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Luquillo.- Every year, hundreds of tourists, both domestic and international, visit the municipality of Luquillo, and it’s no wonder why.

And it’s no wonder. This town of approximately 20,000 inhabitants boasts a rich ecological diversity that includes part of the El Yunque rainforest, majestic rivers, scenic beaches, natural and marine reserves, and a wide variety of flora and fauna.

El Yunque National Forest spans three municipalities: Río Grande, Canóvanas, and Luquillo. And the latter has some of the few places in El Yunque that can be visited without a reservation, such as the Angelito Trail.

Located alongside Route 988, this trail descends for about a mile until reaching Río Mameyes, where the Las Damas Pool is located. The area is home to protected species such as the parrot, the Puerto Rican boa, the coquí frog, and the red fruit bat, among others. Meanwhile, the Mameyes River is the only river in Puerto Rico protected under the Federal Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, which prohibits any kind of development along the riverbed. “It’s one of the largest watersheds that feeds into El Yunque, the forest. What characterizes it (as a scenic and wild river) is the size of its watershed,” explained Kyonis Vega, a marine biologist from Luquillo who frequents the area.

Vega added that the trail has been used historically as a recreational area and also for birdwatching, vegetation monitoring, and scientific research. The trail has diverse vegetation, including tabonuco trees, tree ferns, and primitive plants that have hardly evolved, such as bryophytes, commonly known as mosses. Although swimming is allowed in Las Damas Pool, signs in the area warn visitors that there are no lifeguards on duty, they should be aware of the risk of flash floods, and they should not enter the water if they are not accompanied.

Also found along the banks of Highway 983 is the Las Pailas Pool. What sets this pool apart is the smooth rock formations in the riverbed that form a natural slide.

The geographical limits of the Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve (NECNR) encompass about 3,000 acres of land and a marine reserve that extends nine nautical miles offshore along the entire coast of Luquillo.

Primarily recognized as the nesting grounds of leatherback turtles, the Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve comprises beaches like Sandy Hills, La Selva, San Miguel, Playa Escondida, La Boca, and several others. You can also find the historic San Miguel plantation, previously devoted to sugarcane farming and once traversed by the island’s former circumferential railway. In fact, remnants of the railway tracks can be seen along the coastline of the plantation.

Biologist Rosaly Ramos Gutiérrez, responsible for scientific research at the NECNR, indicated that the reserve is home to 486 plant species, 409 of which are native, including the pterocarpus or “chicken tree,” which only grows in wetlands, mangrove forests, coral colonies—including the elkhorn coral, seagrass beds, which are one of the main food sources for manatees, and many others. It is also the habitat of 124 bird species and over 126 species of marine animals, amphibians, invertebrates, and non-native species, including bottlenose dolphins and the manatee, which is a protected species.

Some species, like the Eugenia fajardensis, only exist within the boundaries of the NECNR.

The Reserve is open to the public seven days a week. The use of vehicles and horses on the beach sands is prohibited. Visitors can enjoy the sea, recreational fishing, cycling, and hiking. A camping area is also available. The NECNR is a zero waste area, so visitors must take their garbage with them.

Built in the early 20th century at its current location—although it was founded in 1731—the San José Church of Luquillo combines the ecological diversity of Luquillo with Taíno heritage and environmental protection depicted in the altars and ambo of its church.

Wilfredo Ríos, a retired Social Studies teacher and university professor, explained that the original church was built out of wood where the recreational plaza is located today, and later it was moved to its current location. “Since then, renovations have been made.”

Meanwhile, Ramos Gutiérrez explained that the altarpiece of the altar features a painting by the Luquillo artist Isabel Vázquez Maldonado. “The painting depicts the town of Luquillo at the foot of El Yunque, which is what the altarpiece represents, with chief Yuquiyú. The altarpiece was carved in Colombia and brought in parts,” Ramos Gutiérrez emphasized. Other symbolisms include an altarpiece that depicts all the elements of a coastal town. From beach grapes, coconut palms, Taíno symbols such as the Taíno coquí, the Taíno sun, and cemíes, alongside San José, the patron saint of Luquillo, and the Virgin Mary of Divine Providence. The church is located on Calle Jesús T. Piñeiro, in front of Luquillo’s public plaza.