I went back to Puerto Rico and this time, I GOT ENGAGED! It was a beautiful weekend full of good memories, food, and sights! One of those being El Yunque National Forest. We didn’t get a chance to explore El Yunque on our first trip, so we made it a point to visit during this one!

If you missed my “First Timer’s Itinerary to San Juan“ post – check it out here. 

Quick facts to know about El Yunque.

• Some attractions do close earlier in the afternoon, so check the website linked above for available times. 
• El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S National Rain Forest system.
• The forest has been named a wildlife refugee so hunting is not permitted.
• El Yunque doesn’t have any mosquitos!
• El Yunque is only 40 minutes away from San Juan
• It gets about a billion gallons of rainfall a year, so bring appropriate clothes. (it rained hard for about an hour while we were here).
• Puerto Rico is for the most part a bilingual island. Most signs in the rainforest will be both in English and Spanish. 

So what all should you prepare for when visiting El Yunque?

1. Bring a change of clothes

Bringing a change of clothes or even just a towel will be helpful. El Yunque is FULL of waterfalls and being able to get in the water freely with out having to think about drying off in the clothes you came with is a plus. On top of clothes, bringing water shoes may be helpful since most of these falls fall on rocks and getting in may be more difficult with bare feet.

2. Rent a car

Not only is it less than an hour away from San Juan, El Yunque has different points of interest the further up (or down) you drive. So getting an uber would be fine if you only wanted to go to just one point of interest in the whole forest, if not, you will be hiking a loooong way. Our car from Enterprise (location in Condado beach) was only $23 for the whole day.

3. Don’t pay for tours

El Yunque is so spread out that in my opinion, paying for a tour would be a waste of money. When you enter the rainforest, you’ll see a map of all the hot spots. Research El Yunque to see which places you would care to see and go from there. The park has parking all throughout the forest. Be prepared to also deal with crowds, especially on the weekends.

4. Plan for a Half Day – Full Day

When visiting El Yunque prepare to spend half to a full day there. Depending on the sites and waterfalls you want to see and indulge in, it may take all day. Again, renting a car is super cheap and there are parking spots all over the forest. I highly recommend renting a car. Not only that but then you could have lunch or dinner at a restaurant thats outside of San Juan and explore the island of Puerto Rico that much more.

5. Check out El Rancho de Apa

No, this is not in the rainforest, but if you want authentic lechon on the island this is your place. Assuming you rented a car, El Rancho de Apa is a quick 25 minute ride from San Juan and the scenery can’t be beat. El Rancho has parking on the other side of the street, so parking is not an issue. Upon walking in, you’re greeted at the door and lead to your table. The staff is super attentive and nice. The food is delicious. My favorite part was actually being able to tour where they roast the lechon at and walk around and ask questions. There is no menu but they have several items prepared for the day that you can choose from, we ate a bit of everything.

Definitely recommend this place as the start of your day before El Yunque.

All in all, I would continue coming back to not only Puerto Rico, but El Yunque. Puerto Rico now has a special place in my heart as I got engaged here. I can’t wait to return and explore the island in it’s entirety. If you have any questions or concerns that I didn’t go over in this post, feel free to send me a message!

XoXo,

Wynee

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