Eastern Puerto Rico
La Isla del Encanto
Puerto Rico is known as La Isla del Encanto, which translates to The Island of Enchantment. Eastern Puerto Rico is home to golden sand beaches, bioluminescent bays, verdant rainforests and waterfalls.
El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque is home the island’s only rainforest. The landscape is full of lush tropical vegetation, waterfalls with natural pools, hiking trails, lookout towers, tree snails and frogs. Here are a list of sights and trails in consecutive order past El Portal Visitor Center.
La Coca Waterfall. An 85ft tall waterfall streaming down the face of a large rock. It’s visible from the roadside waterfall shortly after entering El Yunque.
Yokahú Tower. An cylindrical observation tower perched on a clearing overlooking the rainforest. It’s located less than 1km past La Coca Waterfall.
Juan Diego Falls. A series of small waterfalls with natural swimming pools below. The water is cold and refreshing! The falls are reachable via a short and often muddy trail from the roadside.
Sierra Palm Picnic Area. The only restaurant in El Yunque with Puerto Rican dishes and drinks. It’s a great lunch option and picnic spot while in the forest.
Baño de Oro. A historic swimming pool fed by rainwater and streams. It’s no longer swimmable, however pathways lead through the gardens surrounding it.
Mt Britton Trail. A thinly paved trail leading through the rainforest to Torre Mt Britton. It takes about 45 minutes from the trailhead to reach the peak.
Torre Mt Britton. An observation tower at El Yunque’s second highest peak with cool breezes, rolling clouds and sweeping views of the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts.
Mt Britton Spur Trail. A trail connecting the Mt Britton Trail to El Yunque Trail just before the trail to Torre Mt Britton.
El Yunque Trail. The rainforest’s longest trail leading to El Yunque’s highest peak. It can be picked up from the Mt Britton Spur Trail. It takes an additional 45 minutes to reach the peak.
El Yunque Peak. Often within the clouds, the peak is surrounded by a forest of foliage with stunted growth due to the heavy rain, wind and erosion. There is also an abandoned medical building and series of antenna.
Good to Knows:
Bring water and snacks.
Wear hiking shoes with good treads, rocks are slippery (speaking from personal experience).
The temperature gets colder the higher in altitude you hike.
Expect it to rain, bring a raincoat or umbrella and change of clothes.
Rent a car. There are no Ubers or taxis allowed into the park. The drive is 1 hour from San Juan.
Take a photo of the map sign outside the visitor center before hiking.
Only park in designated parking zones. Rangers will ticket you.
Arrive early, parking spots fill up quickly.
Many trails not listed above are still under repair after damage from Hurricane Maria.
Reservations are no longer needed to enter the rainforest.
Degree 18 Juice Bar. Come here for a healthy pick-me-up after hiking in El Yunque. Located in the town of Palmer at the base of the mountain, they offer smoothies, vegan burgers and hammocks to relax in.
Rain Forest Zip Line Park. An adventure park at the base of El Yunque with 8 zip lines traversing through the lush rainforest canopy. One zip line spans 2,300 ft and is by far the most exhilarating part of the course. We visited here after a day hiking in El Yunque.
Luquillo
Nearby El Yunque is the town of Luquillo, known for the Luquillo Kiosks. Located along the highway, there are 60 street side stalls and restaurants selling Puerto Rican street food and classic Caribbean dishes.
Puerto Rican Cuisine
Bacalaítos. Large and flat fritters made with a mixture of batter and cod.
Whole Fried Red Snapper (Chillo Frito Entero). Whole fried fish, especially red snapper, is a typical Puerto Rican dish. The fish is fried until crispy from head to tail. The meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bones while the fins and tails break off like “chips.”
Caribbean Lobster. Also known as a spiny lobster, it lacks the large claws of a Maine lobster but is filled with much more meat. It’s grilled and covered in a mixture of Sofrito, a sautéed medley of pepers, onion, garlic and spices.
Mofongo. Fried green plantains that are mashed in a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle) with oil, garlic and salt. Many restaurants make Stuffed Mofongo with seafood, vegetables or meat.
Carrucho. The meat of the queen conch. It’s often served raw as ceviche or salad either alone or with an arepa.
Salmorejo. A mixture of tomato and land crab strewed together. It can be gamey depending on the preparation.
Empanadillas. Similar to empanadas but slightly flakier with rolled edges. Common fillings are meats, seafood, cheese and pizza.
Alcapurrias. A fritter made from green plantain and cassava molded with a leaf and fried. They’re typically filled with annatto oil and a meat or crab.
Kiosks to Visit
Kiosko #7 de Sonia & Peyin + Kiosco Mi Favorito #49 & #52 + El Castillo del Mar Kiosco #54. Visit any of these kiosks for Puerto Rican street food like empanadillas, alcapurrias, bacalaítos and seafood salad in an arepa.
La Parrilla Bar & Grill (Kiosko 2). For locally caught seafood & Caribbean lobsters
Terruño Comida Artesanal (Kiosko #20). For classic dishes like mofongo, carrucho, coconut rice and plantains.
Relle Na’o (Kiosko 40). For vegan options and build your own mofongo
Mojito Lab (Kiosko 42). For extra large mojitos & cocktails.
Luquillo Beach
After the Kiosks, head to one of the beaches. Luquillo Beach (Playa Balneario) is a swimmable palm lined beach behind the kiosks with more food stalls selling empanadas and pina coladas served in pineapples. Parking costs $5. Playa Azul, is the other main beach in Luquillo for swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kite surfing, and kayaking.
