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• Puerto Rico:
• 1. Arrival
• 2. Disneyworld
• 3. Universal
• 4. Bimini
• 5. Bimini
• 6. Bimini
• 7. El Yunque
• 8. El Yunque
• 9. Vieques
• 10. San Juan
• 11. San Juan
• 12. Return

 Day 8 (March 3, 2024) El Yunque

Before      This day we should do at least the trip along Highway 191 in El Yunque National Park.   The rest of the day we could do some other trip in the national park or spend it in Luquillo.   The spots marked at the map are:  1- La Coca Waterfall  2- Yohaku Tower  3- Juan Diego Waterfall  4- Baño de Oro  5- Mount Britton track

After   We had breakfast at the hotel and got ready to leave. We check out around 9:30 AM.   We leave Luquillo to go towards El Yunque and, on the way, we see from the road the popular Luquillo kiosks that we had already looked for yesterday. We plan to go back there to eat.   We arrive at the El Yunque Visitor Center where they charge $8 per person just to see the center and we decide to turn around and explore the points of interest on Highway 191, which are free.   However, our first stop is a gift shop because we need to stock up on water, although we buy some other things. Further on there is another store next to a restaurant that is quite crowded. There we buy a t-shirt for $6.   The next stop is at a viewing point called "Las Cabezas de San Juan", where you can already see how much we have climbed with the views of the coast.   We pass through what is the gate to the national forest. This is also where you will find La Coca waterfall, which runs down a stone wall.   We go on along the road passing by the La Coca trail, the start of a trekking path that we ignore because it is too long and difficult, and we stop next to the Yokahu tower.   The views from below are spectacular and only get better by climbing to the top of the tower and getting extra height and 360 views.   We then stop at Juan Diego waterfall, where we follow a short path along the river to reach it.   After this visit we stop by El Caimitillo trail, the shortest and easiest track in this forest, only 0.4 miles long and covering a small part of a longer path to El Yunque peak. I walk along the path through the lush vegetation and observe the reddish ribbons that, according to the map at the entrance, are the color of El Ciamitillo. But soon I begin to suspect that it is being too long so I ask a couple I meet going in the opposite direction and they confirm that yes, I am in El Caimitillo.   It isn't until much later that I find the first sign, which tells me that I have 2.2 miles left to El Yunque peak and El Caimitillo is 3 miles away in the opposite direction. In other words, I've missed the end of El Caimitillo by 3 miles!!! So I turn around to retrace my way up to the beginning and, on top of that, it starts to rain heavily.   I arrive at the car soaked and determined not to do the trekking to Monte Britton where, besides, signs say that a large part of the path, including the tower, is closed for renovations. Therefore, all that remains is to stop at Baño Grande to complete the visit and leave the park towards the Luquillo kiosks.   The kiosk area is very lively, facing the beach, with a multitude of shops in a row, wall to wall. We choose the restaurant La Parrilla, with an extensive menu and we order a mofongo stuffed with seafood to share, after the waitress recommends that two are too many. We add two coconut arepas and two seafood alcapurrias as starters.   Everything is delicious, although it takes about 40 minutes between the starters and the mofongo. The mofongo is a sort of paste made with plantain and potato. We pay $43 for everything. Afterwards we stop at another of these "kiosks" for dessert: a passion fruit ice cream for me and a blueberry smoothie for Eva for $5 and $6 respectively.   All that remains for today is to drive to the eastern part of the island to our new accommodation, closer to where we will have to take the ferry tomorrow: Sunrise Cottage. It is a fisherman's cabin located on the beach itself.   But to get there you have to follow some instructions that seem worthy of a challenge: Drive to the marina, explain to the guard where you are going, follow the path through the marina to a narrow unpaved road that will take you to an area where you can park. You have to leave the car there and cross the small wooden bridge to get to the other side of the water. There a golf cart awaits you, which you have to drive to the center of the beach, where the red wooden house is located. The prize: having this huge beach at our disposal and the sound of the waves accompanying us until we leave tomorrow.