We were not able to get a parking place, so perhaps do not go on a Sunday in the Summer! We never got to do the hiking trails because there was nowhere to park! This park is beautiful, and we would have seen more if we could just park and hike! They need to do something about this situation in my humble opinion. read more

We had an amazing visit to El Yunque rainforest. We made the tough choice between going to Culebra for the day or going to the rainforest. Though we haven't gotten a chance to see Culebra yet, we are very happy with our decision to go to the rainforest. Note that when you navigate, it does not take you to El Yunque rainforest. We navigated to El Portal Visitors Center and it took us right to the rainforest. There is a $4 fee to enter the El Portal Visitor Center. There is a 20-minute film about the rainforest and the main souvenir store is located inside. Other than that, you can book any guided tours that you want at this location. They do not have maps of the park but do have one map at the desk that you can take a picture of. If you don't want to go to the visitor center, there is no charge to enter any other part of the park. We wanted to hike to the peak so we drove straight there. We climbed Mt. Britton first, followed by Los Picachos and finally climbed to the peak of El Yunque and awe the Forest in the Clouds. This took about 3 hours total. There is parking near the Mt.Britton trailhead. Then we drove to La Mina. We first went and saw Bano Grande and then walked through La Mina waterfall and The Big Tree. We stopped on the way back to get some food and then stopped at the Yokahu Tower. By then it was 5 PM and I guess it was closed for the day. We just made a quick stop at La Coca falls and then headed out. The hike to the top of the three peaks was well worth it and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The trail markers are quite easy to follow and the entire park is easy to navigate. There are maps and information boards at each stop. There were no guided tours available on the day we went but the hikes were great and such an amazing experience! read more

Another definite must if traveling to Puerto Rico! How are you not going to check out the beautiful rainforest?? El Yunque is appropriate for hikers and... the rest of us. Dress comfortably... you are IN the FOREST. Bring your nerves of steel... you will be driving up winding roads to get to the Welcome Center (where you officially begin your journey) and thru the rest of the mountain. There are stops along the way with small parking lots to check out each of the popular sights. There is even a small restaurant/cafe to stop and eat about half way up. Once you reach as far as you can by car, I believe you can continue hiking up a little ways. Unfortunately, we missed La Mina Falls because there was simply nowhere to park the car so you may want to make that your first stop. Pay close attention to the guide (older man) at the Welcome Center. He will take out a little map for you and explain each stop. He even lets you know how long the walks will be through some of the trails. Overall, I enjoyed it very much and will definitely be back. read more

So beautiful! We spent a couple days hiking here. The first day we hiked El Yunque peak. Do not miss the turn off near the top for some breathtaking views. Oh, and if you don't like to get wet, bring ponchos. We didn't bring ours, as I told my husband it would be "just a little rain"... Boy, was I wrong! It poured! Lol. But it was all such a fun experience to be hiking in it, we just laughed the entire time. Plus, it was so warm and muggy, the rain was quite welcome. Just make sure you wear shoes with good traction as it does get slippery. We went back another day and played in the waterfalls and swimming areas. It was crowded, but there were so many places to go hang out, it was well worth it. El Yunque was the highlight of our trip to Puerto Rico. We had such a great time there. Even if you can only drive through, don't miss out on the beauty of this rainforest! read more

i was debating giving this a 3 but i can't poop on a rainforest :(. i wasn't all that impressed. it looks like a forest. i went on a cloudy day so maybe that made the difference. the hike was a good little workout. not hard but it made u sweat. and you get to the falls and u have to go in bc hey, ur in puerto rico! but god damn! the water was icy cold! and there are rocks at the bottom that *hurt*! so we crawled thru the water clinging onto any smooth rocks we could find. if u go in and take pics tho, the pics will look like u were really cool and adventurous :) read more

Beautiful!! Be prepared for rain! Wear your swimsuit so you can get in the waterfall at La Mina Falls! That was the funnest part. It was bit cold but you forgot about it once you were in. Yakahu Tower had gorgeous views. They sale ponchos at the gift shop for about $4 if you show up unprepared like us. read more

Loved the trails! Definitely hike the trail to the tower. Two levels of staircases leading to the top.

Place was beautiful with picturesque waterfalls and great scenery. Fun for kids who like to play in the water or climb rocks. A bit on the crowded side though. read more

Went to el Yunque and it was an amazing experience. The coca waterfall was refreshing and beautiful. I will advise people to take water and towels especially if you decide to get in the waterfall. There is no charge to walk in El Yunque but I will say pay the 4.00 dollars and go to the observatory to get a map and get tips from the reception person. Overall, beautiful experience. read more

great for adventure lovers! waterfalls, hiking, swimming, camping, etc. hikes of varying level (good for families and adventurers). you will get wet so bring a poncho! read more

great waterfall. hiked some of it in the rain and it was fun!

great place to see nature. swimming in the waterfall pool was the best part. i wish we saw more wildlife.

