Natural Wonders PR

Yamila, our tour guide, treated my husband and I like we were long lost cousins! From El Yunque rainforest to the beach at the end of the tour, there was not a moment where we were not enjoying ourselves. Natural Wonders ensured that we got to experience parts of Puerto Rico that are known and loved by the locals. We will definitely be touring with them again next time we are in San Juan!

Raul gave a really great tour of the El Yunque rainforest. It’s about 40 mins from San Juan, and the trip is about 6 hours in total. Would def recommend adding on the Luquillo beach as well. Best tour guides in PR hands down. Raul is informative, friendly and gives many recommendations for restaurants.

We are giving Natural Wonders 5 Stars for their honesty. We were scheduled for the bioluminescent kayak tour and the day before we received a call that the organisms were not lighting up but merely sparkling; and as they did not want to mislead us, they offered to cancel our tour, which we did. We thank them for their honesty.

So initially our tour was to end with fluorescent kayaking but was canceled due to unpredictable circumstances. So I was bummed. BUT BUT BUT yamilla (our tour guide) made up for it with the tour of our lives. She was funny knowledgeable kind and would request her should I take another tour!!!

Let me begin by mentioning Yamile Robles our tour guide! From the moment she picked us up at our hotel I knew we were in for a treat! She literally treated us like her family. There were ten of us and she made sure to make each one of us comfortable with one another. Everyone got along great.
We were set up for El Yunque Rainforest To see a few water falls that were off the beaten path! Then we headed to a tower that had the most beautiful views of the rainforest. Then Yamile knows some locals who have this natural rock slide in their backyard, she took us here next and just wow it was incredible. We also stopped at a Puerto Rican restaurant which was incredible. The best place for local food. We then relaxed at the Loquillo beach with breathtaking views.
They also provided us with water and sodas for the whole trip. And at the beach was when we were provided with local beer and rum and cokes.
The final part of the tour was the biobay tour with the coolest guys over at the Kayak Rental. They love their jobs and were so excited to share with us and once in a lifetime experience. We were informed before booking this trip that the bay had lost some of its glow but we went ahead anyways. Yamile still reminded us again at pick up.
Yamile I must mention is also very informed. Any questions we had for her she answered. She had information about the entire island. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Asha one of the owners is who I spoke with when I booked the tour and she was very accommodating. I couldn’t say thank you enough for the experience.

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic. Do the full day and see the rain forest and Bio Bay. We had Yamil as our guide and she was top rate. In the first 10 minutes you are family and will be treated like such. If you don’t know what group to choose, pick this one.

Maybe our tour was on an off day but I was not impressed with the service at all. Based on the reviews, I booked this tour a month in advance for our party of 6. The night before, 2 members of our party became very ill and it was obvious in the morning that they would not be able to go. We arrived to our pick-​up spot and, upon boarding, I informed the driver that two members of our party were sick and would not be joining us. He very curtly stated that I would still be charged for 6 people and then told the group that we would have a full load today and would need to make room. We went on to pick-​up a total of 14 people for the day’s tour, all being fully grown adults and majority being over 50. We were packed in like sardines onto a passenger van and I realized that there would have not been room for my 2 friends had they been able to join us.
I emailed the contact with whom I made the reservation and explained that their absence was due to an emergency and I would not be responsible for paying for 2 people who would not have even fit being that the tour appeared to be overbooked. While we were driving, whoever received my email called the driver and spoke to him about my email. They denied having overbooked the trip and stated that they changed who was riding on the van once they realized 2 guests weren’t showing up. Apparently, they placed two extra people onto our van so that a family could have the other tour van to themselves. Why that was a priority, I do not know but if this is true, they made this change within the first 5 minutes that we were picked up. I say this because the driver took a phone call as soon as we left our pick-​up spot and within 10 minutes total we had picked up the remaining passengers. Also, I would like to note, that if we hadn’t picked up those two people, their spots would have been filled by my friends and it still was a very tight squeeze. They filled that van to capacity, with four adults on the back row and not enough seatbelts for everyone.
The email contact and the driver kept saying that my friends not showing up was a cancellation and I would be charged. Based on the wording of the email when I confirmed the reservation, I did not agree and understood the cancellation policy to apply if none of us had shown up for the tour. When making the reservation, the cancellation policy states that you will be charged if you do not cancel the tour within 48 hours of the day. It makes no mention of if someone in your party does not show up. Payment is not rendered until the day of the tour.
They also berated me for not having contacted them the night before about the situation because they could have sold two more spots. How they would have sold those spots in the wee hours of the morning for a 9am pick-​up, I do not know but they were clearly upset about losing potential money. I told them that my concern was not about the tour but ensuring that my friends were okay and that I was not going to pay for two people who were not able to come and would not have fit anyway. It did not change anything regarding how many tour guides were needed or how many vans were needed and our van was full, so I did not agree with having to pay for the 2 absent members. The driver made snide remarks about our situation throughout the trip and also singled out our group to ask how we were going to pay. I kept my composure purely for the fact that we were in the middle of the rainforest with no other way home and I honestly did not know if he would leave us given his attitude from pick-​up. In the end, I only paid for the four of us who did attend but I am continuing to check my account to ensure they haven’t secretly charged me for the other two, as there was never a clear cut answer given to how it would be handled.
FYI: Just because someone does not speak Spanish when addressing you, does not mean they do not speak it at all and/​or understand it. The driver continued speaking openly of my situation (in Spanish) throughout the entire trip, which I felt was extremely rude and unprofessional.
The driver drove erratically the entire way to the rainforest and several other members of the tour group spoke to him once we arrived about the speed and seating arrangements. We had to switch some people around due to car sickness and limb ailments. Many people felt it was awkward that they had us climbing in and out and over each other. The ride was uncomfortable for all.
Again, the 3 spots that they take you to are beautiful. You can get some great pictures. 1 of the locations requires actual climbing using your hands and feet and another is a very steep hike. There was an older gentleman in our tour group that could not see those two locations and several others who chose not to venture all the way because of the physicality needed. I felt bad that they were still charged full price, not knowing beforehand how strenuous the tour would be.
I would not use this company again based on my experience.

