20 Things to Do in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

👉 Jump to: Best Things | In the Water | Family-Friendly | Landmarks

If you’re an outdoor lover, then you can’t miss out on all the incredible things to do in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Located in the northeast of Puerto Rico, Rio Grande hosts El Yunque National Forest, one of Puerto Rico’s top attractions, beaches, rivers, and farms. 

I’m a Puerto Rico local who has even penned an entire Puerto Rico ebook. I have a passion for outdoor adventures, and in this post, I’ll walk you through the best things you can do in the Rio Grande.

Affiliate Disclosure: Travel Lemming is an independent reader-supported blog. You can support us by purchasing via the affiliate links on this page, which may earn us commissions. See our Advertising Policy for further explanation. Thank you!

20 Best Things to Do in Rio Grande

El Yunque National Forest

Explore the only tropical rainforest in the United States.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: Free | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

El Yunque National Forest is one of Puerto Rico’s most iconic landmarks, and it’s mostly located in Rio Grande.

Considered an outdoor lover’s paradise, El Yunque offers multiple hiking trails, waterfalls, a rainforest zipline park, and viewing towers.

Travelers interested in its history can stop at the visitors’ center for a tour through exhibitions that showcase how El Yunque came to be.

Besides the waterfalls and hiking trails, El Yunque is home to historical structures like Baño de Oro, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Puerto Rico.

Juan Diego Waterfall

Bathe in one of the most frequented falls of El Yunque National Forest.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: Free | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

Considered one of the most popular waterfalls in Puerto Rico, Juan Diego Falls is located on PR-191 inside El Yunque National Forest.

The waterfall has multiple cascades making more than one natural pool where visitors can bathe and enjoy the surrounding nature. 

The hike to the first and second falls is easy and takes just five minutes from the main road. After the second fall, a muddy steep path leads to a bigger fall that most visitors miss out on.

Finca Neo Jibairo

Enjoy a meal with fresh ingredients from the farm.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 598-0240 | Website | Hours: 3 pm – 10 pm Fri-Sat, 3 pm – 8 pm Thurs and Sun, Closed Mon-Wed | 👉 Book a Finca NeoJibairo Tour

Finca Neo Jibairo is a farm in Rio Grande that offers multiple experiences for nature lovers, camping enthusiasts, and even foodies.

The half-day tour allows you to walk around the fields of the farm and learn about sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico.

But the highlight of the Finca Neo Jibairo is the Farm to Table pop-up dinner nights. During this dinner, you’ll delight your taste buds with Puerto Rican dishes and ingredients that come directly from the farm itself.

But, you can also visit to try something from their daily menu, including pizzas and cocktails.

Rainforest Zipline Park

Zoom between trees and over rivers in El Yunque.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 370-1010 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: $79-$160 |👉 Book a Zipline Tour in El Yunque

The Rainforest Zipline Park in El Yunque is an outdoor adventure park that offers thrill seekers the chance to explore El Yunque differently. 

This Rio Grande park hosts rock climbing, hiking, and top Puerto Rico zipline tours.

You can take them individually or combine them to spend the whole day having fun in the rainforest. If you’d like more adventure, check out my guide to the best tours in El Yunque.

Brew!!! Brewery and Tap Room

Pour yourself a locally-made beer in this Rio Grande brewery.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 942-5819 | Hours: 2 – 9 pm Fri-Sat, 2 – 7 pm Sun, Closed Mon-Thurs 

Brew!!! Taller Experimental is a Puerto Rico brewery located in Rio Grande. Open only on the weekends, this nano brewery inspires its beers in the municipal island of Culebra and other Puerto Rico landmarks. 

It produces a variety of beers, including lagers and pale ales that you can try in the brewery’s tap room, but you’ll also find other Puerto Rico beers.

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort

Showcase your golfing skills in this award-winning course.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (800) 474-6627 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: $150 tee time

Besides being one of the most luxurious resorts in Rio Grande and one of the best places to stay in Puerto Rico, Wyndham Grand Rio Mar also features two breathtaking golf courses. 

