Fuerte San Felipe Del Morro (El Morro) in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

Old San Juan – (Updated March, 2006)

Old San Juan was a fort city built in the mid 1500's. After ownership between various "conquerors", it was finally handed over to the United States after the Spanish-American War. Old fortifications such as Fuerte San Felipe Del Morro (El Morro) and Fuerte San Cristobol are now part of the U.S. National Park System.

Spanish sentry lookout tower (garitas) in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

The old city area is now filled with museums and shops, catering to the endless streams of tourists from the cruise ships that dock at the piers here. There's a beautiful walk along the exterior walls of Old San Juan, with San Juan Bay on one side, and on the other side, massive walls and lookout towers (now a symbol of Puerto Rico along with the Coqui Frog).

The National Park Services posted signs here warning NOT to feed the feral cats. Breaking this law is punishable by law and fines. For some reason this means DO feed the cats to some locals here. Watch out for families armed with boxes of Meow Mix and scattering them along the path like the Puerto Rican version of Hansel & Gretel.

A waterfall in El Yunque, Puerto Rico, USA

El Yunque - Bosque Nacional Del Caribe – (Updated March, 2006)

El Yunque, or the Caribbean National Forest, is the 2nd most visited site in Puerto Rico after Old San Juan. Streams of tourists hike the easy paved trails that meander through lush rainforests and waterfalls. Puerto Rico has no poisonous wildlife and the diversity of wildlife in the rainforest is limited as well.

Beautiful but dangerous looking spider in El Yunque, Puerto Rico, USA

El Yunque contains 3/4 of Puerto Rico's remaining virgin forest, with more than 200 inches of rain falling annually, and provides 1/3 of the fresh water supply for the city of San Juan. It also contains more than 200 types of fern and 80 varieties of orchids. One of the world's most endangered birds, the Puerto Rican parrot, can be seen here.

A waterfall in El Yunque, Puerto Rico, USA

Most of the trails are well maintained, but the more popular trails are usually swarming with chatty tourists marching like army ants. On the more difficult trails, peace and quiet can be had with the echoes of the Coqui frogs through the forest. The trails within the park are still worth the hikes for the scenery, but if you have time, take Carr 186 which skims the western edge of the forest and you can see some spectacular waterfalls and hike a few less traveled trails.

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