El Yunque National Forest

18° 18.6′ N · 65° 47.5′ W

The only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System, rising to about 3,500 ft in the Sierra de Luquillo behind Fajardo: waterfall swims, cloud-forest towers and the green wall you see from every anchorage in the sound.

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Practical

Coordinates are El Yunque peak (Wikipedia); the forest covers 28,516 acres in the Sierra de Luquillo, about 30 minutes' drive from Ceiba (Puerto Rico Ferry) and less from Puerto del Rey. The Forest Service (2026) says it continues to manage visitor capacity because of limited parking and disaster-recovery construction, El Portal Rainforest Center has an annual closure, camping is currently unavailable, and fees for El Portal and La Mina recreation area were proposed in May 2026: check the El Yunque alerts and conditions pages and Recreation.gov for any reservation requirement before you go; Supervisor's Office (787) 888-1880. Nearby Las Tinajas and Charco Frío are river pools on the Río Fajardo (Puerto Rico Ferry). Afternoon rain is normal; start early.

Best for

A rainforest day on charter turnaround day