El Toro Trail

This is probably one of the hardest under-6 mile hiking trails you will ever do. The hike from the parking to the very top peak was 5.44 miles there and back. We did it in 3 Hours and 40 minutes with some injuries. 1. Be ready for mud— a lot of mud. 85% of the trail is navigating mud and rocks. If you think you won’t see mud, think again. It’s a rain forest, it probably rained the day, and the trail will be a muddy crazy mess. 2. You should not do this trail while it’s raining or right after a storm. I can’t imagine anyone navigating those muddy trails with water coming down hill. 3. You must be fit to do this trail. You must be ready for active cardio, use of all upper body and leg muscles, and probably sustaining a few falls (5-10 falls at least). 4. Walking sticks are a must. Maybe even two per person. 5. Whether you wear shorts or long pants, it doesn’t matter, but you will have probably less cuts with long sleeves and long pants. The trail will dominate your clothes. You must come to this trail with a good attitude. You will fall a few times. You must be able to take a hard fall, get up, and keep going. It’s part of the challenge. You will come back down bruised and that’s ok. The view on top is incredible and you get to see pretty much half the island, the eastern part, in one 360 take.

Not for beginners and requires being at a moderate fitness level. The trail is not maintained so DO NOT go if it is raining. Even after a few days without rain the trail still has parts where the mud pits are 10-12” deep. Only go on a day with clear skies or you will be disappointed with the view, as you can see from the photo. Be well prepared: have someone there for mental support (the mud is no joke), bring enough water and food for 6-8 hours of hiking (round trip). Make sure you have hiking shoes, long socks, and pants (the mud is thick and difficult to wash off). Bring a change of clothes for the ride back. Start early so you have time to go to the beach.

🇧🇪 three fit twentie-year olds loved this trail. Not a walk in the park, but a very fun "the floor is mud"-game ;))) We definitely recommend it if you're in the neighbourhood and love some off-road hike, the 360-view at the end is worth every step of the way. Short pants and no sleeves would be our recommendation. Just be mentally prepared for getting dirty and don't bring your new, white, pretty sneakers (although we didn't wear real hiking boots). Embrace the mud and enjoy the slippy path 😇

Great view at the top! And you will have earned it by the time you get there. This hike is challenging because of the massive amounts of mud and how slippery it is. Portions are steep, but not bad and they are a welcome change from the mud pits.

This is the muddiest trail I've ever been on. It's not a long hike or even particularly steep. But, there's about a mile where your feet will be in mud above your ankles. Bring at least a gallon of water to wash off after you get back.