Las Croabas
Las Croabas is the furthest northeastern part of Puerto Rico. It’s a popular place for marine activities, exploring nature, relaxing on the beaches and kayaking to the bioluminescent bay.
Laguna Grande (Bioluminescent Bay)
Kayaking through the mangrove forests at night to reach the bioluminescent bay is one of our favorite things to do in Puerto Rico! In the lagoon, you can run your hands through the water, let it run down your arms and splash around. Movement causes the dinoflagellates (bioluminescent plankton) in the water to glow a bright blue color.
Book a Tour. You need to book a tour to visit Laguna Grande. There are a dozen companies offering nightly tours from Parque Las Croabas. Most offer two tour times, one at twilight and one hours after sunset. The biggest difference between the twilight tour and nighttime tour is how much of the mangrove forest you can see while kayaking to the lagoon. Tours cost around $50/person and last 1h 30min. We’ve booked through Island Kayaking Adventure and Kayaking Puerto Rico.
Good to Know:
Visit on a sunny day, the dinoflagellates are more active at night.
Avoid going when the moon is full, the dinoflagellates are difficult to see. If you do, tour guides will bring tarps to cover the kayaks to block out the light.
Don’t bring your phone for pictures, they can’t capture the bioluminescence.
Visit the Beaches
Seven Seas Beach. This is the main beach in Las Croabas. It’s great for swimming, snorkeling and renting kayaks or stand up paddles. The beach has a sandy shore with a rocky ledge several feet into the water. The beach is divided by a mobile home park. The east side is narrow but long and great for walking. The west side is larger with pavilions available for rent and a nature trail leading to Playa Escondida and Playa Colora.
Playa La Matita. A semi secluded beach east of Seven Seas Beach. It’s a great destination to kayak to, look for conch shells or hike to La Zanja from.
Playa Escondida. This long golden sand beach has calm and shallow waters perfect for lounging in. The shore is lined with sea grape trees offering shaded nooks to relax under. The beach is popular with all groups of people, especially the LGBTQ+ community. It’s one of those beautiful and welcoming places you’ll want to stay at all day!
Playa Colora. A semi secluded beach great for sunbathing and enjoying nature. The waves are large and the undertow is strong making it un-safe for swimming. Though not an official nude beach, people come here to sunbathe naked near the rock formations to the right.
Getting to Escondida & Colora. Both beaches are accessible through a nature trail at the west end of Seven Seas Beach. It’s an easy walk that takes about 30 minutes. The trail forks after about 5 minutes, take a right and continue walking. This trails leads directly to Playa Escondida. A short path at the halfway point leads to Playa Colora.
Pro Tip. Please take your trash with you and don’t pile it up at the trail heads.
La Zanja
La Zanja is a natural tench-like wave pool nestled within a cliffside and protected from ferocious waves by large jagged rocks. The pool is a secluded and unreal place to swim and listen to the ocean.
Getting to La Zanja. Walk down Seven Seas Beach, past Playa La Matita until it looks like you can go no further. From here there will be a trail leading into the tree-line. The trail forks at multiple points but all lead to a road. Take the road ending at a stoney beach. At the stoney beach, walk to the left until you see a trail leading up the hill and along the cliffside. This trail will lead you to La Zanja. From start to finish, it takes about 1 hour to reach.
Safety
Bring water shoes or wear shoes with good soles.
Do not attempt in flip flops or sandals.
Be very careful on the rocks and of waves
Be mindful of the current within La Zanja
Restaurants
Las Vistas Cafe. A hidden gem and easily the best brunch spot in the area. The restaurant is located on the roof of a house with surrounding views of Las Croabas. Everything is handmade and takes a little longer but is well worth the wait. Try the fresh fruit salad and juices, strong coffee and brunch dishes like the French toast with bananas and coconut or eggs Florentine on a arepa.
El Pescador. Located in Parque Las Croabas, this is one of our favorite places to dine at for seafood and Puerto Rican dishes. Come here for a pan fried red snapper, the stuffed mofongo, creole crab salad, jumbo shrimp and anything with conch.
La Estacion. A former gas station turned into an open air jungle themed restaurant offering grilled and smoked meats and seafood specials.
Getting Around
Taxi. Getting around Las Croabas can be difficult without a car. There are no Ubers and are very few taxis. If you need one, call this number to be transferred to a driver: 939-644-2817
Elsewhere in Puerto Rico
Having visited Puerto Rico nearly 20 times, we’ve experienced many places across the island. Though we don’t live here, we consider ourselves non-local experts and one day hope to call this beautiful island our home. Experience Puerto Rican culture in the capital city of San Juan. Explore the colorful and colonial streets of Old San Juan. Head to the southern coast of Caribbean Puerto Rico. Visit the surf towns along Western Puerto Rico. See the indigenous Taino sights of Central Puerto Rico. Get off the mainland to visit the islands of Culebra and Vieques.
For Next Time…
Whether a spontaneous weekend trip or planned vacation, we will certainly be back to Puerto Rico many more times! We have our eyes set experiencing things we’ve missed during past trips around the eastern side of Puerto Rico including:
Day Trip to The Icacos Islands. The Icacos are a key of many small islands with diverse sea-life, coral reefs, sandy beaches, migrating birds and marines sports like snorkeling, swimming & diving. They’re only accessible by boat. There are water taxi services or a catamaran tours that leave from Parque Las Croabas. From what we’ve heard, the best time to visit is mid-week to avoid the large crowds.
Las Paylas Waterfall. Nearby El Yunque and on private property is a natural river rock slide. An older gentleman who owns the property charges $5 admission. There are no official hours so you have to chance it if visiting. We tried but were turned away.
