Things to do in El Yunque
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La Coca Trail
This popular 1.8-mile hike will take you a little over an hour each way. The trailhead is just up the road past the falls of the same name - just before the Yokahú Tower - and there is a small parking lot here. It's a fairly benign, low-altitude trail following streams through tabonuco forest.
La Coca made its mark on El Yunque history when a US college professor disappeared here for 12 days in 1997, claiming after his rescue that he got off the trail and was lost. The Forest Service, which had enlisted a search party of 60 volunteers and aircraft, was hardly amused. If you follow La Coca to its end, you can go left (east) along Carrillo Trail to the eastern part of the …
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El Yunque Trail
This is the big enchilada for most visitors and takes you to the top of El Yunque (3496ft, 1049m) in 1½ hours or longer. Starting on Rte 191 Km 12.2 opposite the Palo Colorado Visitor's Center, the 2.4 mile trail is mostly paved or maintained gravel as you ascend through cloud forest to the observation deck, which is surrounded by microwave communication towers that transmit to the islands of Culebra and Vieques.
If you want a rock scramble from here, take Los Picachos Trail (0.17 miles) to another old observation tower and feel as if you have crested a tropical Everest. You can return via a different route by descending down the Mt Britton Spur/Mt Britton Trail and the…
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Baño de Oro
Baño de Oro is a former swimming hole that is now a popular spot for photo opportunities. The water hole takes its name from the Río Baño de Oro, which feeds the pool. The name means 'bath of gold' in English, and Spaniards gave the river this name because they mined for gold here in the 16th century. The Baño de Oro Natural Area surrounding the pool is the catchment area for the river and pool.
In addition to the short Baño de Oro trail to the pool there are two overgrown trails in the Natural Area, which the National Park Service plans to open in the future.
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Mt Britton Trail
If you are short on time and want to feel as if you have really 'summited,' take the 0.8-mile, 45-minute climb up through the midlevel types of vegetation into the cloud forest that surrounds this peak, which is named after a famous botanist who worked here. This is a continuous climb on paved surfaces to the Mt Britton Tower, built in the 1930s. The trailhead is at the side of Hwy 9938, which veers off Hwy 191 south of Palo Colorado.
The more adventurous and fit can connect to El Yunque Trail via the 0.86 mile Mt Britton Spur.
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La Mina Trail
The forest's newest trail was opened in 1992 as an extension of the Big Tree trail, although it can be done in isolation from its starting point at the Palo Colorado Visitors Center. The trail heads downhill through palo colorado forest to La Mina Falls and an old mine tunnel. Mostly paved, it's an easy 0.7 mile walk down, but a bit of a hike back up. The La Mina trail connects with the Carrillo trail at La Mina Falls and with La Coca soon after.
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Yokahú Tower
Less than a half mile further up from La Coca Falls the mountain, you see the 65ft, Moorish-looking stone Yokahú Tower, which was built as a lookout in 1962. This is the first good place for vistas of the islands to the east, but there are better vantage points higher on the mountain. The tower often gets crowded with tour groups. Pass it by unless you have a lot of time and the view to yourself.
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Yuquiyú Delights
This small food concession with sheltered tables situated next to the Sierra Palm picnic area is the only real ‘restaurant’ in the forest. It does decent burgers ($6), comida criolla (traditional Puerto Rican cuisine) and smoothies and should replenish your legs ready for a few more miles of hiking. A few smaller kiosks sell snacks and soft drinks around Km 7 on Hwy 191.
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Big Tree Trail
This short 0.86-mile trail of moderate difficulty gets its name from the size of the vegetation along the way. The walk takes about a half-hour each way, and it has interpretive signs along its route through tabonuco forest before ending at La Mina Falls. All these attractions make this probably the most popular trail in the park. The trailhead is at Km 10.4 on Hwy 191.
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La Mina Falls
If you really want to paddle in some water, take the 30-minute walk from Palo Colorado down the mountain to the swimming hole at the base of La Mina Falls. Here you'll find a water cascade, quite stunning in its natural beauty. Come early if you want tranquility, because it's popular with cavorting families.
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Eco-Action Tours
A good ecosensitive operator is Eco-Action Tours, which offers half-/full day tours, depending on size of group, for hikes to Mt Britton and La Mina Falls. Guides are knowledgeable, environmentally conscious, and eager to talk about the rainforest ecosystem. They'll pick you up from your San Juan hotel.
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La Coca Falls
La Coca Falls is the first spectacular natural feature you see as Hwy 191 climbs south toward the forest peaks. There is an 85ft cascade as the stream tumbles from a precipice to the right of the highway onto boulder formations. The gate is open every day from 07:00 to 18:00.
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Forest Adventure Tours
In addition to the standard options, the National Park Service offers guided one-hour hikes from the Palo Colorado Visitors Center through Forest Adventure Tours, a body which aims to offer visitors a better understanding of conservation and forest management.
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AdvenTours
AdvenTours is an ecosensitive guiding company that offers birding tours, night hikes and biking excursions in the National Forest. Call for current prices.
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Baño Grande
The Baño Grande, a former swimming hole built during the Depression, lies across Hwy 191 from the Palo Colorado Visitors Center.
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