kilometer, narrow road, with ample parking spots near sites and destinations along the way. You can choose your level of difficulty in terrain or trail, park, and then hike away. I recommend arriving early before large tours arrive. Also, we drove out to kilometer 13 and worked our way down. This seemed to help us avoid the crowds of tourists. Even with our 13 month year old toddler, we easily managed a trail to waterfalls through the forest, as well as, a tower and beautiful overlooks. If you're visiting Puerto Rico, you'll be missing out if you skip El Yunque. read more

So pretty! Lush greenery, exotic plants, humid weather. Reminded me so much of India on a cloudy, rainy, and humid day. Such fond memories. El Yunque is dubbed the only rainforest in the United States. Very well then, cool! I was pretty psyched to come here as we ascended to the visitor center where you get to walk along the canopy. Skip the visitor center (unless you need the bathroom of course) and just forge ahead through the forest! Ahoy! There were a whole bunch of us (7 people) and we were not going to hike through here. I'd really like to return someday to do it, but I'll just savor the memories I've had with our little mini car tour. It is hard to find parking along the route through the forest and unless you're going to go hike, you'll only be using those spaces for a little while. The road ends way before the prime El Yunque peak, so you're never going to see that with your car. Hence we limited ourselves to seeing the Atlantic Ocean from far away, La Coca Falls, and trip up Yokahu Tower. The sights are absolutely breathtaking. I'm seeing this as the gateway into more vast and massive places to visit in my life. You may not see that many animals along the way (I would still like to see the Puerto Rican parrot), but the plant life is just gorgeous. Definitely try to climb up Yokahu or Mt. Britton Lookout Towers before you climb any mountains. Everything looks just so awesome from up there and I'm sure the views will make you anticipate and get even more excited about your ascent. Simply beautiful. read more

I absolutely loved our visit to El Yunque. You definitely don't have enough time to do everything, not in one day. But if that's your goal, you'll need to get there for the opening time (as early as possible)! If you've got a few days in PR, I really recommend you visit this park. All you need is a car to get you to the park. El Yunque is part of the US National Park system and it's their own rain forest. It's absolutely amazing. We rented a car and drove to El Yunque from Condado area. I have to say driving is not easy on the highways because there is not enough signage for exits. However, it was one of our easier drives out of the city. Probably because there are numerous blog posts by people who frequent or visited El Yunque for it's various hiking trails. Once at the park we drove right past the visitor centre. It costs a few dollars, but really we already knew where to drive to and which trail we were interested in, so we didn't waste any time. It's interesting having to drive so far up a mountain, We wanted to do the Yunque trail, which is a 2 hour hike to the peak of the mountain. It was a moderate to challenging trail. Mostly it was just uphill for 2 straight hours in humid conditions. But the view was incredible. I've never climb to the top of a mountain before and it will always be one of my favourite parts of our time in PR. We encountered one other person while going up (she was coming down) and then no one until we had made it back to our parked vehicle. After that we decided to explore a different trail for a little bit, one that leads to a swimming/waterfall area (La Mina falls). We didn't make it to the falls, because we wanted to get home before dark, but I really wish we had more time to explore El Yunque further. I highly encourage you to visit this park, it's truly a beauty! read more

The main waterfalls can draw a crowd but the great thing here is that there are also many little sights to take in off the trail where you aren't surrounded by people. The Big Tree trail to the falls was a fun hike, lots of ups and downs and great views that takes you to the big waterfall. Watch your step in the falls, the rocks are very slippery but it was fun, if very cold, to take a dip in there. A great day - no rain though, pretty sunny skies actually. You don't really need to stop at the visitors center if you have a trail map, we just headed on in. We instead stopped for souvenirs at the Caribbean Trading Company in the little town of Palmer. read more

Great free hiking. We did the easy trail to the waterfall. This is a clear and easy man made path to a waterfall that is generally very busy. We went on a Sunday and we went as early as possible (we were staying in vega Baja) and it was busy by 10am. We attempted the "very difficult" path to coca falls. It was definitely worth the hike. It wasn't too bad going down. Harder going up. Part of our group wanted to climb coca falls, so we watched from afar. Rocks to rest on. I would recommend both hikes. read more