We did a full-​day trip to El Yunque rainforest and a nearby beach. There were about ten people on the tour. The trip was amazing. ABSOLUTELY worth the time and money to get out of San Juan for a day and see some of Puerto Rico’s natural beauty. Saw some amazing waterfalls, natural waterslides, flora and fauna.
The company is well-​run and well-​managed. The tour guide — Yamile — was an absolute delight. She was extremely knowledgeable, fun, enthusiastic, open to any and all of our questions, punctual, courteous, a great driver… in short, everything you could hope for in a guide. Highly recommend the trip, this company, and this tour guide.

Heard highly of this tour company through our hotel, so we decided to book the extended tour to El Yunque with Luquillo Beach. We booked about a week in advance, putting my credit card down as a reservation. They cancelled on us an hour before the scheduled pickup time. They didn’t bother to call me directly or the hotel at least a day earlier causing conflicts with our traveling plans. They should have been more professional and considerate of their customer’s time.

Hotel staff made arrangements for me for an excursion with Natural Wonders. There were five people in my party, all strangers to me as I was traveling alone.
Our excursion included El Yunque, Luquillo beach, and bio bay. Hector was our guide and he did an excellent job. He picked us up from our hotels at the agreed upon time and filled us in on Puerto Rican history and culture as we rode along. Complimentary drinks (soda, water, and others) were at our disposal and bathrooms were available at some of the sites.
This trip really helped me to appreciate the natural beauty of the part of Puerto Rico that I missed out on during my exploration of Old San Juan. The rainforest was beautiful and the waterfalls contained within were amazing! Hiking to get to the good parts was just challenging enough to make the payoff worthwhile. The time at the beach was spent primarily in a restaurant, so I don’t have much to say about that. Kayaking on bio bay was fun, and the glitter like trails left by dragging your hands through the water at night fascinated me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Natural Wonders and felt the price was more than reasonable for the priceless experience I received in return. Thank you Hector and Natural Wonders for introducing me to the real Puerto Rico!

We did the trio — rainforest, beach, and kayaking in the «illuminating» mangrove canal. Our trip was amazing. Our tour guide, Yamile, was like an encyclopedia of Puerto Rico. She was so informative with a charming personality. She took us to many waterfalls and local hideaways like the natural waterside. The kayaking was really worth the whole day excursion. Tip — it’s a 12 hour tour. Prepare to get wet at different points of the day. Wear sneakers. Bring water shoes and bug spray.

