OUR GUIDED GAY RAINFOREST TOUR
While El Yunque National Rain forest is beautiful and great to visit, it is just a fraction of the rain forest in Puerto Rico. The majority of rain forest in Puerto Rico is on private land. These other areas are great for the more adventurous, and typically much less crowded. The trails are less groomed and the hiking is a bit more advanced. And as chance has it, we coordinate with a certified guide to provide transportation, drinks and snacks to go here. You’ll want to go with our gay certified tours. Why risk going on a straight tour and getting stuck with a conservative family that might prefer to judge than to enjoy?
You can book this directly on our website, or at www.PuertoRicoGayTours.com whether you stay with us or not (our guests at Coqui del Mar do enjoy a 10% discount). We accept reservations up to 5pm the day prior. Or take your chances and show up at Coqui del Mar. You can arrive as early as 830am to the guesthouse, (we leave at 9am and are back to the guesthouse by 2pm). You’ll be ready for a soak in our clothing-optional hot tub upon return to the hotel, and even if you’re not staying with us, you can enjoy some time with your new friends from the day’s trip.
Prefer to have fun on your own? We’re not here to judge.
If you prefer solo pleasure, rent a car and take your driving skills to the Puerto Rican roads. There are several rainforest areas you can explore. El Yunque National Rain Forest is the most obvious but there are many others worth visiting. It is almost 29,000 acres of wilderness and the only tropical rain forest in the US National Park System. The park opens at 730am daily, with the welcome center open at 9am. You must have a reservation to visit the National Park, whether driving through or visiting the welcome center. You shoukd get your reservation 30 days before your trip. You can ask for it online at www.recreation.gov/camping/gateways/14487 .
If visiting El Yunque, we recommend going early. This avoids the crowds and its less likely to rain in the morning typically. (If it is raining, its best to postpone your trip, as the trails will be too slippery). El Yunque offers groomed trails leading to La Mina waterfall (as of this writing La Mina is closed), and hiking trails for all levels. You can find a list of the trails, and descriptions here.
We recommend ideally getting there at 8am (about 45 minutes drive from our location). Visit La Mina trail first as its the most popular and later in the day will be full of hikers (currently closed). Feel free to dip into the waterfall. Later, visit the welcome center. The most interesting thing is the 20 minute movie, narrated by Benicio del Torro. It alternates from Spanish to English versions, so go to the theater upon arrival to the El Portal visitor center (welcome center) to see when the next version that you would like to see starts. The El Portal can also be rented for your destination wedding! Remember you must have a reservation for El Yunque. And to ensure the park is open, its always best to check the National Park System website
A variety of other hikes can be found at Puerto Rico Day Trips website. We recommend using this website for up to date info on tours in general and things to do in Puerto Rico. Some of our favorites are Las Tinajas (easier with a guide), El Hippie, and Gozalandia (about a 145 drive compared to the others, about a 1 hour drive)