Definitely a place to see, its not crazy hiking as the path is actually laid out for you. Now that I have been here, I would say it isn't necessary for you to go on a tour. If you have a car to get here, you'll be fine. Lots of information for you to get to the actual hiking place. You should wear good footwear that prevents you from slipping because it is a rainforest and yes, it does rain there. We had a few falls (myself included) in our group. So plan to get wet not only from the rain, but don't forget you can go swimming at the waterfall too. Its really cold, and in some areas deep, but there are rocks for you to kind of lay back on. Don't forget to stop by the tower to see the nice views! read more

Excellent national park! Here are my tips... -Arrive early. We arrived around 8am on a Sunday in April and had the whole park to ourselves for at least an hour. The catch is that the visitor center and ranger's station don't open until 9am. So, you should do a little homework before you arrive. We had decided in advance to walk the Mina trail which turned out to be very straightforward. -Also if you need a bathroom before the rangers arrive, we found the Palo Colorado bathrooms opened by 8:30am (we had made stops along the way at the Observatory Tower and concession stands and found their bathrooms closed prior). -Stop at Coca Falls first if you arrive early. It was completely deserted upon arrival and we took a few hasty shots. By the time we left the park at 10:30am it was flooded with people including a few people who were walking towards the falls ruining photo ops for everyone else (as they were in their photos). -The Mina trail was very beautiful - it is marked as challenging. It was actually paved but steep and slippery at times. If you are in decent shape you will make it no problem - I hiked it 5 months pregnant with my New Balance water running shoes with no problem. It is only .7 miles long but I do recommend bringing at least one bottle / pp as the the heat and steep steps tire you out. We started our hike around 8:30am and I am fairly certain we were the first to arrive at the falls - only saw one lone hiker pass us by shortly after arrival and then we ran into a few groups of people on our hike back up. -Climb to the top of the Observatory and admire the views. We didn't find too many people there at 10:00am so would recommend coming here after the falls. -We didn't go into the visitor center and pay the $4/pp fee. If we had our parents with us we probably would have done so but after having experienced the above we felt that we had gotten a lot out of our morning. -We found this to be enough rainforest for us but there are many other trails in El Yunque should you have the time and desire to explore. Enjoy! read more

Beautiful, mystical, and otherworldly - most definitely worth a visit. I say this even though we were here on a Saturday, which means there was about a kajillion people here. Crowds at each and every scenic overlook. Crowds staring at a waterfalls. Crowds hiking up and down trails. Thank goodness we started early! We made the hike to Mina falls first thing. It's not a terribly difficult hike, but I found it a bit trying (bad knees and all). But heck, I saw several grandmothers moving their way inexorably down the trail. Once we got to the falls, we spent some time in the water and taking pictures. By the time we were ready to move back out, there were multiple bus-loads of folks around us. Wow! I can't help but think how cool it would have been to be one of only a few people there... Not sure if or when that would happen. Our only disappointment was being told that the Forest Service was not issuing ANY camping permits for any of its parks. Now that I'm back in DC I've done a little research, and I can find nothing to support that claim. But clearly they weren't going to let us camp at El Yunque, and that put a damper on our plan to sleep with the lizards. Oh well, you can't have everything. But El Yunque comes close :) read more

It's pretty surreal when you're walking around and you realize you're in a rainforest!! One of the safest rainforests bc there's really nothing dangerous so you don't have to be afraid of running into mysterious packs of rainforest ants or ferocious cats. Just walk away if you see a rabid mongoose! The downside is that you don't see much wildlife other than snails, birds, & tons of plant diversity. Some tips: 1. skip the El Portal visitor center. You'll save the $3pp fee. There are other ranger stations where you can pick up a map & use restrooms 2. all the trails are pretty tame & are paved. 3. bring raincoats/umbrellas. You can pick them up at the gift shop too. It rains on & off so don't get disappointed if it's pouring when you're there -- it'll probably abate in 20 minutes & then shine the whole way. 4. wear your bathing suit underneath so you can get to the waterfall!! It's a 30 min walk to the fall & the water feels so cold & refreshing!!! Have fun! read more

Look, I'm lazy. Ain't no way around it. So the idea of walking outside in the heat really wasn't on my yay list, particularly with the cold I'd picked up. But I knew I'd regret not going, so we went. It is beautiful and it is like nothing we see in the states. The observation center is great for appreciation where you are and what is around you and the water falls are great. We did the La Mina trail (which kicked my butt on the way back) and the water fall was cool (but the water is just way too cold to really get in, not that it stops most). I also wanted to drown some kids who thought splashing strangers was hilarious, but their parents didn't care. I was bummed not to see any animals (birds, frogs, anything?) and the only animals I saw over the weekend were giant iguanas at my hotel (ugh!) So bring lots of water and be ready to put some effort into it. There is plenty to drive and see as well. read more