We took their rainforest + Luqillo Beach package in July this year. Hector was super-​energetic and friendly and knowledgeable (although he did admit that after 19 years in the industry, he’s good at making things up). Took us to a lot of fun places, gave us great tips (and HUGE umbrellas when it started raining!) and was basically awesome. Highly recommended!!!
Bonus tip: — they aren’t so prompt in replying to emails or answering calls — after all, time does move slower in Puerto Rico than in NYC. Be patient. It’s worth it.

I would highly suggest booking with this company! This tour was the highlight of my trip, my month, and my year. It is one I will never forget.
We were picked up by Asha at our hotel in Condado just after 10am. She was instantly friendly and energetic and made us excited for our day. She was conversational during the entire ~45 min drive to the rainforest and shared some history about the land with us (as well as some great restaurant recommendations!).
Although I had considered renting a car and visiting the rainforest independently, I am so glad I did not! Asha took our small group to multiple different locations around the rainforest and timed them perfectly so that we would avoid the crowds and still have time to go to the beach and get lunch in the afternoon. there is no way I could have made this day as great as it was with this tour’s guidance. She also showed us some of the locals favorite hang-​outs, including a river that was great for swimming. The highlight of the trip for me was swimming under a waterfall surrounded by beautiful lush greenery. Paradise, found :-)
In the afternoon we headed to a favorite local eatery, a strip of 60 «kiosks» that served some DELICIOUS puerto rican food. Asha stayed nearby the whole time to make recommendations and to help us order when my Spanish failed us. During lunch, we met Raul and he even made a personal phone call to help us correct a mistake we had made when booking a tour with a different company (how nice of him! he must know everybody on that island…). After lunch Raul took the more adventurous members of the group to a natural rock water-​slide (which is located literally behind a friends house just outside the rainforest). This is not for the faint of heart! But if you are looking for a little adventure in your life, it is not to be missed! Be brave and I promise you will not regret it — everyone who came to the waterslide went down multiple times!
Asha and Raul are truly invested in this small family business and made us feel like their personal guests for the entire day. I feel as if they are considered friends now and I look forward to calling them the next time I am in Puerto Rico (which I’m guessing won’t be too long from now!)
Some tips if you are going to book…
– book in advance! these trips sell out. E-​mail seems to be most efficient way of doing this, since the owners are busy during the daytime (giving tours of course!)
– WEAR SNEAKERS. please, please, please. no flip-​flops, or jeans, or complaining about dirt/​water/​rain!!! you are in a beautiful, natural RAINFOREST!
– wear clothes that can get wet. I wore a bathing suit under shorts and a tank top and was very glad i did. light-​weight, fast-​drying clothes are best. Bring a towel if you plan on swimming, and wear socks that you can throw out at the end of the day.
– tip kindly if you are as pleased with the service as I was :-) given the cost of gas for driving everyone all over the place, maintaining the vehicles, and sacrificing a large majority of their day for your enjoyment, this couple is very deserving and in my opinion certainly deserved more than the cost of the trip (I believe we paid $ 85 per person for the Yunque rainforest+Luquillo beach tour)
– if you are a fun guest you may be lucky enough to try some puerto rican rum at the end of your adventure. what’s better than enjoying a cuba libre on the beach at sunset? nothing I can think of!
Asha and Raul — THANK YOU for an amazing trip!

We had a fantastic time with Natural Wonders PR! Raul was our tour guide through the rainforest and to the beach. He was informative and very charismatic without being over the top. He made our group of 11 seem much smaller.
Raul knows some of the best hidden spots and loves taking you to see them. You can tell he loves Puerto Rico and wants you to love it, too!
Raul was also kind enough to take us back across town to our new hotel after he dropped everyone else off — having to sit in traffic for an extra 45 minutes or so. Very much appreciated.
You won’t find a better your in PR. Highly, highly recommended!

ASHA WAS THE BEST. NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. my three friends and I were looking for something reasonably priced, fun, and a good tour of the rainforest, and that’s everything asha delivered and more. She was an excellent tour guide who somehow managed to take us beyond the touristy spots and into the quieter, locals-​only territory. It was really awesome. She knew the best food spots too!

Asha was one of the nicest people we met in San Juan. She was the best tour guide we could’ve asked for. First, she drove us to this cool tower and told us all about the local community. Then she showed us around El Yunque and took us to these beautiful waterfalls that seemed to be off the path, and we got to swim for a while and take lots of pictures. She also took us to get some delicious fried food off the side of the highway. When we were finished, she dropped us off at one of the beautiful beaches at a walking distance from our hotel and gave hugs all around. It’s too bad we couldn’t stay for the bioluminescent lagoon, but if I ever go back, I’ll definitely be taking that tour with Natural Wonders PR.

