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What is a tropical rain forest?

A tropical rain forest is a forest occurring inside the World's equatorial regions in areas of
heavy rainfall.  They are restricted between the latitudes 22.5° N and 22.5° S of the equator,
in other words, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer or 1,400 mi. North
and South of the Equator.
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MORE ABOUT EL YUNQUE
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Updated April 2, 2010.
Group of Boy Scouts from Burlington County Council during an Areyto in El Yunque (August, 2008).
El Yunque National Forest, is located in the mountains
of Luquillo at 18º10´N, 65º30´W.  It is the only tropical
rain forest in the US National Forest System.  In El
Yunque you will find an average of 97 inches of rain
during the year in the lower lands with approximately
185 inches in the highest elevations (El Toro Peak,
3,523´).

Although the rain forest is important for its biodiversity,
for Puerto Ricans it is a sacred place.  When the
Spaniards arrived in 1493 the good spirit "Yocahú
Bagua Maorocotí" reigned on the sacred mountain of Yuké, protecting the land of Borikén
(Puerto Rico) and the Greater Antilles.
What makes El Yunque so special?

El Yunque was selected amongst the 28 new Natural Wonders of
the World.  

Located in la Sierra de Luquillo and with approximately 29,000 acres
of land, El Yunque National Forest is one of the most important places
in Puerto Rico due to its
biological diversity.

Endemic Birds
Approximately 35 species of migratory birds
Habitat of several endangered species, plus
Over 240 species of native trees (88 are rare and 23 endemic
to the Forest)
50 species of native orchids, including world´s smallest orchid
Over 150 species of ferns
127 species of terrestrial vertebrate
14 different lizard species
Over 1,200 insects
10 aquatic invertebrates
7 species of fish
9 species of freshwater shrimp
1  freshwater crab

NOAA - Puerto Rico Mean Annual  Precipitation
(1971-2000)
Counter
"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." Walter Gagehot
Photo by Hilda Morales .
Celebrating twelve years in the East region!
· Receptive Nature & Adventure EcoTour Operator · Consultants · Trainers · Mayagüez · Luquillo · San Juan · Vieques · Rincón ·
EL YUNQUE NATIONAL FOREST
with a private Certified Interpretive Tour Guide
2872
While other companies offer sightseeing tours
of El Yunque, AdvenTours shares Nature with
our visitors through our different and unique
programs with a Naturalist Guide.  These
programs are tailor made for individuals (bird
watching, ecotour, night hike, the hybrid) or
private groups (biking adventures and trekking
expeditions, plus we honor our ancestors with a
Taíno Ceremony--
Areyto--under the stars).
Whether you want to explore and learn more about El Yunque on you own or with one of
our Naturalist Guide, we invite you to navigate through this section using the provided
links.  The first five options (Bird Watching, Night Hikes, EcoTour, Hidden Wonders, and
The Hybrid) are available on a private basis for individuals, but they are also available for
groups.  The last two alternatives, Hiking and Adventure, are only available for groups or
extended families.  Remember, we do not mix clients.  Once you reserve a date, we will
not offer the tour to anybody else.
JOURNEYS: CARIBBEAN; Barefoot in the Caribbean? Not on These Hikes
By STEFANI JACKENTHAL
Published: February 12, 2006

Puerto Rico

With 28,000 acres of tropical forest to explore, the Caribbean National Forest, 24 miles
southeast of San Juan, is a hiker's paradise. Known locally as El Yunque -- named for an Indian
spirit, Yuquiye, meaning Forest of Clouds -- it is one of the oldest forest reserves in the Western
Hemisphere. Also, one of the wettest, so bring rain gear.

There are more than 24 miles of recreational trails, from one-mile walking paths to slick rocky
trails within a rain forest that echoes with the calls of tree frogs and exotic birds, including the
endangered Puerto Rican parrot. Misty waterfalls are surrounded by tropical flowers and giant
bright-green ferns and trees.

Specializing in bird-watching hikes, AdvenTours, 787-889-0251 or 787-530-8311 (cellphone),
www.adventourspr.com, has multilingual guides fluent in English and Spanish, who can identify
dozens of species of exotic birds. The two-hour hike (round trip) to La Mina Falls for a refreshing
splash in the pool is a popular moderate option, while the four-to-five-hour (round trip) trek to
Mount Britton promises a more challenging day. There are also a variety of night hikes in El
Yunque that combine strolls on easy trails with living-history tours of Taíno Indians and ritual
re-enactments, bird watching and identifying wildlife under the star-lit sky.

The New York Times [March 20, 2007]
View of El Yunque National Forest from our home in Luquillo.
Of the 71 known
species of
bioluminescent
fungi in the World,
7 are found at El
Yunque National
Forest.  Special
weather conditions
should take place
to see them.  Join
us during our night
hikes in search of
this unique wonder.
Private night hike on August 28, 2008.
WHERE TO STAY
Due to the number of people visiting El Yunque National Forest during the Holy Week/Weekend (Wednesday through Sunday, including Good
Friday and Easter) and the
month of July (we have four holidays, July 4, July 17, July 25, and July 27), we DO NOT OFFER tours to El Yunque
other than the Night Hike and/or Taíno Ceremony.  Access to the Forest is limited and we cannot guarantee the quality on those days.
FROMMER´S Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

Puerto Rico's varied and often hard-to-reach natural treasures have been conveniently packaged into a series of affordable eco-tours. AdvenTours, El Yunque (tel.
787/889-0251; www.adventourspr.com), features customized private tours with activities like bird-watching, hiking, camping, visits to coffee plantations, and kayaking.

Source:  http://www.frommers.com/destinations/caribbean/0217020277.html