Today we have a trip to the El Yunque rainforest, which is located in the east of Puerto Rico.
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A day trip from San Juan
In order to get to the rainforest we wanted to rent a car. Thanks to the current “Holiday Season” none of the many suppliers could get a rental car – all fully booked! So we had no choice but to book a tour through an agency. We had found one and luckily there were two more free places for the next day. So we were picked up by a small bus at 8.30 a.m. today. With us there were still 15 people on board and funnily enough our guide could talk German.
The El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico
The El Yunque National Forest is a rainforest in eastern Puerto Rico, just 50 kilometers from San Juan. It is characterised by a particularly high level of biodiversity and is visited by about 600,000 people every year. It is the only rainforest under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service.
A map of el Yunque National Forest Recreation Area
The following map gives a good overview of the many hiking trails in National Park.
A map of El Yunque rainforest
A walk through the rainforest
Our first stop was the Palo Colorado car park. From here, the La Mina Trail started to La Mina Waterfall. The way through the forest was very nice – everywhere juicy green, crystal clear streams and tall trees.
The La Mina Waterfall
The trail led to the La Mina waterfall, which was completely overcrowded. Many have taken the opportunity to bathe in the water basin below.
The La Mina Waterfall
The view from Yocahu Tower
From the waterfall to the next meeting point it was then another 30 minutes to walk. The next stop was the Yocahu Tower, from which one had a great view of the beach and the rainforest.
Afterwards we went to another waterfall and then – after a meal break – out of the rainforest. Overall, the rainforest is quite nice for hiking, but he couldn’t really inspire us. The way back by bus then went long along the coast, so that we could still see some beaches. Back at the hotel we moved quickly, printed out our boarding passes, grabbed our luggage and took a taxi to the airport.
Waterfall in El Yunque Rainforest
Our flight from Puerto Rico to South America
At 7.27 pm our flight with Avianca went first to Bogota (Colombia) and then on to Rio de Janeiro. The two flights were business flights, which we hadnot booked consciously. The whole thing ran over Seat24 and the price was the same as for others in economy class. Therefore, we actually thought it would be a mistake in the description. But no, we were indeed allowed to fly business on both flights 🙂
Business class at Avianca
All travelogues from our Southern Caribbean Cruise
The Carnival Valor of the shipping company Carnival Cruise Lines has a capacity of almost 3,000 passengers and over 1,000 crew members. The ship, built in 2004, is 290 metres long, 35 metres wide and belongs to the so-called "Conquest Class". The Carnival Valor is a classic cruise ship that offers a wide range of entertainment. There is a huge theatre, a casino, numerous bars, a disco, a karaoke bar, sauna, jacuzzi, steam bath, a fitness centre with jogging track, two pools and several restaurants. Our route led us for 7 days through the southern Caribbean with stops in Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia. St. Kitts and St. Martin.
Day 02 » Saint Thomas: By scooter across the island (US Virgin Islands)
Day 03 » Day at Sea
Day 04 » Barbados: Catamaran Tour & Swimming with turtles
Day 05 » Saint Lucia: A tour of the island to the sulphur springs
Day 06 » Saint Kitts: Diving on the west coast in Basseterre
Day 07 » Saint Martin: Island Tour & The Planes at Maho Beach
Day 08 » Puerto Rico: San Juan – Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots
Day 08 » Puerto Rico: El Yunque National Forest – Hiking through the rainforest