Definitely a site to see while in Puerto Rico. We had a rental car so no worry in the drive from san juan to the forest. It is a very windy road; but the area itself is free so don't bother paying for a tour unless its something you want to know more about the trails etc. We also hikes the La Mina Trail... note to future adventurers ... once you get to the falls go back the way you came. We continued across to the other path because a guest had said it comes back out at the road... yep... the road... about 3km from where our car was. haha. thankfully there was a nice couple that gave us a ride back up the curvy road or that long hike would have become much longer. We survived la mina falls! Great gorgeous area. Also trek all the way up the observation tower. Even if you think you can see it all from half way up; nope keep going the view is simply breath taking. Don't forget to pack lots of water and enjoy the fine points of nature. read more

Beautiful area and nice hikes. Highly recommend getting car to visit this part of the island

I was disappointed by this trip, which I did with Destination Puerto Rico at the Marriott Hotel in Condado. Not the park. El Yunque is lovely. But the trip was advertised as a four- to five-mile hike when in fact it was only two (if that). In addition, they violated every rule of group hiking: no point was appointed and the guide only stayed with us for half the trip (he had to go back to get the van). No one got lost and it was a fairly easy trail to follow, but this is not standard procedure for a lead group hike. We stopped at the gift shop, always a waste of time in my view. We also stopped at the Yokahu Tower which can offer grand views. Since it was raining (it is a rainforest!) and cloudy and the only thing the tower offers is the views (after climbing 98 stairs), this was also waste of time. Finally, there was a lunch stop (not included in the price). The place was on a main highway, so not at all peaceful, and the food was only OK at best. I wonder if there is an arrangement from the restaurant owner to Destination Puerto Rico because there's no other reason to go there. Better we should have come straight back to Condado, where we would have arrived at 1:00 or so, easy enough to go to one of the many (and better) restaurants there. El Yunque is worth a visit, particularly if you like to hike (which I do). Better to rent a car (and this becomes more economical the more people in your party) and hike yourself. There are several trails and they are well marked. And it is a stunning place. read more

The staff at the visitors center were very friendly and helpful. Parking was easy and the trails were beautiful and well kept. I highly recommend hiking the trail to La Mina Falls. read more

Beautiful rainforest!!!! This is a must see for tourists. My only advice is to wear shoes with good grip for slippery trails. I had Keen water/hiking shoes and still struggled with not slipping off the narrow trail. This place is packed with tourists so it is difficult to share the narrow slippery path. I hiked the Mt Britton and Mina Trails which are a bit strenuous due to up hill walking and steps. Did not see any wildlife but still worth the time. read more

Incredible! So many different sights to see and also very good hiking and swimming in the waterfalls. Highly recommend!

El Yunque is an amazing and one of the most beautiful rain forests in the world. 5 stars for the beautiful scenery and the awesome Old San Juan view. read more

This place is amazing a real Rainforest Americans can visit. Its an amazing place awesome place to see if your in Puerto Rico. I have to admit if your not into nature, plants, water, waking up early on your vacation and hiking through humid terrain, or are not in great shape then don't go here. Also be careful its easy to get lost here since there is a thick fog that can creep up out of no where. Our guide told us a story of a man that was lost in the Rainforest for months till he made it to the other side of the island and was discovered by a group of scientist exploring the forest. I'd suggest finding a hotel that offers the El Yunque hiking trip in the price defiantly worth it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and pretty funny and the trip included a tour guide of a large portion of the island visitors tend to not visit so that was great for finding those real holes in the wall worth eating at. Definitely try this if your in San Juan. read more

A breath of fresh air from New York City. So incredibly beautiful.

The rain forest was beautiful, but not for folks who are not in shape, at least 6 miles up and down,footing is very precarious and you wind up just looking at your feet to make sure you will not fall. Wear good shoes and take your time. Don't think I would want older people to try it. It is long hike. read more

This rainforest is a gem. Our group of six felt like we were in Jurassic Park and wondered when a velociraptor was going to come out and eat us. Actually, their hiking trails are excellent and the visitor center is extremely well put together. We drove in a rental car and got to the trails early as recommended. We started at the La Mina Falls trail and got to the falls before it became crowded. We were able to go in the pool and under the falls and get all the pictures we wanted without fighting for space with others. read more

Great day excursion. Be prepared to sweat and get some good exercise!. If you are a tourist staying at a hotel DO NOT waste your money on a tour! .. instead rent a car for approx $50 (with gas, tolls, etc) for the day vs the $60 per person the tours charge. Hit the falls at the end to cool off after a long day of hiking. When done go to Puertorican Bakery located at Carr Principal 67 Palmer for delicious local food and fast friendly service read more

yes you can do this in flip flops with ease, even if you're a lazy out of shape fat ass... everything is paved..... the "Big Tree" trail leads you to the main waterfall, very nice, i actually lost my breath swimming there, no bullshit.... read more

