Visit El Yunque
Travel widens people’s horizons, exposes them to new cultures and different people with different lifestyles, in addition to allowing them to explore the natural beauty in the places they visit. Puerto Rico is one such destination that offers visitors a lot of excitement, a chance to experience a new culture and plenty of natural beauty. Those looking to explore Puerto Rico would find the El Yunque national forest, a tropical rainforest run by the US Forest Service a great place to visit. Here one can hike along interesting trails that are covered by giant ferns and palm trees.
The El Yunque national forest has a diverse range of tropical ferns, wild flowers, Sierra palms, and dwarf forests that bring to fore the wide beauty of the Luquillo Mountain Range. One can explore a variety of ecosystems that include trees as high as 100-foot in the Tabunuco forest to trees that are about 12 feet in “the forest in the clouds”. .
Exploring trails could lead one to hidden waterfalls that are great places to have a natural massage. One could also take to a dip in the water that collects below the falls. The El Yunque national forest is where one could sight the endangered Puerto Rican parrot and the singing tree frog (Coqui). One can get a perfect view of the rainforest from Mt. Britton’s lookout tower while standing amid soft clouds.
Camping on El Yunque national forest is an option for those who want to do more than just hike and go on a picnic. Permits are required for camping trips. The medley created by the Coquis at night, after it rains, is especially worth listening to. Those keen on adventure can go rappelling, white water rafting and also look at the underground river systems. One should make reservations for such activities in advance. Those who plan to visit the rainforest should come armed with an insect repellent, a raincoat or windcheater to keep dry in the rain and a good pair of walking shoes to prevent them from slipping.
