How Puerto Rican Hotels Are Helping To Preserve El Yunque National Forest

Image: A handful of area hotels in Puerto Rico have launched an initiative to help protect El Yunque National Forest, the island's top nature attraction. (Photo Credit: Getty / dennisvdw)

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 10:15 AM ET, Fri December 15, 2023

A handful of resorts surrounding Puerto Rico’s popular El Yunque National Forest have kicked off a unique initiative designed to help protect the 29,000-acre protected area.

As of November 1 of this year, guests checking into a select group of resorts around the rainforest have been able to include a $1 nightly donation in their room rate for the benefit of El Yunque, Bloomberg recently reported.

The money collected through the initiative is being turned over to a local and highly-respected non-profit Fundación Amigos del Yunque. The organization operates the rainforest’s programming targeting conservation and community development.

The funding effort began with two local resorts—the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar and the Wyndham Palmas Beach and Golf Resort. Later, two more properties joined, Dos Aquas and also Rainforest Inn, according to Bloomberg. (Rainforest Inn has also pledged to match every donation that’s made by its guests.)

But that’s not all, three more hotels are poised to join the funding effort, as well.

While the initiative involves just a few hotels at the moment, the impact may be very significant. Amadeo Zarzosa, general manager of the two Wyndhams, told Bloomberg that the resorts may raise as much as $350,000 in 2024. Should more hotels across Puerto Rico join the cause, the results could be even more significant. There are about 130 hotels in Puerto Rico.

“You're letting the traveler decide if they want to contribute—and more often than not, they will say yes,” Carmen Portela, executive director of Fundación Amigos del Yunque, told Bloomberg.

El Yunque rainforest is a critical natural resource for Puerto Rico. It is the source of 20 percent of the island’s water and helps absorb impact from major storms, says Bloomberg. The rainforest also regulates climate conditions, which is beneficial for the area's coral reefs, which are especially sensitive to changes in sea temperature.

The donations made to Amigos del Yunque will be used to establish year-round conservation curriculum for local school children, according to Bloomberg. The money will also support training for surrounding communities that help manage the rainforest.