Did you know that the United States only has one tropical rainforest? And if you happen to be visiting Puerto Rico, then you definitely have to add it to your bucket list! El Yunque National Forest, located in north eastern Puerto Rico, is an absolute gem! With soaring tropical vegetation, breathtaking waterfalls, and miles of fantastic trails, there’s plenty to see and do here. Better yet, it’s less than an hour from San Juan, so you can easily visit it on a day trip between strolls around Old Town.
However, El Yunque is pretty rugged and wild, particularly if you stray away from the Visitor’s Center. And with 29,000 acres to explore, it may be a bit intimidating to explore on your own. That’s why I recommend taking a guided tour with a local guide, who will ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.
And if you’re perfect day includes a moderate hike through the rainforest, sliding down a waterfall, cliff jumping, and rope swings, you’ll want to keep reading.
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My Recommended Tour for Exploring El Yunque
Now, there are many different tours available to explore El Yunque, and ultimately, the one to pick will be up to you. There are several factors to consider, including transportation and activity levels. But if you happen to be in the mood for a thrilling yet family-friendly adventure, and you’re willing to drive, I recommend this El Yunque Waterslide, Waterfalls, and Rope Swing Tour!
It includes:
- Approximately 4 hours of fun trekking around El Yunque
- At least one guide (we had a main guide and another who mostly acted as “muscle” to help us safely cross the rivers, get up tall rocks, etc.)
- Life vests
- Photos and videos
- Cliff jumping
- Waterfall slide
- Rope swinging
Want to save an extra 5% on this tour? Download the Get Your Guide App and use code CARRIEDAWAYTRAVELS5 to claim your discount! (Discount is only valid for new app users.)
What to Know Before Taking This El Yunque Tour
I found this epic experience on Get Your Guide, and (spoiler) I loved every bit of it! And for just $45 or less per person (it’s frequently on sale for $33), the price was unbeatable! However, this tour isn’t for everyone, so here are some important things to consider before booking.
Basic Info
- Cost: $33-$45 per person (it often goes on sale for $33, but the base price is $45)
- Duration: ~4 hours
- Meeting Location: Farmacia Caridad in Fajardo (4227 C. Marginal, Fajardo, 99738, Puerto Rico)
Transportation Tips
- This is a self-driving tour, so you’ll need to have your own vehicle to join in the fun.
- The guide will gather everyone at the meeting point and create a caravan so you can all follow him/her to the trailhead in El Yunque.
- The drive can be pretty intense (small, winding streets, steep hills, and crazy potholes), so I highly recommend you choose a compact SUV.
What to Wear and Bring to El Yunque
- The tour gets pretty adventurous with multiple river crossings, swimming opportunities, and muddy paths. So be sure to wear shoes and clothes that can get super dirty. We wore closed-toe water shoes/ water-friendly hiking shoes and quick-dry athletic wear over our swimsuits, which worked great! But keep in mind that the mud can stain your clothes, and we saw a number of sandals that got sucked into the mud, so be sure to opt for something sturdy!
- Once you get to the trailhead, your guide will instruct you to leave everything behind that isn’t waterproof–phones, keys, wallets, etc. The guide will lock everyone’s keys in their car for the duration of the tour to ensure you don’t accidentally lose them in the water. Because this excursion is so active, you won’t be able to bring wet bags or anything with you, so keep that in mind.
- If you do want to take pictures–and who wouldn’t–you can bring a waterproof phone pouch (also available for purchase on site at a small vendor tent) or use a GoPro! I definitely recommend it so you can capture some fun footage. However, the guide will also take pictures and videos of everyone at specific points, so you’ll still have those to look back on.
- The guide will make sure everyone has a life jacket before you leave the parking lot, even if you’re a good swimmer. You don’t have to keep it snapped up for most of the hike, but that way you have it for all the river crossings and swimming later.
- Our guide also didn’t let anyone put on sunscreen or bug spray once we got there because the chemicals can be so harmful for the environment. If you plan to wear some, be sure to put it on back at the pharmacy before the tour starts.
Your El Yunque Hike: Mud, Rocks & River Crossings
Your adventure starts the moment you leave the parking lot, and you’ll quickly find yourself avoiding mud and navigating over tree roots as you trek along the river. It’s not a hard path at all, but it’s a little tricky and very dirty. However, this only lasts for the first five minutes or so, so don’t get discouraged!
After just a few minutes, you’ll reach your very first river crossing at a wide but shallow point of the river. The water is only ankle deep, and the water is crystal clear! Just watch your step and make sure you step on the smaller rocks. While the larger stones may seem safer, they tend to be very slippery from algae.
