The El Yunque National Forest is located on the East coast of Puerto Rico and it is also the only tropical rain forest in the US national forest system. El Yunque offers a unique characteristic to Puerto Rico because it differentiates the nation from the rest of the Caribbean Islands in which the island not only offers hundreds of beaches but also 29,000 acres of a tropical rain forest.
Getting to El Yunque
My boyfriend and I traveled from San Juan to El Yunque by car, which took us approximately 45 minutes. The drive can be longer depending on traffic, but we started our journey as early as 7AM in the morning in order to avoid crowds and traffic during our visit to the forest. There are public transportation options, but it is unreliable. If you can drive, I highly recommend renting a car because it becomes very convenient for traveling not only throughout Puerto Rico but to also navigate around the forest. El Yunque is a massive place and getting from one destination to another (excluding hiking trails) can take up almost the whole day should you choose to walk.
We used Google Maps as our main GPS to get to El Yunque, as well as to navigate around the whole forest. Locals also recommended us to use Waze App for more accurate navigation, but we had no problems with Google Maps. There is no entrance fee and the forest is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Wq1XDRChGEPz4Hpj9
Tip: Go as early as you can. We arrived there at 8AM and we had a great start to our journey in El Yunque because there was almost nobody there and we had access to parking at all times. By the time we finished our hike and were leaving the park, there were a lot of tourists in the way and they were having a hard time finding parking, and it was only just 2PM.
After entering El Yunque, it is very easy to get around the forest because the road is a one-way traffic and it navigates you from one destination to another. You do have phone service in most part of the forest, however, do expect some areas of the forest (especially during hiking) to have no service. If you are driving, you do not need to worry about getting lost as the one-way road will eventually navigate you to another destination or the exit.
La Coca Falls
The first stop you see after entering El Yunque is La Coca Falls, which is located along the highway. You do not need to hike to see this fall because it’s right next to the road on the right-hand side. We were lucky to be able to capture this fall when there were no people. I remember on our way exiting the forest, there were people avoiding signs to not climb the fences and they were also climbing on the rocks and swimming in the waters. It was almost like a zoo 😂
Views Along The Road
After leaving La Coca Falls, you can enjoy beautiful views of the ocean and the rain forest before the next destination. Along the road, there are also many viewing points where you can park your car for photo opportunities. These views range from ocean views to the view of the forest.
Yokahú Tower
The second destination we got to was the Yokahú Tower which is just a short 5-10 minutes drive after La Coca Falls and it is located to the left-hand side of the highway. At Yokahú Tower, guests can find souvenir shops, restrooms, staff, and a food truck near the tower. You can also go up the tower for a spectacular view of the forest.
After leaving Yokahú Tower, you can also visit Juan Diego Falls which is a hiking trail; or you can also visit Baño Grande which is another tourist destination where you can see a man-made pool surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. However, because we wanted to do a long hike to El Yunque Peak, we skipped the other two destinations to save time. Originally, we wanted to go back and revisit the two spots but because more people started entering the forest, it was harder for us to find parking to visit these two locations. In addition, we were also tired from the long hike.
Hiking to El Yunque Peak Tower
Firstly, you want to get there very early to secure a parking spot. You cannot drive to El Yunque Peak Tower and there is also no parking near Torre Britton (which is the first destination of the hike). You need to leave your car parked shown below and start your hike from there.
Where to park: https://goo.gl/maps/dcWoStoDzNcVYhQA9
Tip: Make sure you don’t leave anything valuable displayed in your car!
What to Expect
Duration: ~2 hours one-way (total of 4 hours round trip), depending on fitness level. Many of the duration estimations for the hikes at the park were inaccurate to us because we reached all destinations sooner than expected. Therefore, this duration time is according to how long it took us.
Level: Between easy to intermediate; depending on the destination and its trail.
Restrooms: There are no restrooms along the way. The only available and closest restroom to the hike is the portable toilet located near the parking lot shown above.
Water: There is also little to no water fountains throughout the forest. Bring your own water bottles.
Wildlife: We did not encounter any wildlife during our hikes and did not see mosquitoes, either. But I would still recommend bringing your bug spray as this depends on the season.
Poisonous Plants: El Yunque is home to over thousands of plant species, including poisonous plants. Be aware of some of these plants and take extra caution when going around the forest. Do not touch any plants if you can and wear long-sleeve pants and shirts to protect you.
Weather Conditions: Because El Yunque is a rain forest, you can certainly expect rain or wet conditions in the forest. We brought umbrellas with us but we did not get to use it. However, there were small showers throughout our hikes and wet and slippery muddy floor in some areas. I recommend wearing good hiking shoes for this hike; especially ones that are waterproof and with great traction. There were also many instances the sun came out so you can expect very bi-polar weather. With a combination of rain, sun, and wind, the forest gets fairly foggy most of the time, so being able to see the view on the peak can depend on your luck. We had to sit and wait at the peak for a while until the sun came out and we were able to take photos then. Patience is key!
Caution: All hiking trails have destined paths and are designed that way to prevent people from getting lost. Please do not go off the path or try to wander off to other parts of the forest. Most of the paths are designed for safety reasons so people do not go near a cliff. There are numerous reports of people getting lost because they went off the trails and it takes a very long time for people to locate you or help you because the forest is massive.
First Destination: Torre Britton
Duration: ~30-45 minutes
Level: Easy
The first destination of the hike is Torre Britton (Britton Tower). This is a very easy hike with very clear paths. The paths are also concrete so it is designed to be easy for beginners or seniors. The hike is constantly elevating towards the mountain and eventually, you will reach an open road on a highway. From there, you will have to walk up the road that will take you to a smaller dirt path on the right. This path will take you directly to the tower in which you can go up to the top and see El Yunque Peak.
Second Destination: El Yunque Peak
Duration: ~1-1.5 hours
Level: Intermediate
After visiting Torre Britton, you can go back down the same path to the open road again. From there, walk straight and find a sign on the right-hand-side that reads “To El Yunque Peak.” This is the trail you will need to take to get to El Yunque Peak and El Yunque Peak Tower (which are two different destinations). The trail is fairly easy for the most part. It is also mostly flat until you get closer to the peak. The only part I found difficult during the hike were the rocky paths, which can get really annoying and slippery. Having good hiking shoes for this will help prevent slipping and pain on stepping on a lot of big rocks.
Eventually, you will reach a cliff made of large rocks on the right-hand side of the hike where you can climb up the rocks and witness the most gorgeous and picturesque view of the whole forest alongside an ocean view of Puerto Rico. This is El Yunque Peak and it is also where people take the most photos. Please be very careful when climbing up the rock because it is on edge and you can fall off the cliff if you slip. The wind was also strong during our visit so I had to make sure I kept myself stable and closer to the ground to prevent being knocked out by the wind.
Final Destination: El Yunque Peak Tower
Duration: ~15-20 minutes
Level: Easy
From El Yunque Peak, you can continue on the same path upwards toward El Yunque Peak Tower, which is another 15-20 minutes hike. This is the highest observation tower at El Yunque National Forest. This trail eventually gets you off the forest and takes you to a concrete road up the mountain where you can see a giant transmission tower. After walking up the hill, you will reach a small building on the left, which is the El Yunque Peak Tower. On good days without fogs, you can see a stunning view of the ocean.
I personally found the view at El Yunque Peak to be the best view of all the destinations of this hike. During this hike, I was able to discover so many different species of plants I’ve never seen before so it was also educational for me at the same time. The hike up El Yunque Peak was a fun and memorable experience and I highly recommend anyone who loves hiking to take on this challenge.
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