El Yunque Summit Cloud Forest Hike
Ascend to the island's highest peak through layers of endemic cloud forest, home to rare plants and birds found nowhere else in the world.
- 1
El Yunque Trailhead
The trail to El Yunque (915m) begins at the forest edge above the village, climbing steadily through tree ferns and endemic laurel species.
- 2
Helecho Forest Zone
Dense tree fern forest covers the mid-slopes, its fronds creating a primeval canopy draped in moss and inhabited by the endemic Juan Fernández tit-tyrant.
- 3
Endemic Plant Observatory
Pause to observe endemic species including the Juan Fernández tree, cabbage tree, and numerous ferns found only on this remote Pacific archipelago.
- 4
Cloud Forest Zone
Above 700m the forest is perpetually shrouded in cloud, dripping with moisture and alive with the calls of the critically endangered Juan Fernández firecrown.
- 5
El Yunque Summit (915m)
The summit, named for its anvil shape (yunque means anvil), breaks above the cloud layer with views of the entire island and the surrounding Pacific.
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Descending Ridge Trail
The return ridge trail passes through open grassland on the leeward side, offering views toward Bahía del Padre and the uninhabited eastern coast.