El Yunque National Forest is a reserve protecting one of the few tropical rain forests left in the Caribbean. Waterfalls decorate its slopes. Orange bromeliad blooms brighten the green vegetation of its cloud forest, while huge tree ferns vie for space with lianas and palm trees. Though endangered, the Puerto Rican parrot clings to survival in this haven, and the coquí​—Puerto Rico’s emblematic tiny tree frog—​brings rhythm to the forest with its insistent, musical calls.

From a distance, El Yunque’s slopes seem to wear a silver veil. The color is from the leaves of the yagrumo tree, a species that proliferated after the devastation caused by Hurricane Hugo several years ago. The new growth is a good sign. “The forest can recover from natural disasters without much help,” explained a park biologist. “The real danger is human encroachment.” The park hosts some 225 species of trees, 100 species of ferns, and 50 species of orchids. Because of its rich variety of flora, it has been classified as a United Nations Biosphere Reserve.

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A tree fern in El Yunque rain forest