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Quebrada Juan Diego, El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico.
Photo: Thomas R. Fletcher.
An introduction to El Yunque National Forest
The rainforest was revered as a holy place for over a thousand years by the prehistoric Taino natives. They believed that Yuquiyu, their god of creation, dwelled in its cloud-covered peaks, which they called "Yuque" (the white land). Yuque was corrupted by the Spaniards to "Yunque", and today the rainforest is known as El Yunque. First protected by Spanish King Alfonso XII in 1876, the reserve is one of the oldest in the hemisphere. From the original 5,116 acres, the official boundary now encompasses over 28,000. Trade winds, which originate off the African coast, bring most of the rain. The over-abundance rushes down the mountains in a myriad of waterfalls, cascades and pools into the sea. In spite of all the rain, the sun is often out and the sky is blue. Hiking in the pure air with the ever-present sounds of water dripping and flowing all around is an exhilarating experience.
Source: El Yunque National Forest.
El Yunque
Luquillo
La Selva
Culebra
La Cordillera
Las Cabezas
Petroglyphs
Old San Juan
Come to an El Yunque National Forest Hotel, Villa, Inn or Resort of Puerto Rico's Rainforest. If Yuquiyu isn't what you're looking for, consider the other rainforest hotels, villas, inns and resorts of Puerto Rico's El Yunque National Forest shown on the following web sites: El Yunque Rainforest Lodging, Small Hotels of El Yunque National Forest, Small Hotels of Puerto Rico's El Yunque Rainforest, Small Hotels, Resorts & Inns of El Yunque National Forest and El Yunque Rainforest Hotels. © 2008 Yuquiyu Resort Corp., El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. All rights reserved.
