The highlight among all the accommodations we had in Puerto Rico was, without a doubt, at El Yunque. We stayed in a Puerto Rican family home on the southeast side of the rainforest near Humacao. Even the roads to her house (Gloria, our owner) had no name; she came to Fajardo to pick us up for the first time. We blindly followed her car to the house for half an hour through dark streets, with trees hanging on either side forming a creepy tunnel that we passed through. We had no idea of ​​the remoteness until we went for a walk the next morning. Her hospitality was excellent. She gave us a prepared folder with about four pages of detailed directions to her house each day (which was a must!).

The nearest supply store was half an hour away and we ate ready-to-cook cheese and broccoli rice for dinner. And some fruits grown on her property J hers The minimum stay is two days, although we also had to stay an impromptu third day, which she kindly allowed. Have any of you explored the Indian homestays in Coorg, Yelagiri etc.? I gather from the websites that they can be quite expensive for an average vacation, but I always wanted to know if it was worth the experience.

The 100% humidity in the forests of El Yunque can drench you from head to toe in an hour. I suggest wearing a light waterproof jacket or plastic poncho while adventuring. Many hiking trails begin on State Highway 191. The hike to the top of El Yunque Peak is mostly moderate with steep inclines at the end and takes 4-5 hours. There were a few waterfalls along the way, but we didn’t get wet in any of the pools, although that seemed to be our favorite past time during the summer months. We got to chat with a family of Puerto Rican expats from New York on our way back. Asked if they would like to settle in Puerto Rico later, they unanimously agreed that they would prefer to live in the United States. Even a previous chat with Gloria gave me the same impression, I wonder why.

We explored another rainforest while there: the Toro Negro plantation in the Cordillera Central. That was not planned at all; it just happened along the way. For most trips, I like to plan only 70-80% of the time before leaving home; the rest is for spontaneous decisions about what we want to do. Who knows, you might end up with something you hate or love! Far less well known than El Yunque, the Toro Negro office staff spoke only Spanish and was somewhat disorganized. They were of little help; we took a couple of maps and went into the forest. Half a day on not-so-clearly marked trails and we’re back before sunset.

The ‘Bio-bays’ tours are one of the unique things to do while in this area. Fajardo and Vieques are a couple of places famous for their bioluminescent backwaters. With a group of kayakers, one paddles through the dense mangrove forests to an open lagoon where dinoflagellates thrive. If you don’t want to bother with some biology trivia, just rock the waters and sit back to admire the blue glow all around you in the dark moonlit waters. Good material! You may need to book the trip in advance. And give yourself plenty of time to park your car in Fajardo, as we found that out the hard way.

A couple of drives along the east coast can provide you with hidden beaches and unfamiliar landscapes. It’s pretty hard to get lost here, drive far enough and you’ll hit the coast. We watched many sunrises and sunsets over the beach waters, it was beautiful every time!