Come Close to Nature

In metropolitan cities, we hardly get any chance to connect with nature. Thus it’s a great idea to have a vacation on the lap of nature. Your Caribbean vacation to Puerto Rico is incomplete unless you visit the El Yunque National Forest, the sub tropical rainforest of Puerto Rico. El Yunque National Forest is a vast stretch of natural heaven located 40 kilometers northeast of San Juan. It is home to a vast diversity of flora and fauna.

Visitors get to see nearly 240 species of native trees, 11 species of bats, 50 species of orchids and 150 kinds of ferns. 68 different species of birds, including the endangered Puerto Rican parrot can also be seen. El Yunque is also the natural habitat of countless tree frogs, popularly known as El Coqui. Being a rain forest, El Yunque receives around 240 inches of precipitation per year. That is it gets more than 100 billion gallons of water in the form of rain. Depending on the types of trees, El Yunque National Forest is divided into four forests called Tabonuco Forest, Palo Colorado Forest, Bosque En Las Nube and Palma Sierra Forest.

Best ways to enjoy the El Yunque rainforest

• The rainforest provides a 24 mile long recreational trail for those who wish to trek through the forest. The trail takes the tourists to other attractions such as La Coca Falls, LA Mina Falls and Mt. Britton lookout tower. Skilled guides lead visitors across El Yunque rainforest. They help the visitors to observe the myriad species of plants, birds and animals as they hike through the area.

• Adventure lovers can opt to enjoy the natural beauty of the place on bike too. Tourists may choose trails with various degrees of biking difficulty and start exploring the rainforest in their own adventurous way.

• El Yunque Rainforest offers limited camping facilities. If you wish to camp at El Yunque, then you need to procure camping permit from the forest ranger.

• Apart from casual tourists, the place is often visited by people who are interested in learning about rainforests.

The forest opens early for visitors, but they are not allowed to stay late unless they have special permits. Tourists will find plenty of accommodation just outside the boundaries of the forest.

The majestic tranquility of the forest refreshes the mind and body. If you are tired of your life in the city, revive your spirits by coming to El Yunque National Forest.