Puerto Rico's El Yunque gives easy access to exotic rain forest

There's only one tropical rain forest in the vast, impressive network run by the U.S. National Forest Service, so if you find yourself in Puerto Rico a visit to El Yunque should be near the top of your list.

The forest covers a mountainous area at the northwest tip of the island. The highest peaks of El Toro and the eponymous El Yunque dominate every sightline for miles. They loom benignly over the scene, deep green, summits ringed by clouds on most days. No matter how hot and sunny it is down on the beach, it's probably raining somewhere just half an hour up the road in El Yunque.

It is, therefore, a good thing you can see quite a bit without ever getting out of your car ... since it was pouring steadily through most of our visit. You can get a great sense of the richness of the forest, see a couple of striking waterfalls and admire stunning views simply by driving up to the Palo Colorado picnic area (about seven miles into the park) and back. Obviously, things get much better when you get out of the car to explore further.

Down near the entrance you'll find the official visitor's centre. It costs $4 a person to get in. Technically, you could bypass it and visit the park for free, but it's worth it for scene setting and a tiny contribution to what the costs of maintaining access through this wilderness must be. The centre is an open-sided, peak-roofed pavilion with some exhibits and a film (running alternately in Spanish and English) about the ecology and history of the area. The film is excellent, while the exhibits are basic pictures-on-a-board stuff. There's also a cafe (a good place to hang out and watch for birds), a nice little shop and ... when we were there ... a couple of ladies selling local crafts. Don't leave without picking up a map that shows the road to the top of the mountain with parking areas, waterfalls and hiking paths clearly marked.

The architects have cleverly positioned the visitor centre across a ravine from the car park; you cross on an elevated walkway that puts you up in the canopy. It's a great perspective, allowing you to see the lush productivity of this environment. Breadfruit, mango and all sorts of flowers were out, while those who were both lucky and observant spotted hummingbirds enjoying the bounty.

I've been in plenty of glass houses trying to re-create this environment in the great botanical gardens of the world, but they quickly pale to insignificance when you're in the middle of the real thing. The forest stretches as far as you can see and trees ... some of them more familiar as docile houseplants back home ... tower above you. But the most striking difference is the sound. The chirrups, whirring and clicks of insects and birds blend with the steady splashing of raindrops and a rustling of leaves so constant it almost sounds like waves hitting the shore. It's the soundtrack of a place that is vibrantly alive.

It may only be 7 miles to Palo Colorado but it feels longer, especially if you're the driver. The archingmake you take your time. One of the most dramatic waterfalls, La Coca, cascades right next to, and then runs beneath, the road. There are also some stunning viewpoints out over the island, frequently at the tip of those hairpin turns and with precipitous drops below. One spot about half-way has some shops and a cafe.
canopy of tropical flora above you is so spectacular you want to take your time. The frequent hairpin turns and the places where the potholes become road-crossing gullies formed by constantly flowing water

I'd recommend driving all the way to Palo Colorado without stopping, taking note of what you'd like to explore and where you want to stop on the way back down. We got out of the car a couple of times. I took one short ramble around a striking reflecting pool and even managed to glimpse the green streak of one of the rare local parrots. But a rain poncho good enough for the gentle mists of England was woefully inadequate for the deluges we encountered up there.

It wasn't worth taking proper hiking boots and waterproofs on this trip, but if I ever headed back to Puerto Rico for a two-week stay, I'd do it. I suspect taking the time for a leisurely hike off the beaten path would have been glorious.