The 18-hole River Course goes along the Mameyes River for 6,945 yards, and it has El Yunque mountains as a background.

The Ocean Course has a view of the Atlantic Ocean and is often considered one of the best golf courses in the Caribbean.

If you’re interested in staying at this or any of the resorts in the area, you can browse hotels in Rio Grande through Booking.

Best in the Water

Cayo La Mancha

Walk on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean.

📍 Google Maps 

Cayo La Mancha is a Puerto Rico offshore cay outside Rio Grande’s coast. Contrary to other offshore islands, Cayo La Mancha doesn’t have any mangroves and is more like a sandbank. 

Visiting makes you feel like you’re almost walking over water. It’s a nice spot to take pictures and float in the middle of the ocean, but you’ll need a jet ski or kayak to get there. Make sure, however, to visit only during days with low tide and without weather advisories.

👉 Local Tip: You can rent kayaks and jet skis at Luquillo Beach.

Laguna Grande

Kayak in a bioluminescent bay.

📍 Google Maps | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

Located a short ride from Rio Grande, Laguna Grande is one of the three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico.

Tours to the lagoon run daily, and you can choose between kayak and boat tours to visit this attraction in Fajardo. 

But, you should visit on a night with a new moon to appreciate the glowing phenomenon.

Playa Las Picuas

Relax on this hidden beach in Rio Grande.

📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free 

Playa Las Picuas is a Rio Grande beach with crystalline waters and soft sand that is often uncrowded. During the low tide season, you can walk quite far into the beach without the water going above your waist.

Nature lovers will love taking long strolls and sunbathing on this almost deserted coast. Although finding its access is a bit tricky, you’ll find multiple small access spots through Camino Las Picuas.

Don’t worry about walking near the resorts! All Puerto Rico beaches are public, so you are free to enjoy Rio Grande’s beaches on your own.

Rio Espiritu Santo

Take a boat tour through the only navigable river in Puerto Rico.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 612-3075 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 3 pm Thurs-Sun, Closed Mon-Wed 

Rio Espiritu Santo is the only river in Puerto Rico open to navigation. It sits in the Rio Espiritu Santo Nature Reserve between the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort and the Coco Beach Golf Club.

You can tour the river on your own with kayaks, but La Paseadora offers private two-hour group boat tours for $200. Individual tours take place on Sundays for a $25 fee per person.

Luquillo Beach

Take a beach tour to Luquillo Beach.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 889-5871 | Hours: 8:30 am – 5 pm Wed-Sun, Closed Mon-Tues | Parking: $4  | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

A short ride away from Rio Grande, you’ll find one of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, Luquillo Beach. 

This beach is popular among locals and tourists for its duality, perfect for doing water sports or swimming with your kids.

Also known as La Montserrate Beach, you’ll find rentals, showers, bathrooms, and shops that will make your beach day trip easier and your beach packing list shorter.

Luquillo Beach is also right across the Luquillo food kiosks, where you can enjoy some of Puerto Rico’s top foods.

👉 Local Tip: Even if parking is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, you can access the beach from Luquillo Food Kiosks.

Best Family-Friendly

Noche de Observación Astronómica

See the stars from within El Yunque.

📍 Google Maps | Website | Entrance: $12 per person

If you’re staying in Rio Grande with your kids, sign up for a Noche de Observación Astronómica (Astronomical Observation Night) by Amigos del Yunque.

Amigos del Yunque is a non-profit organization that organizes these stargazing events frequently, during which you’ll enjoy conferences and spot celestial bodies and constellations through telescopes.

Amigos del Yunque also hosts night walking tours in El Yunque, yoga classes, and conferences that usually take place in El Yunque’s visitor center. 

Follow the organization’s social media to keep up with new events.

📚 Continue Reading: Renting a Car in Puerto Rico

Tito’s Paintball Park

Play paintball on the largest paintball field in Puerto Rico.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 642-7755 | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Sat-Sun, Closed Mon-Fri 

Another great way to spend the day in Rio Grande is at Tito’s Paintball Park. This park offers large facilities with many obstacles like boats, buses, tires, and airplanes. 

