Trip Motivation
In March 2022, we celebrated Carter’s Spring break by heading to Puerto Rico! Our kids were 4 and 7 on this trip and we had a great time. Visiting the rainforest was on our list of must-dos and it did not disappoint.
See additional posts on this trip at the following links: Flights and Itinerary, Old San Juan, and Hyatt Grand Reserve.
Getting to El Yunque Rainforest
It was a 30 minute drive from our resort to the entrance of El Yunque National Forest, (pronounced el-YOON-kay). It is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system and home to hundreds of unique plants and animal species – plus lots of waterfalls!
If you visit in the near future, note that you may need reservations to enter some of the areas. Thanks to an instagram friend, we knew that the day before, they release several rounds of tickets at 8am and 11am. You will need an account ahead of time and be ready to purchase online. We were able to secure tickets for $4 for the car. If you don’t get tickets, there are other options outside of the reserved area listed at the bottom of this post.
Here’s what we did on our day at El Yunque:
- Viewed La Coca falls
- Climbed Yokahua Tower
- Hiked Mt Britton
- Ate snacks and drinks at the restaurant on-site
- Did a short hike to Juan Diego waterfall to play in the water
Tips Before You Go
Wear Comfy Shoes: Although the hikes are generally paved and well-marked, some spots can still be muddy and slippery. This is not a good hike for flip flops. If your kids have shoes that can be wet like natives, those would be ok too.
Bring Water and Snacks: Some of the hikes can be long and it’s important to stay hydrated. Gummy snacks are our bribery snack of choice!
Research Hikes and Plans: Our kids did fine on all the hikes but I would be cautious about kids younger than 4 unless carried. We didn’t do La Mina falls but I’ve read that the hike can be a little challenging for littles
Wear Your Swimsuit: There are several places to jump in the water at the base of waterfalls! So fun!
La Coca falls
After driving around 10 minutes from the entrance area, we arrived at a checkpoint where they checked our reservation tickets. Shortly after, we arrived at La Coca falls, directly accessible without hiking. This was a lovely intro to our day. There were some people climbing up to get a closer look but we didn’t do so.
Yokahua Tower
We continued our drive and came to another parking area next to Yokahua Tower. This white tower led us up 100 steps to a gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the beaches and mountains.
Mt Britton Hike
This was our biggest hike of the day. It took us around an hour to go up and back down. The kids did great and we took plenty of breaks. The whole hike was pretty well-shaded and clearly marked and paved in a lot of parts. Gorgeous vista views at the end!
El Yunque Restaurant
We rewarded ourselves with some empanadas and smoothies!
Juan Diego Waterfall
This was a nice easy hike (15 minutes) to a waterfall that we could swim in at the bottom. There was an additional waterfall higher than others hiked to but we were content in the lower falls
Other Options We Didn't Do
Many posts also recommend La Mina Falls and the Big Tree Trail but these were closed when we visited in March 2022. In addition, there were a few other bigger hikes we didn’t do. Take a look at the official website for more ideas.
If You Didn't Get Reservations
Don’t fret if you didn’t get reservations for the areas listed above. These should be going away soon, anyway. There are a few options that were recommended to me that are outside the reserved area. We didn’t do any of these hikes but I included them here in case you find this information useful:
Angelito falls is a short 0.2 mile hike to some swimming areas.
The El Yunque Portal Visitor Center was recently remodeled and has some cool exhibits and nearby trails.
More Puerto Rico
See additional posts on this trip at the following links: Flights and Itinerary, Old San Juan, and Hyatt Grand Reserve.
