El Yunque, Puerto Rico The USA's Only Rainforest

It's nice having family that lives on a tropical island. My wife's grandpa is a native Puerto Rican and lives on the eastern part of the island near the top of a mountain. His place has the most stunning views looking out over the valley to the ocean. If you turn around and look the other way you can see the El Yunque Rainforest, the USA's only rainforest.

Whenever we visit we love taking a trip to El Yunque. An added benefit to it's location is that it is near Luquillo beach so you can get two fun activities in the same day!

With Puerto Rico's warm tropical climate the rainforest is a nice break from the heat, but don't let it fool you. The humidity is ridiculous! We enjoy taking the trail hike to a large waterfall. The walk is a few miles and takes some time so if you are in poor health or have endurance issues I suggest forgoing this adventure.

The jungle is full of lush green plants, a few flowers here and there, you can spot a few birds but you do not see much for animals. You do, however, hear a lot of animals. The birds singing the the coqui frogs whistle are a specialty of Puerto Rico. Oh and if I forgot to mention this is a rainforest, it does rain quit frequently so be careful as slippery moss forms along the pathway.
After the couple mile trek you come to a very large and beautiful waterfall! Some days it is packed with tourists and other days you have the place to yourself. Either way you come upon it a refreshing dip is always enjoyed and earned after the hike! Warning the water is freezing!

We love Puerto Rico and the El Yunque Rainforest! We cannot wait to go back. I will leave you with this last photo of my wife. The caption she wrote in the picture describes our life perfectly!

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