Hi Everyone,
I am going to be in PR 5 days (that doesn't include my travel days) 2 weeks from now, and I'd like to see El Yunque. Can anyone recommend an itinerary for a day trip there? Is is better to rent a car or go with a tour guide? My wife is pregnant so we don't want anything too strenuous.
Also, should I plan a whole day there or should I plan to do something else in that part of the island on the same day?

Thanks!
Paul

I can't speak about how it is with a tour guide, but we went ourselves and it was very easy. It was easy to find (we drove from nearby) and we got a map and walked through and spent the better part of a day but could have shortened it if we wanted. It was pretty well organized and there were signs. I think there is a beach not too far from there if you wanted to combine the two.

We did it on our own as well--spent a couple or 3 hours there. Very enjoyable. As easy or as hard as you want. Some hike all the way to the top. But we did the shorter hike and it was very enjoyable. You could indeed combine El Yunque (morning) with an afternoon on Luquillo Beach.

We just returned. Get a car and do it yourself. Are you staying in San Juan or closer to El Yunque? If in San Juan you will have to allow 30-45 minutes drive time depending on time of day (maybe more). The Westin Rio Mar is literally just down the road perhaps 10 minutes.

If you do not want to do any hiking at all it is easy to drive, parking at the various overviews and other sites and have a nice time. The hiking might be too much for a pregnant lady.

The best advice I could give is to get there early and try to beat the tour bus crowd. WE spent about 3 hours total and it was really nice early but by the time we left the crowds were huge, hard to find parking due to the large busses all over.

The visitor center is worth a visit as well. Lots of nice displays and facts about the forest.

There's a nice relatively short hike to a waterfall that we did with our kids last year. It's less than a mile and not too rigorous, just make sure you wear sneakers it can be slippery on the dirt trails as it is a RAINforest and there are frequent showers. And bring an umbrella in case the heavens open up during your hike because there is no shelter. I was amazed at the silly people doing the hike in flipflops, a good way to break a leg! I don't know if I would have done it if I was 8-9 months pregnant but less than that should be fine.

We also did a hike to a waterfall but it was paved trail all the way, but lots of up and down. Took about 25 minutes in and then of course 25 back out.

Hi All, I am cutting in on this thread because we will be going to PR over spring break. I plan to also go to El Yunque.
Did anyone see animals or tropical birds? My daughter was hoping for some wildlife (tame ones of course!!)

We saw lots of butterflies, a few small birds (not as brightly colored as the butterflies) and a hermit crab while hiking to Mina Falls and around Coca Falls.

We saw a tree frog which are hard to spot because they are SO small. It was hidden inside a leaf of a plant and one of the locals at one of the view points was pointing it out to people. Say birds in the trees but no parrots and no other kinds of animals or snakes. I did read that there are no harmful critters there at all - although I would think that a boa constrictor could hurt!

Here is a little blurb I found about the wildlife that your kids might want to read:

The rain forest is home to many species of animals. Frogs and spiders hide under leaves. Ants, spiders, beetles, and even termites live under tree bark or in the soil. Snakes slither along the ground or wind around tree branches. Rodents and other small animals abound. Here you can find snails with shells as big as a child's fist. At night the forest comes alive. Millions of insects fill the air. Moths suck nectar from flowers, bats fly out of their nesting place to feed. Millions of coquíes climb tree branches to feed on the insects. The forest is lit by thousands of cucubanos. Bats and owls fly from their nests. Coquies sing at night.

At El Yunque there 50 species of birds, 11 species of bats, 8 species of lizards, and 13 species of coquí (a tree frog). Also found here are several species of shrimp and fish. Snakes are rare. The Puerto Rican Boa, which can reach a length of 90 inches, can be found. El Yunque is a small rain forest and there are no large primates such as gorillas or monkeys. There are no wild pigs or alligators.

The Puerto Rican parrot is a small amazon parrot, about 11 inches in length and weighing about 10 ounces. Its tail is a short and squared-off, as opposed to the long, pointed tail of a parakeet. The overall color of the Puerto Rican parrot is green. The wing tips are blue and usually are visible only when the bird is in flight. It has a white ring around the eyes and a red blaze above its beak.

"Higuaca" is the name given by the Taíno Indians to the native parrot. The parrots are usually heard before they are seen as they emit loud repetitive bugle-like call when they fly. The Puerto Rican parrot is the only endemic or native parrot in Puerto Rico. One of the rarest birds in the world.

Thanks Curt and highflyer! I appreciate the info!