El Yunque National Forest

The ONLY rain forest in the US Forest System

I elected to do a regular tour.. It solved the transportation issue and gave me some insight into what the locals think. I choose E&B Tours.. I was picked up at my hotel in a nice big van and was joined by 5 other people taking the same half day tour. Edwin, our guide and driver was very friendly and spoke English well enough that I never had a problem understanding him.

Once we passed the main entrance, our first stop was the El Portal Rain Forest Center. It had several dedicated displays.. all very well done. I loved the architecture of the place. I asked for a brochure and got a simple black and white hand out… budgets must be tight these days. There is a gift shop and a small concession there, but it was still early.

Our next stop was at La Coca Falls, right on the road where everyone took turns taking each other’s picture. A couple from Atlanta helped me with mine and I shot them. So now ya know I’m not make’n this stuff up! Arrg!

The next point of interest was at an old, 69 foot tall observation tower, Yakahu Tower, shaped like an old castle keep. It was 98 steps to the top, but worth every one of them. The view was to die for. Besides, it was a little breezy at the top… most refreshing.

The last leg of our tour was a “short” hike which was mostly down hill. Edwin explained that he would meet us at the other end and pick us up. The path was all cement of which about a third were formal steps.  It was very narrow and old and we always had to step to the side when we passed anyone going the other way. I’m glad I had my hiking shoes on. Its worth noting that this is the low season and there were still a fair amount of folks making the hike. I can imagine how crowded it would be on a weekend or during the peak tourist season.

About half way through the hike, we came upon the La Mina Falls, its very popular with the locals. Strangely, we saw no birds while on our hike of 1.5 miles. We were well below the canopy.. it was downright dark in a few places. I did see a Hummingbird once we made it to the parking lot, but I was too pooped and dripping with sweat to try and shoot it.

Once back in the van, Edwin also explained that there are no real lethal plants or animals in PR. I had spent a lot of time in vain, looking for info on this subject. There is a stinging Nettle to watch out for, but nothing like Poison Ivy. The bugs that are an issue are nocturnal so we would not be seeing any of them. Those include large centipedes, tarantulas and scorpions, but none are considered deadly. There are 13 species of bats, but again, none of them are a threat to humans or animals. The Monkeys around Lajas and the Mongoose are the only things to really look out for and both avoid humans. Neither are indigenous to Puerto Rico. Doh! The only critters we did see were a small green lizard and a tree snail.

We did stop at one of the few concessions stands near the entrance to the park to get something cold before heading back to our hotels. Believe it or not, it did not rain the whole time we were there. Go figure.

The tour was $57 plus a little tip and covered entrance fees, but did not include any refreshments. That was paid for separately. I would recommend this to anyone stuck in San Juan without a car to get around.

E&B Tours and El Yunque Rainforest-