Yokahú Tower
Forest views.
Šarūnas Burdulis — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Caballero1967 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jeff Hitchcock — CC BY 2.0 · Gordon Tarpley — CC BY 2.0 · Shannon McGee — CC BY-SA 2.0
A tropical rainforest in the Luquillo Mountains of north-eastern Puerto Rico, managed by the US Forest Service since 1903 and one of the world's closest rainforests to a big city, less than an hour from San Juan. A winding mountain road climbs through giant tree ferns, palms, bamboo and vine-draped trees, with waterfalls and streams along the way. Visitors climb the Yokahú and Britton towers to look over a sea of trees to the ocean, and hikers take a trail to El Yunque peak, cloaked in cloud much of the time. The forest is home to tiny coquí frogs, the island's symbol, whose calls fill the forest at night, and the rare Puerto Rican parrot. Rain falls almost every day, so bring a light rain jacket. Some roads and trails close for maintenance, and advance reservations may be required for some areas at busy times, so check the forest's website before going.
Forest views.
Along the road.
In the clouds.
Sierra de Luquillo, about 40 km east of Old San Juan
A small-fee advance reservation may be required for some areas at busy times, so check the forest's website before going.