Day 2 in PR was one I was super excited about since we would be making the (short) drive east to
El Yunque National Forest. Growing up, my family did a lot of road trips, a lot of which included trips to national forests. Over the years I've tried to make it a point to head to one if I find myself near one on a trip, and our trip to PR was no different. This was especially exciting since it was my first trip to a tropical rain forest. Though I've been to other rain forests within the system (including
parts of Olympic National Park in Washington State), El Yunque is the only
tropical rain forest in the US national park system. Though parts of the park are still closed for recovery from the hurricanes a couple of years ago, a good part of the park is still open.
The view from the parking lot where we waited to be let in, with Fajardo's waters in the background
Down the road from the waiting lot
The drive from our hotel in San Juan to the forest was hardly 45 minutes and pretty straight forward. We were mindblown at how a 45 minute drive could mean the difference between going from the beach and sea level to 1,000+ ft. By the time we got to the park, it was close to noon and there was a waiting line to get in. We took our rental car and were planning to drive through the forest, stopping where we saw a trail and place to park, which seemed to be how most of the visitors did it. The rangers at the entry point informed us that since the hurricanes and recovery efforts, they have placed a cap on how many people can be in the park at once. There are usually two waves of when they let cars in: in the early mornings, and around 1:30 to 2 pm, which is the category we fell into. When the capacity is capped, the park temporarily closes. Had we planned a bit better, we would have aimed for the earlier time, but it's not like there wasn't much to see even as we waited to be let in. FYI, they don't do reservations- it's all first come first serve! There are travel packages and tour buses leaving from various surrounding cities for day trips to the forest, but very much not necessary.
The weather was very much humid and hot (on par for a tropical rain forest), with multiple 1-2 minute rain showers that were scattered throughout our trip. We didn't run into mosquitos as I was expecting, but I'm glad we had prepared for them just in case. I wore athleisure (read: yoga pants and a t-shirt), with a light rain jacket and sneakers. A rain jacket is clutch since it allows you to enjoy the views without an umbrella blocking your (and everyone else's views).
Along the drive, we stopped by
Yokahú Tower. The Tower had a small gift shop at the bottom, with stairs leading to the top. Trekkable for someone who rarely works out, and worth the views! The tower also has viewing areas on the way up.
Rainfall as seen from Yokahú Tower
The top of the Tower
The Yokahú Tower parking lot
One of many waterfalls directly off the road
Although we had brought snacks, we weren't anticipating waiting to get into the park, which extended our time in the park by quite a bit. By later afternoon, we had gotten hungry and happened to find a small cafe within the park. By the time we finished eating, I noticed we'd had a lunch guest just diagonally overhead (see below). Also something to be prepared for ahead of time, though we saw multiple restrooms, they were all closed for post-hurricane renovations. (Un)fortunately, port-a-potties were the alternative. Bring sanitizer, wipes, and TP!
Previously mentioned lunch guest, snoozing
Found a small trail near the cafe for a post-lunch walk
Gigantic tree snail
We spent probably a total of 3-4 hours once we got into the actual park. Though I feel it was an adequate amount of time, you could very easily spend more. We didn't get to the end of the roads that were still open, but opted to head out when we did since I was getting tired. We headed back down the mountain and drove another 30-45 minutes to our next destination- the beach town of Fajardo.
