While this rugged forest preserve to the east of the capital of San Juan has the distinction of being at 28,000 acres the smallest of all the national forests, little else about"El Yunque," as it is known locally, is trivial.

Rain descends on these thickly vegetated hillsides in biblical proportions — a soggy 15 feet of rain in an average year — and plant life is remarkably diverse. In fact, more individual species of trees cram into this small space (142 types of trees) than in any other national forest, many of which are 100 times bigger.

Yet another point of distinction: Caribbean National Forest is one of the oldest protected areas in the Western Hemisphere by virtue of having been set aside by the Spanish Crown in 1876 while Puerto Rico was still ruled from Madrid. On the ground, this translates into virgin forest that looks much as it did when Christopher Columbus visited Puerto Rico 500 years ago.

A visit to Caribbean National Forest is like stepping inside a PBS Nova program about the wondrous and imperiled rain forest. Rounding a bend on Route 191 or hiking a forest trail out of one forest zone and into another enhances your appreciation for this unique ecosystem and gives new meaning to environmental slogans like "Save the Rain Forest" and "Protect Biodiversity." Beneath a towering canopy of trees, some as old as 1,000 years, giant ferns arch their graceful fronds, bromeliads, and epiphytes sprout from every nook and cranny of host trees, and rare orchids dangle a profusion of colorful blooms.

For most Americans, this is as accessible and convenient as tropical rain forest gets; no passport, vaccinations, or complex travel plans are required to visit. Be advised, the dry season, such as it is, occurs in March; the wettest month is May, which around here is wet indeed.

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