OHH! my favorite part of my puerto Rican adventure! Oh what a beautiful place. Driving up is a little scary. The roads are small and very bumpy. Oh but what a sight! It was a little crowded at first, but if you travel a little bit further in the crowds seem to die down a little. I guess they don't want to walk too far. I suggest going on a tour, they take you you "off the beaten path" places and you get to know a little bit abut the wildlife and plant life in the rainforest. I saw that a reviewer below said she saw no wildlife. I don't know if she was expecting bears or something, but everything in Puerto Rico either swam there, or flew there, so You really have to look. We saw many different types of lizards and Huge iguanas. Tons of birds and snails. The plant life is very exotic and interesting. We even found a small moss/fern like plant that closes when you touch it. Our tour guide told us it was used as an idea for the plants in avatar. Very happy I decided to do this. Beautiful! read more

Top notch. Nothing like hiking through a rainforest to mix it up! Trails are well marked and paved/gravel. Because I was with my parents and younger brother (a big whiner), we only did the short hike to La Mina Falls and back. Don't count on swimming at La Mina, it was kind of a shit show and the pool at the bottom of the falls is only about 5 feet by 5 feet. Bring water shoes if you wanna scramble over the rocks and play in the waterfall, though. Next time, I'd love to do one of the longer trails (maybe the 3-4 hour round trip up to El Yunque Peak). read more

I'm extremely grateful that I got to see my first rain forest, and here are some general comments: Location: 4 out of 5 Not too far from San Juan proper. Our flight leaving SJU wasn't until a little after 4:30pm, and our vessel returned to Pan Am at around 8 that morning. By tour van/bus, it took about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the forest, and with traffic, maybe 1 hr - 1hr 15min to get back. Driving on that main stretch of road (PR-2?) is fine, but once you get to the windy roads leading up to the rain forest, it's slow going. Amenities: 4 out of 5 I think others have alluded to the fact that there's lots of facilities here in case you need a potty break, or snacks. I guess that makes sense because I saw a whole lot of tourists eating Doritos. No joke - groups of moms and their kids had large bags of family sized Doritos. Sights: 3 out of 5 The only complaint I have here is that there wasn't enough time to see everything, nor was there enough time to really hike. We made three stops: La Coca Falls, Yokahu Tower, and La Mina(?) trails, where we did some tiny little 20 - 25 minute loop. It's not that I didn't think that the falls were impressive - it's just that I've seen much better falls in a lot of places. Heck, Starved Rock State Park in the Chicago area has better falls. And it's not that I didn't enjoy the scenery when up at Yokahu Tower, because it WAS beautiful to see all the green, and the city in the background. It's just that once you've seen the leaves either in New England or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, everything else pales in comparison. And the hike...it can't be classified as a hike. I think it takes me longer to walk to and from work every day. It was more of a leisurely stroll on a well paved path where we stopped to oooh and ahhh at different things. Admittedly, there was a tree growing through another tree that was the highlight of my day. Oh yeah, and these huge snails too. But if you've ever done any of the hikes in any other national forest, or national park, or national lake shore (like the Chapel Rock loops at Picture Rocks National Lakeshore), you'll see that the hiking setup here is a little weak. But to their credit, since they only allow day hikers (no camping), the forest was actually quite clean. Physical Exertion: minimal. There were couples in their late 50's and early 60's on this excursion. I think one couple refrained from doing the hike. Honestly, it's like walking around the block at your house, except with more to see. There was a young lady in a different group wearing clothes meant for a night on the town (tight fitting dress, high heels, etc) and she was perfectly fine scampering up and down the path. Of course, I only did a very small portion of the trails, so this may be completely biased. Other reviewers indicate that there are more challenging trails, so please take this review with a grain of salt in that it was a shore excursion offered by a cruise line. Overall: 4 out of 5 Not the most exciting, or the most invigorating, nor did it cause any need to huff or puff, but it was a nice little break from the rest of San Juan, and a perfect way to kill about 4 - 5 hours before an afternoon flight back to the contiguous States. read more

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