So. My husband, myself and our four year old daughter trekked the Yunque. We are not physically fit so it was rather hard for us. We had really sore calves for the remainder of our 6 day vacation. We really enjoyed it. However, once we hiked to La Mina, which is the grand waterfall that everyone wants to see, we were a little underwhelmed. It was beautiful but, I guess with the rainy weather maybe, we were just like "meh." The thing is, there are many vantage points that the map suggests you stop at to take in the views. There are several small waterfalls that you see while your driving up the mountain. So when you get to La Mina, you're like, "ok, this is the 5th waterfall we've seen." I would highly recommend that you were water shoes while hiking. The paved paths are very wet and slippery. Our daughter really enjoyed seeing the lizards and hearing the noises of the forest. I would definitely recommend going. Also, there is a museum that you can stop at before driving up the mountain. you do have to pay $4 per person. The man did give my daughter a cute little poster, for free, and there are clean restrooms there for a last minute potty break before you drive up the mountain. Great experience, would definitely recommend going. read more

So nice! We stopped at the visitors center, the falls, the tower, and hiked The Big Tree trail. It was enjoyable, the trail was "paved" most of the way but don't let that fool you, you still need proper shoes. Ladies: wedges, flip flops, sandels, and anything with heels = not apropriate footwear. I wore regular running shoes and was fine. Others I passed on the way in complaining about slipping and falling while wearing 3inch wedges were not so fine. Paved doesn't mean sidewalk! It was a good hike and I would have loved to get in the falls but it had just downpoured so they were to rapid for me to safely enjoy them. Wear your suit under your clothes, as there is no place to change once you're on the trail. Worth the hour drive to come here. There is a road side shack "bosqueria en condato" that sells meat on a stick and fresh coconut water. Don't worry, you probably won't get food poisoning(we didn't), but you will get a nice bite to eat and some refreshing coconut water and the best view EVER. Nothing beats meatballs grilled on a stick while looking out over a rainforest. read more

We rented a car to drive to the rainforest for only $20. It was completely worth doing on our own as opposed to a tour. We went to the visitors center for $4/person. It's worth it. They have restrooms, gift shop, a restaurant, and a person sitting at the desk. They person at the desk gave us so much helpful information about the property. We climbed to the top of the highest peak. It was cloudy so we couldn't see much at the top though it was still worth the climb through the rain forest. We, also, visited the falls with the swimming area. It's quite a trek to the bottom of the falls, but totally worth it to swim in the falls. It was very cold, but again worth it. Tips: wear tall socks (blisters - ouch!), bring extra socks (yours most likely will get wet with rain or sweat), bring an umbrella, bring a hat, bring water shoes for the falls (it's very rocky!). It rained a million times during the day so we were soaked by the end of the day in rain and sweat. If you don't like to get dirty, it's probably not your thing. Beautiful scenery! Great exercise! Enjoyed time spent there! read more

Just visited San Juan and had an awesome trip. A group of us went to San Juan in September and stayed at the Condado Conrad Plaza. We visited Monkey Island and El Yunque Rainforest. I recommend San Juan Happy Tours for transportation and tour guide. We had a wonderful tour guide by the name of Modesto. He is very knowledgeable and speaks wonderful English. He even introduced us to some authenic puerto rican foods. If you visit Puerto Rico reach out to Modesto at 787.219.9829. For more adventure contact Captain Frank(paco) he was so much fun. We played authenic musical instruments on his boat, he fixed us sandwiches an fruit for lunch. Captain Paco even taught us how to catch a star fish. The monkeys at Monkey Island were a blast to watch. So reach out to captain Paco at 787.316.0441. Great prices and well worth the trip. Thank to Modesto and Captain Paco our trip was a success!!! read more

My wife and I had a phenomenal time hiking here! We rented a car for our trip and drove straight to the portal (visitor center), which is $4 a person, and really we could've skipped. Lots of info and a gift shop, food, etc., but we didn't make the most of that. Once we headed up the road we started seeing trailheads and all the sights. We stopped at Yokahu tower for a quick picture, then drove up and parked near the El Yunque Peak trailhead. The hike was beautiful up to the peak, despite losing my sunglasses on a beautiful rock outcropping near the top! After taking in the view, we headed down the road a short way, and cut behind the building to the fairly hidden Roque El Yunque trail. We made the scramble up, and enjoyed another tremendous view over the rainforest, from a great spot for solitude. Heading down the road, we came across the Mt. Britton trail, and took that to get back down towards our car. After that trail, we walked the road to our lot, and made our way down to La Mina to take a dip in the pool under the falls. It was a full day, but it was a great day. Highly recommend the sights and hiking in this gorgeous rainforest! read more