At 1,075 meters high, El Toro is the best peak in all of El Yunque.
Famous for its towering mountains and pristine beaches, the island of Puerto Rico offers a spectacular array of natural destinations to explore inside its borders. However, in terms of true splendor, El Yunque National Forest is difficult to beat. This sprawling green space measures just over 115 square kilometers and is home to an enormous number of native birds, amphibians and insects. Given the range of wildlife within the region and the good cultural significance of Puerto Rico’s indigenous Taíno culture, preserving the flora, fauna and landscapes throughout El Yunque is of utmost importance – and fortunately, a number of the island’s leading organizations are hoping joined forces to attain exactly that.
To strengthen conservation efforts throughout the forest, two of Wyndham’s properties in Puerto Rico – the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar rainforest, beach and golf resort and that Wyndham Palmas Beach and Golf Resort– have partnered with the Friends of El Yunque Foundation, a Puerto Rican nonprofit that works with the United States Forest Service to advertise tourism within the rainforest. The union offers guests the chance to donate $1 to the organization every time they stay at one in every of the hotels. By stepping into this partnership, Friends of El Yunque has the potential to receive $350,000 annually, with proceeds also going toward conservation tourism development in addition to programs for local youth – a projection that Wydham Rio Mar staff only all too comfortable to listen to.
The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar officially opened in 2007.
“El Yunque, Puerto Rico’s natural treasure, provides Rio Mar’s sparkling shores with abundant water, nutrients, history, geological wonders and wildlife via the Mameyes River,” says Ashley Perez, environmental scientist at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest, Beach and Golf Resort. “This is the one tropical rainforest within the National Forest System and even though it is small, its biodiversity is amazing. Because of his many gifts, it is simply natural for us to support the ‘Fundación Amigos del Yunque’, a corporation that embodies El Yunque’s wild spirit.
Although each properties are situated in close proximity to the El Yunque National Forest, visitors to each locations can discover a wealth of fascinating wildlife without leaving the hotel grounds. While staying on the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar, guests are welcome to hike along the on-site nature trail and search for native species corresponding to the green mango, Puerto Rican vireo, and banana quill for an up-close have a look at one in every of the island’s most famous reptiles . Meanwhile, the sparkling shores of Wyndham Palmas are home to an abundance of various species of sea turtles all 12 months round, while those staying near the fundamental entrance can marvel at the numerous iguanas and wading birds that congregate across the property’s pond.
El Yunque National Forest is home to a big population of Puerto Rican parrots, a native species … [+]
Although Puerto Rico is stuffed with breathtaking natural beauty, starting from the Bosque Estatal Toro Negro to the Piscinas Naturales de Manatí, El Yunque is undoubtedly the crown jewel in terms of the island’s ecotourism. From tiny hummingbirds to extremely endangered endemic species just like the Puerto Rican parrot, this verdant nature reserve serves as an important refuge for preserving the wealthy biodiversity that has thrived within the region for eons. Although each natural disasters and climate change pose major threats to El Yunque’s future, this newly formed partnership offers a beacon of hope for the survival of this world-class natural attraction.
