el yunque peak

My friends and I decided to rent a car instead of going with the tour group. It was an adventure from the moment we started driving because all of the signs are written in Spanish, and none of us are Spanish speaking. Be sure to get a detailed direction from the rental agent. We visited El Yunque last weekend and the place was crowded. Thank goodness we drove because we got to spend as much time as we wanted. The forest is beautiful and breathtaking. It was a long hike but we were prepared. Comfortable walking clothes and especially good walking shoes with good traction are a must because there are quite a few slippery spots. Bring water. I highly recommend El Yunque for a serene and adventurous hike.

We got fogged In ... But can only imagine the views... We did get a bunch of the best views, before reaching the summit ... But then .....,,

Although they sell tours all over the island, this is an easy place to navigate on your own. Stop by for a map at the visitor's center (entrance fee of $4.00 per person) and off you go. The Yokahu tower is easily accessible for anyone who can handle stairs with incredible views of the water and rainforest. The trek down to La Mina Falls is 15 minutes at a rapid pace or 30 minutes leisurely. You can splash and play in the water fall and relax in the middle of the huge palms surrounding. The trails at the top to Mt. Britton and El Yunque Peak are not as well marked... Veer right at the fork in the road to go to the tower. It is quite a hike to the summit but shaded most of the way and a very unique experience. The trails are narrow but well kept, and other than a few slippery areas, easy to navigate. Although not as many flowers and no exotic creatures on our trip, it was still a great experience!

We hiked to El Mina Falls and was a bit disappointed. The fall is small and not as awesome as we expected, compared to others we have seen across the globe and the US. Bring a swimsuit, you will need it after an hour hike. Wear shoes as the road even if paved does get slippery when wet. There were kids and they were enjoying the swim hole.

Shady, moderate hike. Some guided and paved, others not. Fabulous scenic views from the top though. Worth the 99 steps! If you plan to swim, wear your bathing suit as there is no place to change. Water shoes highly recommended. El Yunque is about a 4 hour excursion. Highly recommend this trip.

The actual peak is nice but there are a lot of radio towers right next to it. Consider the sub peak right next to it for a better view!

The rainforest is 50 minutes away from San juan. Make sure you key in "El Yunque Visitor center" in GPS and not el yunque national forest, as it takes you into the rainforest, opposite to the place where the hike starts. It might it best to just use the directions given in tripadvisor. Once you get there things get pretty straightforward. The parking is free and there are three trails to choose from. We did the easy one which led us to the La Mina waterfalls in about 25 minutes. The water was cool and refreshing to swim in. Bring your own towels and change of clothes if you are planning to swim and keep in mind that there are no changing rooms. I would definitely recommend wearing shoes, since the trail gets slippery sometimes. Definitely worth the visit !

As you make your way from the base of the mountain and start ascending, you will come across a visitor center that you can pull I to on your right. It is pretty much a waste of $4/pp. instead, just keep driving up the mountain and you can go for free. Parking is very limited and you will likely not be able to find a parking spot at any of the sights to see (tower or falls). If you are lucky enough to find one, you can get out of your vehicle and take some great pictures of water falls. If you want to see the big ones, you will need to find a parking spot at the third stop and walk about a mile through the rainforest. Quite the hike if you are out of shape, but falls are beautiful. You can go swimming in them, but be careful as water is VERY cold!

OK, I do feel silly rating a rain forest, but there are a few items worth noting before a traveler visits this beautiful forest. Don't bother stopping at the Portal Visitor Center, unless you want to pay $4 each to use the restroom or acquire a worthless trail map. Signs along the road clearly point the way to various trails. Don't bother stopping at Mina Falls with the other 500 tourist, unless, of course, you have never seen a waterfall before. Do hike the trail to the top of El Yunque. Despie some of the hiker blogs, this trail is a pretty moderate hike for any healthy person, and the views near the top are spectacular, especially the 0.2 mile cut off to the top of a small viewing platform about a half mile from the actual peak of El Yunque. Also the small rock ledge 0.1 mile from the top offers a somewhat scary perch from which to get an incredible view of the forest and the shoreline of Luquillo and Fajardo in the distance. Don't bother to go to the very top unless you feel a need to say you did. The monstrous cell towers, complete with noisy generator at the end of a service road don't make the final ascent much of a mystical experience. Finally on the way down, do stop at one of the funky commercial establishments along the road to the trails to savor an empanllada and a cold Medellan beer. While clearly out of place in any national park, they offer a few laughs and a well-deserved treat after a brisk 6 mile hike.

