3 Best Sights in El Yunque and the Northeast, Puerto Rico

Cayo Icacos is one of about 10 small islands that make up the Cordillera Nature Reserve just off the coast of Puerto Rico. It's a beautiful beach with good snorkeling offshore. Icacos can only be reached by a 15- to 20-minute boat ride, so pack whatever you might need for the day. Several tour operators in Fajardo offer day trips here, or you can hire a boat in Las Croabas. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming; walking.

Oversized flora, rushing streams, and powerful cascades are just some of what you'll find in El Yunque, which gets 100 billion gallons of precipitation annually. Two of the island's highest picos (peaks), El Toro and El Yunque, are also here, rising over 3,500 feet amid the more than 28,000 lush acres that encompass four major forest types, roughly stratified by elevation.

These ecosystems are home to thousands of native plants, including 150 fern and 240 tree species—88 of them rare and endemic, 23 of them found here exclusively. There are no monkeys or large cats (and no poisonous snakes, either). Rather, El Yunque is populated with small creatures, some of which—like the cotorra (the island’s greatly endangered green parrot) and the culebrón (Puerto Rican boa)—exist nowhere else on Earth.

The bird-watching is especially good after a shower, so, in addition to a rain poncho, pack binoculars to spot some of the forest’s 68 types, including the Puerto Rican tody, lizard cuckoo, and sharp-shinned hawk, as well as five species of hummingbirds. Rivers and streams provide aquatic habitats for freshwater snails, shrimp, and crabs. The forest's 1,200 species of insects—from ants to beetles to flies—provide food for some of the 14 different types of lizards, geckos among them. In the evening, millions of inch-long coquís (tree frogs) begin their calls.

The best way to experience all this nature is on a hike. The forest’s 13 official trails are short and easy to navigate. Although not as immersive as a hike, a leisurely drive-through is also gratifying. Along the way, you'll encounter beautiful waterfalls; hibiscus, banana, and orchid plants; and the occasional vista. Be sure to stop and climb the winding stairs of Yokahu Tower for breathtaking views of the rain forest and the islands.  Advanced reservations are required.

The 316-acre reserve on a headland north of Fajardo is owned by the nonprofit Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico. You ride in open-air trolleys and wander down boardwalks through seven ecosystems, including lagoons, mangrove swamps, and dry-forest areas. Green iguanas skitter across paths, and guides identify other endangered species. A half-hour hike down a wooden walkway brings you to the mangrove-lined Laguna Grande, where bioluminescent microorganisms glow at night. The restored Fajardo Lighthouse is the final stop on the tour. Its Spanish colonial tower has been in operation since 1882, making it Puerto Rico's second-oldest lighthouse. The first floor houses ecological displays, and a winding staircase leads to an observation deck. The only way to see the reserve is on a guided tour; reservations are required and can be made through the trust's website.