Surfing and Exploring Puerto Rico
Part way up the road in El Yunque National Forest you will come across a busy parking lot on the left side of the road. The sign by the parking lot will read, Big Tree Trailhead La Mina Falls. This is the first of two access points to the ultra popular La Mina Waterfall. The second entrance to La Mina Waterfall is further up the road at Palo Colorado Information Center & Picnic Area, which has multiple trailheads.
The Bano Grande Pool is a man-made pool that was built in the 1930s. It was created by damming off the river to create a large circular pool. The pool is extremely easy to access by taking a set of stairs across the street from the Palo Colorado Information Center. The stairs are also the start point of the El Yunque Trail.
Parking for the Bano Grande Pool is located at the Palo Colorado Parking Lot. The parking lot is well marked and can be seen on our map below. There are multiple parking areas at the Palo Colorado Information Center.
Once you cross the parking lot towards Bano Grande Pool you will see the waterfall created by the water emptying over the edge of the dam. There is also a stone walkway that circles the entire pool. Overall the Bano Grande Pool makes for a nice place to stop and get some pictures, but it does not offer the fun of places like La Mina Waterfall. Read more
La Coca Waterfall is the first major point of interest that you will come across in El Yunque National Forest. It can be seen on our map below, but you will see it on the west, right, side of PR 191 as you head up the mountain. La Coca Waterfall is at kilometer 8.1, but the only way you will miss it is if you are driving with your eyes closed.
La Coca is the most easily accessed large waterfall in all of El Yunque National Forest. For that reason it is also a very popular destination and thus has two designated parking areas. The north and south parking areas can be seen both on our map and in the pictures below.
As for the waterfall itself, it is breathtaking due to it’s size and how smooth the rock formation appears. There will be plenty of people there taking pictures and enjoying the view, especially on weekends. This is probably the best place to start off your El Yunque adventure.
From La Coca Waterfall you will head up the mountain to a number of great destinations, but none of them will offer a view like this with such little effort with the exception of Yokahu Tower.
*A note from the National Forest Website is that you should close windows, lock doors, and place valuables in your trunk.
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Juan Diego Waterfall is actually a pair of small waterfalls. It is located just a short distance (less than a km) up the mountain from Yokahu Tower. You will see these waterfalls on the west side, right side, of PR 191 as you are ascending towards Big Tree Trail. They are located on the apex of a blind turn.
Along with the fact that Juan Diego Waterfall is located on a blind turn, there’s also no designated parking area so you should be careful. You can see from our pictures below that people just park off the side of the road.
The pair of waterfalls that make up Juan Diego Waterfall are not nearly as large as La Mina Waterfall or La Coca Waterfall, but still make for a great picture opportunity.
Please feel free to use the map below to get a better idea of the exact location of Juan Diego Waterfall in reference to other points of interest.
*A note from the National Forest Website is that you should close windows, lock doors, and place valuables in your trunk.
El Ultimo Brinco Waterfall, also known as the Last Jump Waterfall is a great waterfall and swimming hole to visit if you are in the Rincon area. It may not have all the fun features like Gozalandia in San Sebastian, but it’s location makes for an easier and faster trip if you are in Rincon and pressed for time.
Aside from location, the best part of El Ultimo Brinco is how it transports you from the middle of a residential area into what feels like a secluded oasis. The sensation of an Oasis is based mainly on the crystal clear water you can swim in and the steep rock walls that surround the swimming hole and waterfall. Admittedly and sadly there is a fair amount of refuse that has been left behind by previous visitors.
El Ultimo Brinco has one other characteristic that was left behind by previous visitors, but this one is a cool one, stone carvings! Even though they are not ancient Indian carvings, they still are quite interesting to see. They are located right around the waterfall and you can get a good view of these in our pictures below.
Enjoy your time at El Ultimo Brinco and please keep it beautiful for the next person.
Finding El Ultimo Brinco: (Please feel free to use our map below, which you can also save to google maps on your smartphone) Once you find your way to PR 411 you are almost there, but this is where it gets a bit difficult. We marked the location on the map where you turn off of PR 411, which is a narrow dirt road that has a moderately steep decent in and then accent on the way out. We have seen small rental cars down there, but you might want to park on the side of the road and hike down if you are concerned. The hike would be less than half a mile from the road down to the waterfall. We also have pictures below of the dirt road junction with 411 so you have an idea of what to look for. You can also pass this dirt road and take the next right, but this will put you at the top side of the waterfall, which doesn’t have the swimming hole or the view that you will find down below.
Video of El Ultimo Brinco:
Images of El Ultimo Brinco:
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