This is a definite visit during your trip to Puerto Rico! Make sure to stop by La Mina falls on your way up to the top.

The rainforest is a great place to see. Nature at its best. Waterfalls galore, wildlife and just the sounds of the forest are amazing

This unique rainforest has narrow pathways throughout most of the cleared and maintained areas of the Jurassic Park natural wonder. For hikers you can spend a whole day from sunrise (to see the roosting birds) to sunset (to hear the coqui) making the trek to the top of the highest peak from the parking area just below Mt. Britton it's about 90 minutes), meander to the 50 ft. waterfall and swim (it's about a 45 minute hike from the midway parking lot), walk through 4 different types of forests, and photograph the flora and fauna. Be prepared with swimsuit, rainsuit/gear, rubber soled shoes, and water/food. It's almost impossible to bushwhack, so stick to the prepared walkway and rough roads. To get an overview be sure to watch the 15 minute video at the main welcome center.

We took an independent tour of only 6 people and hiked to the summit / peak for a 360 degree view of San Juan. It was about 1 hour, 40 minutes up-hill over several trails and about 40 minutes down (much easier). It was not the normal trails (La Mina) used by the cruise ships or big tours and very few people were on the trail. I think we took the El Yunque trail (the long trail) instead of Mt. Britton which looks shorter and we passed. You can ask at the visitor center for a map or print one out before you go. The first trail was a paved, cement sidewalk with stone in it for traction. It looked like it may be slippery if it rained. The next trail paved with large dark gravel and later it turned to dirt. We had nice sunny (hot, humid) weather in November. We spoke to another couple who did the hike in pouring rain. They said they really had to pay attention to how they walked to prevent slipping. When they got to the summit, the view was covered in clouds but they found it fun since it was like standing inside a cloud you are up so high. Coming back down, the lady fell and broke her hand. There was an emergency facility near by, but it did not seem to be up to the same standards as mainland U.S. We also had someone fall on our tour, so be careful!Tips: Bring a bottle of water and put sunscreen and mosquito spray on before you start. I did not need a hat due to the shade from the trees. Wear comfortable shoes with good traction. A lightweight, moisture wicking shirt would be helpful. It may be a little cooler when you start at the bottom of the trail. If it is going to rain, a good raincoat would be helpful. There were no bathrooms along the trails or where we parked along the road.To people who don't exercise too often (for those of you who do or are just in better shape than me, ignore the following):As far as "fitness" needed to do the hike, I normally do not exercise (long work days and commute) but I am able to walk several miles when needed like 18,000 steps in a day. I really don't like hills - horizontal in a beach lounge chair is more my speed. We had walked around Old San Juan and its hills for 4 days about 8 hours a day, so I was feeling in pretty good shape. I was totally exhausted getting to the top. I was with a tour group led by a 20-something year old hiker, so I had to keep up with the group's pace; I would have made a lot more and longer rest stops if it were just my husband and I. At the top, there are several big rocks to climb to see the view. My legs were so tired, I was afraid they would give out and I would fall off the rocks, so I stayed on the lower of the rocks. Coming back was easier, although the incline coming down could be rather steep if you are prone to your shins hurting. I enjoyed the coming down the trail much more. When we got to the cement sidewalk area, I was watching were I stepped to avoid the smoother stones which could cause a slip.That night, I was exhausted and didn't have much energy to eat dinner. My thighs rock hard and hurt and were tight for about 6 days afterwards with the first two days the worst. The longer hike on El Yunque is do-able but the shorter Mt. Britton would be easier. My super athletic husband didn't find it too hard, although he was tired that night and maybe a little sore the next day.

This is a great place to hike! After a day of hiking, we topped it up at the summit. From the bottom of Mt. Britton trail you can start your hike to the summit. You can go through the jungle which consists of a man mad rock trail or choose the narrow road where the forest personnel travel on with their vehicles. I would say its about 40 min each way. When we got to the top, it was cloudy so we missed the view! I heard there is a 360 panoramic view of the island on a clear day. If you are in decent shape, check out the trail.

Una foresta gigantesca, selvaggia, spettacolare, un'immersione di 5 ore in un ambiente incontaminato che restituisce pace ai pensieri e tempra gambe e spirito.Il centro servizi all'ingresso è completo e dettagliato, la gente gentile, i servizi buoni e ti chiariscono esattamente come percorrere senza problemi i sentieri all'interno della foresta.Ho effettuato la passeggiata più lunga con bagno finale nella cascata de La Mina, e conservo un ricordo di quella giornata davvero piacevole.