El Yunque has three visitor centers. But El Portal Tropical Forest Center is far and away the star, a far cry from the usual brochure dispensary. The building itself is exceptional: the physical embodiment of the ethics of conservation. The tropical architecture provides needed protection and comfort to visitors allowing them to interact with their surroundings. Location of slopes, streams and natural openings in vegetation, as well as views from roads and communities around the forest, were important design concerns.
Most visitors will mostly be interested in El Portal's recreation and interpretive services. El Portal also operates an environmental education program for school children and a training program for forest managers from all over the world, especially from the Caribbean and Latin America.
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