Parque Forestal La Marquesa — Attraction in Guaynabo

We took two toddlers on a Saturday in April and had a great time! The aviary had a lot of beautiful birds, and the kids enjoyed the playgrounds. The facilities were nice and the staff all friendly and helpful.

We weren't sure what to expect, as the website is largely in Spanish, but it turns out you park in a huge lot at the bottom of the hill (we hoped that by getting there a half hour before the park opened, we'd be allowed to park higher, but it was not to be) and wait for a bus. It takes you to the main entry, where you can buy a ticket if you haven't already gotten one online. From there you take the tram or cable car to the main area, which has the birds and butterflies, gift shop, info desk, and cafeteria. Once you're done, you can catch the tram to the observation tower/playgrounds area, and when you're done, take the tram back down or return to the cable car. We spent 3 hours total, but we could have spent 4 if we'd done the observation tower or 2 if we hadn't hung out in the play areas.

We went at 9 AM on a Saturday morning, which was the right choice; we showed up at 8:30 (I don't think you need to be that early, we just timed it wrong) and were some of the first people on the bus and in the cable car line. When we left at noon, the place was much more crowded. And one of the staff members told us weekends are much better, as the place gets slammed with school groups on weekdays.

So, go on a Saturday morning and enjoy the beautiful scenery and...

Beautiful place, surrounded by nature. You can instantly feel the temperature lower inside the forest. It is very well organized. It is very affordable. The staff is friendly. They have a great variety of food and beverages in the cantina kitchen. Wish there were more to see at the Butterfly Lab, but the Aviary is impressive. Lots of parrots, flamingos, and some of them are resting on the walkway, so you can take photos pretty up close. The play areas for kids with the gazebos are a great addition. You can bring your own food and snacks and have a picnic there and let the kids burn some energy on the playground. One of the best things is the ride in the Gondolas. It is a nice refreshing ride if you want to rest for a couple of minutes, with an amazing view of the forest and the city. But if heights aren't your thing, the train can take you to all the stops too. The watchtower was closed due to bees or hornets or something like that. But when open, you can see the forest, the mountains and the coast from up there. There is also a man made waterfall along one of the paths. Overall, it is a great place to go with family and spend time in nature walking on the paths, riding the train, the gondola, learning and interacting with birds and nature. It can be all done...

I am going to take a leap of faith here and rate the park a 5. We drove up to it (a beautiful entry drive) on a Monday, only to find that it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays DESPITE what the website says. We’ll try again to visit on Wednesday for a full review. Opening times online seems like such an easy issue for the Park to manage. Park management can be sure that folks who drive 40 minutes to arrive at a closed facility will not be leaving great reviews.Perhaps call ahead to verify that they’re open. Edit (3/6/25)…we went to the park when it was open. It is WONDERFUL. The 5 stars remain! From parking assistance, to facilities, to the gondolas, to the trams, it’s fabulous. Even the food was good. As someone learning about Puerto Rican cuisine, trying their carnitas was eye-opening. Really, really good. As were the chicken wings. But the very best thing was the parrots OH MY! We’ll be back for the parrots. One small quibble: There is a shortage of English-speaking employees and signage. Even the video we watched was only in Spanish. English subtitles would have been deeply appreciated. We managed because the staff was kind and helpful, but making English speakers welcome sounds like part of a good business plan. We will be back. It’s a lovely way to...