Services Offered
Eastern-area Activities

Rainforest Trip Enhancements

OPTION1: NATURE HIKE
Explore the rainforest in-depth with an informative and educated hiking tour guide. The low-impact 25-minute walk on the Baño Grande Hiking Trail will allow for a genuine hands-on experience that you will never forget. The hike begins at the Palo Colorado Information Center, a good spot to see hummingbirds and bananaquits. The trail then passes the Baño Grande, a large man-made pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. From there, the trail enters the Palo Colorado for-est, one of four forest types in El Yunque Rainforest. Hikers will take a close look at the various types of flora and fauna here and hopefully see some of the local birds. You will stop to see an example of the work that the Forest Service has done to help conserve the Puerto Rican Parrot, cross a pictur-esque stream, and exit the trail at another Information Center, where bathroom facilities are available. At the end of your tour, you will be refreshed with a complimentary bottle of cool mineral water.

For the physically fit we offer an alternative of going down to La Mina Falls, a 45 minute hike downhill, and consequently a one hour return hike – all uphill. There is a waterfall and swimming hole at the downhill destination, so bring along a bathing suit.

OPTION 2: EL PORTAL
Stop in to visit El Portal. El Portal, which is Spanish for “gateway”, is just that, a gateway to knowl-edge about tropical forests, in particular El Yunque. This center gives visitors a better understanding of the needs and complexities of tropical forests and the practices required for their sound manage-ment and preservation. Located within the entrance to El Yunque, the facility is modern and airy, as it was constructed to blend into the natural surroundings. Large, open plazas and patios overlook the forest and Atlantic Ocean. Visitors can enjoy listening to a nearby stream and jungle sounds played over the audio system, as well as the mood lighting on the foliage. All of these elements were con-sidered in order to celebrate the bond between people and nature.

Inside the center, 12,000 square feet of exhibit space is devoted to explaining the importance of tropi-cal forests in general. Three pavilions will offer information through interactive exhibits and bilingual displays. Also, you will have the opportunity to view a 12-minute film narrated by Jimmy Smits, the actor, which discusses the complexities of tropical forests and the practices required for the sound management and preservation of them. The staff of El Portal will also be on hand to provide further information on the center and the rainforest.

El Portal has an excellent gift shop, where you can browse through their large selection of nature books, audio and visual tapes, and find many interesting gifts and souvenirs with the tropical rainfor-est theme. It is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This carries an additional charge of $4 per person.

OPTION 3: LUNCHEON STOP
After a morning of hiking in the rainforest, we recommend having lunch at a Puerto Rican style family restaurant located in the foothills of the rainforest. This has been a favorite luncheon stop for years and their Puerto Rican cuisine is truly delicious.

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