San Juan Ecotours

Ecotours in San Juan

With the impressive diversity of landscape in Puerto Rico, the opportunities for ecotourism in the island are practically boundless. Even in urban San Juan, ecotour spots are easily within reach.

The El Yunque Rain Forest is one of the more popular ecotour destinations in Puerto Rico. Located one and a half hours away from San Juan, the forest covers about 28,000 acres and collects more than 100 billion gallons of rainfall each year. El Yunque is the only remnant of the verdant foliage that once covered much of Puerto Rico and almost the entire northern Caribbean.

The thriving communities of flora and fauna are definitely the main attraction in El Yunque. There are about 240 species of trees, 50 fern varieties, about 20 species of orchids, and a mass of wild flowers. The rain forest is also home to the coqui, a tiny frog which is considered to be the national mascot of Puerto Rico.

An ecotour of the El Yunque Rain Forest starts at the Bao Grande, a natural swimming pool. Visitors will then take a 25-minute walk along the Camimitillo Trail where they will have the chance to get a glimpse of the rain forest wildlife and the natural habitat of the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. They will then board a bus that will take them to the Yohaku observation tower. This vantage point provides a magnificent view of the northeast coast of the island. Another highlight of the ecotour is the visit to the Coca Waterfall, a natural wonder that was once believed to be the fountain of youth.

The entire tour, which takes about five hours, is offered daily and starts at 8:45 am. The ticket price is $53.50 per person.

For avid spelunkers and caving enthusiasts, the Rio Camuy Cave Park is the ideal ecotour spot. The 268-acre cave system is already about 45 million years old and is the third largest underground river cavern system in the world. Only two caves and three sinkholes are open to visitors but the displays of ancient stalactites and stone formations in these areas are still nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Another breath-taking ecotour in Puerto Rico is the Bioluminescent Bay Kayak Tour just one and a half hours outside San Juan. In this evening excursion, visitors will go kayaking in the glowing lagoon of the Las Cabezas de San Juan natural reserve. The tour lasts for four hours and the rates are $71 for adults and $64 for children.