East region · Puerto Rico
Río Grande
~19 mi from San JuanCoastal
Río Grande is a coastal town on the eastern edge of Puerto Rico’s Northern Coastal Valley, about 19 miles from San Juan and part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo metropolitan area. The town is organized into eight barrios plus Río Grande Pueblo, and sits north of Las Piedras, Naguabo and Ceiba, east of Loíza and Canóvanas, and west of Luquillo.
Founded in 1840, Río Grande’s defining feature is geographic: a large portion of El Yunque National Forest, including its peak, lies within the town’s boundaries. Beyond the forest, the town also has a nightlife presence, with venues such as The Vault Speakeasy Cabaret.
- El Yunque National Forest
- home to El Yunque's peak
- La Coca Falls
- Mount Britton Tower
For visitors
Visitors come mainly for access to El Yunque National Forest and its peak, with additional nightlife options like a speakeasy cabaret.
- Hiking
- Nightlife
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town close to metropolitan San Juan while having direct proximity to the natural expanse of El Yunque National Forest.Living in Río Grande: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- East
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~19 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 46,051 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1840
- Median rent
- $585/mo
- Median income
- $28,943/yr
- Area
- 60.6 sq mi (157.0 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel · July 16
- Guide spots
- 8
- Stories, last 30 days
- 5
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Río Grande
Road closures in Río Grande
No closures reported in Río Grande as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.
Water rationing in Río Grande
No rationing plan names Río Grande. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 12. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector
Power outages in Río Grande
Not among the 7 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 12, when 0.5% of customers island-wide were without power. Río Grande was on that list on one of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
News from Río Grande
Latest stories
Río Grande Crafts and Food Fair Will Feature Pumpkin Treats on October 31
Gunmen Rob Man Lured Through Social Media to a Río Grande Neighborhood
Finca Neo Jibairo Builds Diversified Agritourism Business in Río Grande
Man Arrested for Violating Controlled Substances Law in Río Grande
Drunk Driver Crashes into Police Vehicle in Río Grande
Our analysis
- Weekend Watch · EarlierPuerto Rico This Weekend: Five Events
Things to do in Río Grande
Nature spots
El Yunque National Forest
The only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System
El Yunque National Forest spreads across the Sierra de Luquillo in northeastern Puerto Rico, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, and one of the most biodiverse. Warm, wet, and often wrapped in cloud, it feeds rivers, natural pools, and a dense canopy of ferns, sierra palms, and tabonuco trees, home to the tiny coquí frog and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. Most visitors enter along PR-191 on the north side, where trailheads, waterfalls, and lookout towers sit within a short drive. Popular stops include the roadside La Coca Falls, the Yokahú observation tower, La Mina Falls, and the steep climb to Mount Britton's cloud-forest tower. Trails run from paved and family-friendly to muddy and strenuous, and rain can close them with little warning; check the U.S. Forest Service site before you go, and start early to beat the crowds and afternoon showers. No reservation is needed to enter the PR-191 recreational corridor; the timed-entry system was suspended in August 2023, and admission is first-come, first-served, though the Forest Service still limits vehicles when parking fills. El Portal, the main visitor center, charges an entry fee and needs no reservation either. Trail access shifts with storm recovery and construction, so check which trails are open before you go.
La Mina Falls
A rainforest waterfall with a swimmable pool
La Mina Falls is a waterfall in El Yunque National Forest, reached by hiking along a riverside trail. The falls drop into a natural pool, a favorite place to swim after the hike.
Mount Britton Tower
A cloud-forest summit tower with coastal views
The Mount Britton Tower is a stone observation tower located in El Yunque National Forest. It is situated near one of the forest's higher peaks and is reached by a steep paved trail that passes through cloud forest. The tower offers sweeping views over the rainforest toward the coast on clear days.
La Coca Falls
A roadside rainforest waterfall
La Coca Falls is a waterfall located in El Yunque National Forest, along the main forest road. It is a tall waterfall that cascades over a face of boulders. This roadside rainforest waterfall is one of the first sights inside the forest and can be seen without requiring a hike.
Eat & Drink
Ekelekua
Local cuisine
Ekelekua is a restaurant in Río Grande, serving local cuisine. It offers a taste of traditional Puerto Rican dishes.