Besides playing paintball, families can ride ATVs or swim in the nearby Mameyes River. If you want to celebrate a birthday, you can also rent a gazebo on their property.

👉 Pro Tip: Call ahead to know if they have space available for the time you’re planning to visit.

Carabalí Rainforest Park

Ride a horse surrounded by the beauty of a forest.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 889-4954 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5:30 pm daily | 👉 Book a Carabali Rainforest Park Tour

For those who like to combine the outdoors with a little adventure, Hacienda Carabalí is one of the best places to visit near Rio Grande.

This ranch on the outskirts of El Yunque offers a traveler ATV countryside adventures with plenty of mud, rain, and green foliage. 

An alternative? Check out the hacienda for horseback riding either in El Yunque or on the beautiful beaches.

Portal El Yunque

Learn about the flora and fauna of El Yunque.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 4 pm daily | Entrance: $8

Portal El Yunque is El Yunque’s visitor center, located on PR 191. It’s the perfect place to go if you want to learn about the rainforest’s ecosystem as well as the recovery efforts post-Hurricane Maria in 2017. 

The site has exhibitions that dive into how El Yunque came to be and what makes it special. You’ll also find a cafeteria, bathrooms, and a gift shop on-site. Best of all, you’ll also see the Puerto Rican parrot upclose.

Fiestas Ciudad de El Yunque

Dance and eat all you can at this Rio Grande festival.

📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free

During the second week of July, catch Fiestas Ciudad de El Yunque, Rio Grande’s patron’s festival and carnival. The multi-day Puerto Rico festival takes place in Estadio Ovidio de Jesus.

The festivity includes iconic carnival events such as the entrance of King Momo and the  Carnival’s beauty pageant. You’ll also see the infamous Puerto Rican vejigantes and parades.

Best Landmarks

Yokahu Tower

Admire the area’s lush rainforest from this popular viewing tower.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm daily | Entrance: Free | 👉 Book a Tour on Viator

The Yokahu Tower is a viewing tower with an elevation of 1,575 ft above sea level. The tower is right by PR 191 and is a popular stop for photographers and drone owners.

Spiral stairs allow visitors to climb to the top of the tower, where they can see top-notch panoramic views of the forest and the northern coastline.

Mt. Britton Tower

Admire the rainforest from 3,087 feet above sea level.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: Free

Mt. Britton Tower is another lookout masonry-style tower created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in El Yunque. 

But, unlike its neighbor, Yokahu Tower, the Mt. Britton Tower is hard to get to. To reach the tower, you’ll have to hike 45 minutes on a muddy uphill trail.

But, the view from 3,087 feet above sea level on a clear day is worth checking out if you’re into hiking and landscape photography.

Santuario de Amosito

Visit this unique-looking mausoleum.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-7559 | Website | Hours: Available with previous appointment, 8 pm – 10 pm Mon & Wed, 2 pm – 4 pm Sat | Entrance: Free

Santuario de Amosito is both a museum and a mausoleum for Amós Tosado, the founder of Pueblo de Amós Church. 

This unique-looking structure resembles the famous Taj Mahal with golden domes and multiple arches you’ll love admiring if you’re into architecture. Santuario de Amosito is also surrounded by a lovely green space you can tour with a guide.

Puente Roto

Enjoy a family-friendly river adventure.

📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free 

Puente Roto is a riverside area in El Yunque ideal for a family day trip from San Juan. The area is accessible without reservation, and it riverbank is perfect for sitting and relaxing.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike through the Mameyes River, but families can swim in the large pool the river forms under the bridge. Puente Roto doesn’t have any facilities, so make sure to take all your trash back with you and bring all the hiking essentials you need for a day trip.

***

Thanks for reading my picks for the top attractions in Rio Grande! If you’re looking for more awesome things to do, check my list of the best activities to do in Puerto Rico.

Enjoy Rio Grande!