One of the main reasons we decided to stay on the northeast side of the island was to be close to the El Yunque and all the waterfalls. So, on our first full day, we packed up the camera and headed south into the rainforest. It was lush, green, absolutely beautiful…
waterfall on Juan Diego River
…and pouring!
Eric and I both agreed that we had never been more wet on a hike, ever. Eric was also lamenting his decision not to bring a tripod. Amazingly, many of the shots came out anyway, but he’s had lots of practice!
La Mina Falls – some folks just weren’t wet enough on the trail
Coco Falls – a brief moment when no one is standing in front of it!
Thankfully, this meant that we didn’t have a lot of company as many tour buses didn’t bother coming out.
One thing to note: entrance into the actual park is free BUT they charge you $4 per person to enter the visitor’s center which is the only place you can get a printed map of the park. Inside, there are some large panels with park history and information and also tables set up to sell you stuff. I am guessing one of those items is a poncho since every other person on the trail was wearing a branded clear plastic bag. Most of the trails are clearly marked, so my advice would be to do a little research before you leave about what you want to see and skip the “Interpretive Center”.