There is no better way to kick off my 2013 return to Unilocal after yet again another long hiatus (just finished up a Master’s degree, whoo-​hoo!) with a review of Natural Wonders, the tour group that helped me cheat on NYC with no regrets! When me and my friend were suffering from end-​of-​the-​semester stress and decided to go to Old San Juan, one of the employees at the front desk of our hotel (S.J. Suites) recommended Natural Wonders when we emailed him to inquire about tour groups. And for that, I am forever grateful because the tour that I went on with NW was an unforgettable, magical experience that, to this day, I still daydream about, and after reading this review, you will too. Me and my friend excitedly purchased the Full Blast Trio tour which includes a trip to El Yunque, Luquillo Beach, and a bioluminescent bay in Fajardo. Raul, our tour guide for the day, picked us up at our hotel and we immediately felt at ease with him, especially after reassuring us that it only take 15 minutes to get to the airport from Old San Juan (I had just gotten off the phone with a shuttle company that ridiculously wanted to pick us up 3 hours before our flight back to NYC, and I was especially cranky). He guaranteed us a great day ahead, and proceeded to pick up everyone else in our group from their respective hotels. While riding to El Yunque, Raul told us all of these factoids about PR and El Yunque, and he also cracked some jokes to get us laughing.
El Yunque
The first stop on the El Yunque part of the tour was (not counting the bathrooms in the visitor’s center) a waterfall that made for some great photo ops. Raul agreed to take pictures of me and my friend as we climbed up the rock to stand right next to the waterfall. The rocks were really slippery (definitely wear hiking boots or shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and which has good traction) but standing next to the waterfall was so worth the climb. Little did we know that we’d get to swim under two other waterfalls later on that day! After getting back down, we hopped back into the van and went to an observation point where we saw a wide expanse of rain forest plus the shore– breathtaking! Then it was time for the hike. My friend and I, along with everyone in our group, trekked through El Yunque and marveled at the lush greenery– however, Raul did not join us, and he explained why: he was going to meet us at the end of the trail with his van. I did not mind one bit because it meant we could leave our stuff in the van and go at our own pace, especially because, around 15 – 20 minutes into the hike, some of us stopped and took a dip around a waterfall (including yours truly) which was a mind-​blowing experience– nothing beats a natural back massage when standing in front of a waterfall!
After the hike, Raul took us to another waterfall, where it was only our group, and some of us enjoyed another swim around a waterfall.
A secret place + lunch
This secret place is the backyard of locals that was near a stream and natural waterslide, where some of us climbed a rocky slope and slid down the stream, surrounded by rocks and trees-​thanks, Nature! After that was done, we got back in the van and Raul took us to a place to eat. He had a cooler with soda, beer, and Puerto Rican rum, and even mixed me a rum and coke to take with me inside the place, which served authentic local PR cuisine– me and my friend even got seconds. Note: lunch is not included in the tour, but the drinks in Raul’s cooler are.
Luquillo Beach + Bioluminescent Bay
This beach was gorgeous; we got to swim and relax a bit before heading to the bioluminescent bay (a couple in our group were picked up by Asha because their part of the tour was over; me and my friend introduced ourselves and thanked her for being incredibly helpful over the phone before we arrived in PR). We had different guides who lead our kayaks through the bay to the lagoon (the guides were not part of NW) and not only was our group there, but other groups as well. After nervously kayaking through pitch darkness (aside from the glowing markers on our kayaks and the occasional flashlight from one of the guides) we arrived at the lagoon where we swished our arms in the water and watched glowing pinpoints of light dance on our arms. The guides pointed out constellations; then it was time to head back to the dock and our vans, where Raul was waiting for us.
So…
Throughout it all, Raul and Asha, who are also the owners, were professional, friendly, and informative, and and Raul was funny and laid-​back; we all felt like he was our friend by the end of the day. When I go back to PR, I’m going on a couple more of their tours, especially their caving tour (which we couldn’t go on because we were leaving that day). By the way– I was/​am NOT compensated for this unbelievably long review– NW deserves great feedback for providing such a fantastic day! Thank you so much, Raul and Asha!