El Yunque Forest (Home Of The Taíno Gods)

Today we visit El Yunque Forest, one of the 5 most popular attractions visited by tourists and locals in Puerto Rico. It’s proper name is: “El Yunque National Forest”, and it's in the town of Río Grande, Puerto Rico. However, locals simply refer to it as: “El Yunque”.

El Yunque was sacred land well before the white man set foot on the Island. Puerto Rico’s Taíno natives considered the mountain sacred and home of their chief god “Yúcahu”.

El Yunque Forest has everything: luscious forest, rivers, waterfalls, flowers, birds and trails to enjoy it all. However, ever since hurricane María hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, the park has been in a state of constant repair.

Add to this the fact that the present administration in Washington has fired entire departments of federal employees indiscriminately, and you have a place where there’s no one to ask anything, information booths are closed and a feeling of chaos ensues.

I visited El Yunque Forest on March 10, 2025 and spent most of the day there. Most of the trails were closed. So were most of the pullouts. Hence, people were parking along the sides of Road 191 and cops were ticketing left and right.

“La Mina” Trail is still closed after 8 years.

But, my worst observation was that there are no rangers. At least, I didn’t see a single one from 8:30 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This can make for terrible visitor experiences and even dangerous ones.

All in all El Yunque National Forest is a true gem. But, it could be a whole lot better if there were only people to receive the thousands of tourists that visit daily.

VIDEO CHAPTERS

00:00 - Intro
00:59 - Bumper
01:15 - About “El Yunque”
08:10 - El Portal de “El Yunque” Visitor Center
11:22 - “La Coca” Falls
12:23 - Yokahu Observation Tower
14:51 - Juan Diego Falls
16:34 - Baño Grande
17:11 - “La Mina” Falls
18:35 - Mount Britton Trail and Tower
19:21 - Mameyes River
19:32 - Aerial View Of El Yunque National Forest
20:18 - Return to San Juan

And of course, as in all our videos, every attraction includes the GPS coordinates for your convenience.

=================
RELATED CONTENT

Why I Do What I Do?
—    • Why I Do What I Do  

Fort San Cristóbal
—    • Fort San Cristobal | The Largest In America  

Fort San Felipe del Morro:
—    • El Morro | The Caribbean's Greatest Fort  

La Vuelta Del Bobo”, A Traffic Jam That Puerto Ricans Actually Enjoy
—    • This Would Seem Stupid Anywhere Else!!!  

Does GPS Work In Puerto Rico? [Complete Guide]
—    • Will Your GPS Work In Puerto Rico?  [Compe...  

Is Puerto Rican Food Any Good?
—    • The Insider’s Guide To Puerto Rican Food  

Are Puerto Rican Beaches Any Good?
—    • The Truth About Puerto Rican Beaches!!!  

7 Facts About Puerto Rico And The Puerto Ricans
—    • What To Know Before You Visit Puerto Rico  

When Is The Best Time Of The Year To Visit Puerto Rico And Why?
—    • Best time to visit Puerto Rico | Puerto Ri...  

================================
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL HERE:

https://www.puertoricobygps.com/YouTu...

==========
HASHTAGS

#rainforest #elyunquenationalforest #riogrande #puertorico #orlandomergal

===========
DISCLAIMER:

Puerto Rico By GPS videos are purely for entertainment purposes. By following our videos you assume all responsibility as well as the risks associated with their use. You also accept that neither “Puerto Rico By GPS”, nor any of its representatives or publishers, will be held liable or responsible for injuries, accidents, or any other damages or mishaps that you might suffer by using them.

========================
ORDER OUR TRAVEL BOOKS

“The Old San Juan Walking Tour”

A step-by-step guide around Old San Juan presenting the city’s most important attractions. This book is available in traditional printed form and for the Amazon Kindle platform. It includes a detailed map showing each attraction with GPS coordinates and over 2 hours of video (only available to readers) that you can watch over and over again.

ENGLISH: https://www.puertoricobygps.com/TheOl...

“Puerto Rico Beach By Beach”

A step-by-step guide to Puerto Rico’s most beautiful beaches. This book is available in traditional printed form and for the Amazon Kindle platform. It includes color photos of every beach, a detailed description and GPS coordinates so you’ll get there with ease, an online GPS map and an online video of each beach.

ENGLISH: https://www.puertoricobygps.com/Puert...
SPANISH: https://www.puertoricobygps.com/GuiaD...

=====================================================
TAKE OUR QUIZ AND BECOME AN “HONORARY PUERTO RICAN”

So you think you know it all about Puerto Rico? Take our “simple” 10-Question Quiz and receive our official-looking certificate conferring you the title of “Honorary Puerto Rican”.

https://www.puertoricobygps.com/Honor...