El Yunque On Our Own

[Host Faith]

Hi All! My husband and I have been to San Juan a couple times, and we've always stuck to seeing Old San Juan. I can't believe it's taken us this long to plan a trip to the rainforest, however we're really excited about going.

 

We're heading to San Juan two days before our cruise begins. The first day we're arriving at SJU around 12:30 PM, so we're going to head to the hotel, rest a little, then head to OSJ to see El Morro, and have dinner at Latin Roots.

 

The next day, we want to visit El Yunque. Looks like the Mt. Britton trail would be enough for us to explore. I've been looking at the costs to hire a guide to take us to El Yunque from a resort in the Isla Verde area, and I can't help but notice how much cheaper it would be to just rent a car. The idea of being able to travel at our own pace is appealing too. We would probably want to leave our hotel around 8 AM. We've never rented a car to drive around in the Caribbean before, so I'm a little nervous about the idea. Just looking for some encouragement for driving on our own. :o

 

Has anyone been to El Rancho Original lately? It sounds like a great place to stop for lunch after visiting El Yunque.

 

Has anyone done El Yunque on their own lately? Just curious to hear about your experience. Thanks in advance!

[kestrel]

We also rented a car to drive to El Yunque on our own. Compared with driving at many other Caribbean destinations where people drive on the left side, driving in Puerto Rico is pretty easy. However, if I remembered correctly, many signs were in Spanish.

[Host Faith]

Thank you for the heads up! I think we'll just book a tour instead :)

[#1TravelMom]

We have been to PR many times. We rent a car and drive to El Yunque and hike to the falls every time. Driving in PR is just like home. The signs are very clear and El Yunque is NOT difficult to find. You definately do not need a guide. It is not like other Caribbean islands - PR is very developed. You will pass everything from Pizza Hut to Kmart.

 

I really recommend driving to El Yunque and continuing in the evening to the Bio Bay - also very easy to find. Kayakingpr does a great job. The "glowing" lagoon is not to be missed!

[kestrel]

Thank you for the heads up! I think we'll just book a tour instead :)

 

No, no, that's not my intention. I agree with #1TravelMom that El Yunque is NOT difficult to find, and you DON'T need a guide. Just get yourself a good map. Even though PR is part of the US, you'd be surprised to find out that Spanish is widely used. It helps if any of you know some Spanish. However, you will be just fine if you don't know any Spanish. Don't worry too much. Enjoy your trip!

[Host Faith]

The only thing is I spoke with DH about driving, and he would rather not. We drive so much in Central Jersey that in his opinion, it's not a vacation if he has to actually drive somewhere, lol! :D Totally understandable, and not that big a deal to me. Getting there is far more important to me than how we get there. Unless he changes his mind in the next few weeks, I think we'll stick to a tour.

[orquidia]

, driving in Puerto Rico is pretty easy. However, if I remembered correctly, many signs were in Spanish.

Spanish is the main language of Puerto Rico, all the traffic signs are in Spanish (remember PR is not a US state or incorporated territory). But do not let that scare you away, ask your car rental company to give you a good map and a guide to traffic signs (you just need to be aware of a few), also there are no 4 way stops in Puerto Rico, distance is measured in Kilometers and gas is measured in Liters instead of Gallons (currently at 85 cents Liter)

Pare: Stop

Oeste: West

Salida: Exit

Este: East

Sur: South

Norte: North

Peligro; Warning

Peaje: Toll both

No vire: Do not turn

Sin Salida : No exit

Tránsito: (with an arrow) One way

Avenida: Avenue

Calle: Street

Expreso: Expressway

No Entre: Do not Enter

No Estacione: No Parking

Aeropuerto: Airport

Farmacia : Pharmacy

Servi Carro : Drive Thru

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

We plan to rent a car for the day. We are in port from noon till 8pm. Will this give us plenty of time too drive too the RF and hike the falls and make it back in time too turn the car in and maybe visit Old San Juan?

 

I checked into some tours and it is so expensive?

 

Thanks for any help...

Michelle

[rasta]

I have been to PR 4-5 times and always rented a car. Driving is not that bad at all...especially going to El Yunque which uses a toll highway that is very easy. Take your GPS and it will tell you exactly where. I like Angelito Trail the best because it has areas to swim! Try stopping in Luquillo for a beach stop after the rain forest. You can also hit the kioskos for food. El Rancho Original is in Guavate which is a good hour drive from San Juan.

[mattha1968]

I have been to PR 4-5 times and always rented a car. Driving is not that bad at all...especially going to El Yunque which uses a toll highway that is very easy. Take your GPS and it will tell you exactly where. I like Angelito Trail the best because it has areas to swim! Try stopping in Luquillo for a beach stop after the rain forest. You can also hit the kioskos for food. El Rancho Original is in Guavate which is a good hour drive from San Juan.

We are going to rent a car post cruise to visit El Yunque followed by Luqillo Beach for the night. Any recommendations on where to pick up a rental car near the port and return the following day at the airport?

[Prairie_Gal]

We are going to rent a car post cruise to visit El Yunque followed by Luqillo Beach for the night. Any recommendations on where to pick up a rental car near the port and return the following day at the airport?

 

We are planning to rent a car for one day post-cruise and are using charliecars.com.

[gapearl]

My ex and I did a land trip to San Juan 2 years ago. We had a rental car for $30 a day and spent an entire day there. Be sure to bring a gps, as that's the only way we were able to find it. Once you enter the park, there are several different stops and points of interest that are a few miles apart from each other. You may only want to be a one place for a few minutes and the next spot for an hour, which is why I'd personally recommend doing it on your own and not a tour. If you want to see and swim in the waterfall, it's a 30 minute hike through the rain forest EACH WAY and you'll want to have plenty of time to have fun there. The drivers in San Juan are AWFUL, about 10 times worse than the drivers here in Atlanta (and they're pretty bad). Just be a little extra cautious on the road and you'll be fine.

[Ms411]

KayakingPR.com has a combo rainforest hikie and biobay tour. Best of both worlds!

[cpayne]

How far is it from the ship terminal to the rain forest?

 

Does the park close at a certain time? I think it does and concerned if this will give us enough time?

 

How far is Bio Bay from the rain forest and then how far from Bio Bay back to the ship?

 

Thanks.

[FUNPLASTIC18944]

Going to PR in November on Carnival - wondering where do you get a car rental from the port to get to El Yunque?

[cpayne]

We ended up renting from Charlies Car Rental for our Nov cruise. When you arrive in port you call them and they send a free shuttle to come get you. Unfortunately the free shuttle back to the ship ends at like 5 pm or something (verify this time, I'm not 100% positive this is correct). Instead, we will have to return the car to another one of their locations (no addtl charge) and take a cab back to the pier. Cost of cab will be approx $15.

 

I believe Hertz has a location near the pier in one of the hotels, perhaps the Sheraton? They too close at like 5 pm so this was not an option. We arrive at 1pm and leave at 11 pm. There was one other car rental place near the pier, but can't remember the name. Same issue with closing early.

 

Good luck!

[FUNPLASTIC18944]

Thanks for the info! The falls look incredible and we want to spend time and do what we want when we want. Can't wait :D