El Yunque Rainforest

El Yunque National Raiforest can be found in the Sierra de Luquillo mountains and encompass 28,000 acres of land, the highest peak rising 3,494 feet above sea level, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico. It is also the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System and the United States Forest Service. The name derives from the Spanish word for “anvil”. El Yunque provides a jungle atmosphere setting with abundant vegetation, cliffs and waterfalls, vast forests and rivers, lush canopies, and a variety of tropical flora and fauna. There are trails you can explore, either up the mountain, or down the river where you can find picnic stations for groups of friends and families along its banks. If you want a breathtaking view, we suggest you climb the circular steps of the stone Yokahu Tower to the top where there is an open terrace and you can overlook the scenery stretching out towards the ocean, and down at the hawks flying over the forests below you. An emblematic characteristic of this forest are the yagrumo leaves which the locals look as a weather forecast. When they dry up they are brown on the top and silver on the underside. When the wind blows, you can see the silver up on the mountains from the town below, and you know it will rain soon. Rainfall is a natural and common occurrence of this forest, feeding the local rivers that rush down the mountain to the ocean. When you visit Puerto Rico, El Yunque Rainforest is definitely a place you don't want to miss.