You’ll continue your hike along the other bank, but before long, you’ll cross the river once again. This crossing is a little more intense, with knee-deep water and larger rocks, but it’s still easily crossable, even with kids.
Once you reach the other bank, you have one last push. There’s a set of stairs carved into the hillside that you’ll need to climb before you get to stroll along a wide, even path. They’re pretty steep, and you’re probably going to feel the burn, but just take your time, and you’ll be fine!
This whole part only takes about 20 minutes, so it’s a fairly intense start, but you won’t have to push through for long. Once again, we had 4 or 5 kids on our tour who managed just fine with a little help from their parents. So as long as you’re in decent shape and willing to work up a sweat, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Flora, Fauna & Fun Facts Along the Way
Once you climb the stairs, you’ll get a very different hiking experience for the next few minutes. This high, wide trail is lined with all sorts of beautiful vegetation that you’ll get to learn about as you walk.
For example, Puerto Rico doesn’t have any containment laws for bamboo, so you’ll see soaring groves of it all over. There are also lots of bright, tropical flowers. But my personal plants were the sleeper plants, which curl up when touched, and the peacock plants that change colors as they absorb sunlight!
Natural Waterslide: The Highlight Moment
At the end of this trail, you’ll make a rather muddy descent back down to the river, where you’ll find a large, natural pool, fed by a beautiful cascade. It’s the perfect setting for the big rope swing and some cliff jumping, but you won’t do that just yet.
In our case, there were already several groups here, so I had no problem moving on and coming back later.
You’ll cross through this pool to hit the opposite bank once again, and hike the most challenging part of the trail. This section is fairly intense because of the large boulders you’ll have to scale and the especially narrow trail. But your guides will be there at every step to ensure you have a helping hand to haul you up the tallest rocks and show you the best places to step.
This part was actually my favorite, though, because the river has quite a few cascades and waterfalls along this stretch, and there’s even some small ones coming down the cliffs on the right-hand side. We stopped to take a picture at one of them, and it was the perfect photo spot!
After about 10 minutes, you’ll finally reach the highlight of this tour: the waterfall slide! The river splits around a giant boulder here, creating two side-by-side falls that are just gorgeous!
Keep in mind, though, once you climb up to the waterfall, the only way down is to take the slide. The trail is too steep and narrow to climb back down, so make sure you’re ready to take the plunge!
The fall isn’t scary at all, though, so I highly recommend it! It’s very smooth and fast, and the pool at the bottom is really clear. It’s such a perfect thrill!
The only downside is that we only got to go once each because there was another group of 20 or so people right behind ours. The water was also very cold, so brace yourself for that.
Cliff Jumps & Final Swim
After your whole group has gone down the slide, you’ll head back toward the pool with the cascade, but on a slightly lower trail to avoid any other groups heading toward the waterfall.
Once you get to the edge of the pool, you’ll have a couple different opportunities to jump off the cliffs before heading to the rope swing, where you can flip, cannonball, or jump off however you like!
Everyone in our group went through once, then our guides gave us about 20 minutes to do whatever we wanted. During this time, the guides from all the tours pitched in to monitor the different activities, allowing everyone to cliff jump or use the rope swing, and lending a helping hand where needed on the rocky path. It seemed like kind of an unspoken rule that they all helped each other out here, even if they were with a “rival” tour company.
The final part of the tour is just retracing your steps on the beautiful hike back! It only takes about 20 minutes, so you’ll be back to your car in no time to dry off. Be sure to get your key and photos from the guide and rinse off your shoes in the river by your car.
See More from This Adventure on YouTube
Final Thoughts on This El Yunque Tour
I loved everything about this tour, from the gorgeous setting to sliding down the waterfall–even the moderate hike! Having to work a bit to get to the final destination just made it that much better, and we had to deal with far fewer people than we would have at an easier to access spot.
The price point was also a big selling point for me, especially since we already had a car. And although the journey was rugged, I felt like the tour was professionally done. It was such a great introduction to El Yunque, too, without having to commit to a full day in the rainforest.
And as I’ve mentioned, it’s family friendly! So if you have some active kidoes, you can bring them along for the fun and make a family day of it. I guarantee, it’s a journey they’ll love to tell their friends about when the get back–and you will to!
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And if you’re planning a Puerto Rico adventure, be sure to stick around to check out the rest of the posts in my Puerto Rico series! I have lots of new info coming up soon, so keep checking back to get all the details.
Until next time, happy travels!
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