Hiking in
El Yunque

5/5

Location: Río Grande

Getting there: Drive a little under an hour from San Juan to get to the entrance of El Yunque National Forest. Having your own car is ideal, but you can also book a tour. Reservations used to be required to enter this area of the forest, but that is no longer the case. They only let in 200 cars at a time, so getting there early is a good idea.

General Info: There are two main popular hikes in El Yunque, first hike you’ll encounter is Juan Diego Falls. It’s more of a walk than a hike. It only takes a minute or so to get to the first waterfall, then another 3-5 minutes to get to the next one. Next is the best, the Torre Britton Hike. It will take you about an hour to go up, spend some time in the tower, and hike down at a leisurely pace.

Heads up: There are other, less popular hikes you can do, make sure you consult an information plaque or an employee before you attempt one. Some hikes are paved, some are not. If you do an unpaved hike, plan on getting very muddy. The paved trails (like Torre Britton) are easy to navigate, I have hiked in flip flops. They can still be slippery when wet, though.

  • The rainforest is beautiful and the most scenic place to hike on the island.
  • There’s a chance of seeing endemic birds.
  • The popular hikes are easy to moderate.
  • The trails are always pretty busy and they are also narrow, so expect a lot of stop and go traffic.
  • Trails can get muddy.
  • Getting caught in the rain here is common.
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