Puerto Rico Day Trips » RainForest

El Yunque Rules Change for July Weekends

Gwenn — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:35 +0000

In the summertime, many locals and visitors flock to El Yunque National Forest to get away from the heat and enjoy the cool refreshment of the rain forest. Over the last few years, during July holidays and weekends, Road 191 North has become a zoo, overflowing with people and cars. During July 2010, on certain weekends and holidays, the National Forest Department is going to be changing forest access a bit to help limit the congestion.

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Attend Carnival in the “City of El Yunque”- Rio Grande

Gwenn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:40 +0000

Carnival — the word itself conjures up images of festivals and fun from around the world! And Puerto Rico is no exception. Almost every town holds a carnival — some big, some small. No matter what the size, you can always count on finding music, dancing and food. Carnival will be held in Rio Grande from June 30 - July 4. Stop by and take part in the fun!

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Something for Everyone in the Town of Luquillo

Gwenn — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:40 +0000

When looking for day trips to do, I sometimes forget to look at places close to home. Luquillo is a great little town in the north east part of Puerto Rico. It is home to diverse natural beauty — both miles of beautiful beaches and acres of rain forest. It has a rich and interesting history and a decently active, modern social life. Most people assume they have "done" Luquillo if they make it to the food kiosks and Luquillo Beach, but there is a lot more for people to do and enjoy. So take some time and come explore Luquillo!

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Cool Off at Charco Frio or Get Crazy at Las Tinajas

Gwenn — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:32 +0000

Here is another fun adventure made possible by the rivers that flow down from El Yunque. The Río Fajardo in Ceiba offers two types of fun — mild or rugged. For the mild type of nature lovers, there is Charco Frio, which is a series of pools in the river that you can enjoy cooling off in on a hot day. The rugged part is Las Tinajas, which, after a hike in, has a rope swing, a little rock water slide, pretty waterfalls, river views and some nice pools to enjoy.

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Hiking in Toro Negro Forest

Gwenn — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:08 +0000

Almost everyone that visits Puerto Rico makes the trip to El Yunque National Forest to see some waterfalls and get some great views. But there are other forests in Puerto Rico that offer all that, too. We had hiked in the Toro Negro Forest a number of years ago. I remembered it was very nice and parts of the forest looked very much like El Yunque. So we decided to go back again recently to take notes and write about it for anyone who wants an alternative to hiking in El Yunque.

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Driving in Puerto Rico

Gwenn — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:15:15 +0000

Once you decide to venture away from the San Juan metropolitan area, your best bet (and the cheapest way to get around) is to rent a car. You may have heard horror stories about Puerto Rican drivers, but, in reality, it is not that bad! Here are some tips to make your experience driving in Puerto Rico as painless as possible.

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Las Paylas – A Natural Water Slide in Luquillo

Gwenn — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:52 +0000

Being a rain forest, there are plenty of rivers that come down from El Yunque. Over many years, the rushing waters have made some of these river rocks into natural playgrounds, complete with pools and water slides. There is a place in Luquillo called Las Paylas (or Las Pailas) were the rocks in this river are real smooth and make for some really fun slides.

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Los Prieto Falls on El Yunque’s South Side

Gwenn — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:59 +0000

The El Yunque National Forest covers 28000 acres, and much of it is protected as wilderness areas. Ray and I are always looking for new trails to hike and, of course, elusive waterfalls. We recently went to the south side of the rain forest in search of Los Prieto Falls. We found a great hike and beautiful set of waterfalls, too!

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Rio Espiritu Santo Waterfall in El Yunque

Gwenn — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:19 +0000

El Yunque National Forest has a lot more to explore besides the forest along Road 191. If you have a little extra time and want to get a little more rain forest immersion, you can take a short drive up Road 186, above the El Verde area in Rio Grande, and find a hidden waterfall just steps from the road.

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Geocaching – Hunt for Hidden "Treasure"

Gwenn — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:30:53 +0000

What do you get when you cross scavenger hunts with GPS technology? The "sport" called Geocaching. You can grab your GPS unit and try to find one of the 350 treasures hidden around Puerto Rico. You may be pleasantly surprised by what else you discover about the island during your hunt.

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