Lluvia
Wood-fired pizza and brunch
Lluvia is a café at 52 Principal Street in Palmer, the small town near the entrance to El Yunque. It serves food from breakfast through dinner, with brunch dishes in the morning and wood-fired pizza as the main draw later in the day. Inside, a small gallery corner displays work by local artists alongside books, so the room doubles as a modest art space. The kitchen sources from island producers, which gives the menu a local footing despite the pizza focus.
Nightlife & Music
The Vault Speakeasy Cabaret
Speakeasy cabaret
The Vault Speakeasy Cabaret is a lounge built around a speakeasy-cabaret theme, located within the Wyndham Rio Mar complex at 6000 Rio Mar Blvd. in Río Grande. It's set up as an indoor, late-night spot with a lively atmosphere.
Outdoors and sports
On the water near Río Grande
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Río Grande or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Sailing
- Cangrejos200 slips · 12 mi away
- Surf
- Diving
- Isla Verde reef reserveSnorkel spot · 8 mi away
- Kite and wind
- Las PicuasWorks in any but SW winds · in Río Grande
- Luquillo flat waterWorks in N, E winds · 7 mi away
- Paddle
- Laguna Torrecilla and the Piñones mangrovesMangroves · 11 mi away
Trails in and near Río Grande
12 trails start in Río Grande, the easiest open ones first.
- El YunqueCaimitillo TrailEasy 0.2 mi each way, 15 to 20 minVereda CaimitilloWalk in, no bookingNot confirmed open
- El YunqueEl Portal TrailEasy 0.3 mi loop, 10 to 15 minVereda El PortalWalk in, $8 entryListed open
- El YunqueBaño de Oro TrailEasy 0.4 mi each way, 30 to 45 minVereda Baño de OroWalk in, no bookingListed openPool
- El YunqueRoca El Yunque TrailModerate 0.1 mi each way, 5 to 10 minVereda Roca El YunqueWalk in, no bookingListed openLookout: El Yunque Rock
- El YunqueLa Coca TrailHard 1.6 mi each way, 2 h 15 min to 3 h 25 minVereda La CocaWalk in, no bookingListed openLa Coca Falls
- El YunqueEl Yunque TrailHard 1.8 mi each way, 2 h 20 min to 3 h 30 minVereda El YunqueWalk in, no bookingListed openLookout: Los Picachos spur
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Río Grande
- RCC 179Order the Puerto Rico Government Department of Housing to Study Vacant and Abandoned PlotsPassed a chamber, Oct 29
- RC 819Investigate Earthquake Preparedness in Loíza, Río Grande, and CanóvanasIn committee, Sep 28
- RS 544Study on Highway PR-3 Access Roads Construction ProjectPassed a chamber, Sep 22
- RCC 12Release restrictions on land marked as 'Solar E' in Río Grande, Puerto RicoPassed a chamber, Sep 10
- RCC 270Plan for Maintenance and Improvements to Water and Sewer System in Loíza, Río Grande, and CanóvanasPassed a chamber, Sep 8
Recovery money in Río Grande
$52.9 million committed by FEMA to 139 projects filed under Río Grande since 2001: $1,148 per resident, 64th of 78 towns.
Every project located in Río Grande, the island-wide agencies’ included
18% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $30 million of the $170 million committed.
18%50.0% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $13.4 million of $26.8 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
50.0%- Building Damage, Permanent Work - Rio Grande, Canovanas, Toa Baja, CarolinaPublic buildings$6 million
- DEBRIS ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES, Public Assistance Alternative ProceduresDebris removal$5 million
- (Escuela Vega ALEGRE-)MRIO005 - Project # 5Parks and other$3.2 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Project PW-00151$5M of $5M100%
- Debris Alternative Procedures$1.6M of $1.6M100%
- Emergency protective measures$1.6M of $1.6M100%
- Project 16, Roads, Rio Grande$764K of $764K100%
Every town and the island-wide agencies
FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.
Living in Río Grande
Crime in Río Grande
67 violent crimes and 6 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Río Grande, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 21.3 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-highest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 6 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 67 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 209 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 21.3
Flood zones in Río Grande
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Río Grande
Phone alerts for Río Grande
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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