San Juan

El Yunque National Forest, formerly called Caribbean National Forest, sits 40 kilometers southeast of San Juan in the rugged Sierra de Luquillo Mountains. The 28,000-acre terrain is the only tropical forest in the United States National Forest System. It is home to the rare Puerto Rican parrot, a small Amazon parrot that is bright green with a red forehead and blue primary wing feathers, as well as more than 70 bird species. Most visitors head to the El Portal Visitors Center, which features multimedia displays, movies, maps, restrooms and access to hiking trails that lead to waterfalls and picnic areas. Being a rainforest, the park receives up to 240 inches of rain per year.