27 Jun 2025
Booked this trip last minute when we found ourselves in San Juan for a day.
The driver was friendly and knowledgeable. He picked us up at 8:05 at our hotel in a van that had seen better days, then made two more stops to pick up the remaining 9 passengers.
The drive up to the tower in El Yunque took about an hour. One short stop on the way to take pictures through the windows (due to construction in the area) of a waterfall. The winding road made a couple of folks in the van feel car sick, so if you are prone to that, be prepared.
The view from the tower was spectacular. Maybe not $115 per person spectacular, but really nice.
Next stop was the visitor center. Our guide did a nice job talking about the local flora and fauna, gave us about 20 minutes to explore the facility and gift shop, then led the group down a paved path for about 1/4 mile, talking along the way.
After the visitor center, we drove about 5 minutes to a river that the locals use as a swimming spot. It’s a rocky riverbed, so bring water shoes if you want to get your feet wet. I guess about 15 minutes of swimming would be possible here if you really wanted to. Everyone just got their feet wet, took a couple of pictures, and then we left.
Last stop was a local bakery with pastries. Some of our group were upset that we weren’t going to get back by 1:00 pm, so those of us who bought food were forced to rush through our snacks. The people who were in a hurry were dropped off first. We made it back to our hotel at around 1:45.
Overall, I wouldn’t do this trip again. We are world travelers and have seen better value for money, in terms of equipment and things to see and do. Our guide was the best part.