Puerto Rico’s shoreline covers roughly 300 miles, embellished with almost as many seashores. Persist with the tropical north, anchored by San Juan, for a mixture of vigorous shorelines and rocky Atlantic coves. Head to the cloudless south to dip your toes in calm Caribbean bays protected by mangrove cays. You may as well zip west to Rincón, the place surfers tube by way of barrels in winter, or sail east to Vieques and Culebra, the place delicate sands sparkle like crushed pearls.
Playas right here vary from rowdy hangs to distant strips seemingly untouched by human fingers. If you need facilities like loos, showers, lifeguards and chair leases, search for a balneario, which denotes authorities repairs. However don’t overlook these far-flung shores hiding behind mangrove marshlands or under limestone cliffs. These secluded spots earn Puerto Rico its nickname La Isla del Encanto (the Island of Enchantment).
This information to Puerto Rico’s greatest seashores begins with these alongside the north coast, then heads east to Culebra and Vieques, adopted by the west coast and the south coast.
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1. Balneario El Escambrón
Greatest city seashore
San Juan’s solely Blue Flag seashore stretches alongside the beige sands the place Puerta de Tierra kisses hotel-packed Condado. Look east to see surfers or stroll west to scout ruins of an 18th-century artillery battery. Not like a lot of the metropolis’s Atlantic-facing shoreline, with robust currents and uneven waters, a reef barrier makes this stretch appropriate for swimming and snorkeling. You’ll discover all essential facilities for a full-day affair, together with umbrella leases – although palms present loads of pure shade. Head to close by Scuba Canine for snorkeling gear.
Detour: Stroll to the close by Caribe Hilton for a piña colada. The lodge claims bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero invented the boozy coconut-pineapple concoction on web site in 1954.
2. Playa Mar Chiquita
Greatest seashore for dramatic surroundings
“Mar Chiquita” interprets to “little sea” – an apt identify for this crescent-shaped pool in Manatí, framed by two eolianite ridges with a small opening the place the Atlantic floods by way of. Swimming right here will be harmful, significantly in winter, when waves crash over the ridges and powerful undercurrents tug deep into the ocean. However that doesn’t hassle crowds from San Juan, positioned 45-minutes east. The salt-splashed rock formations are cinematic, and on weekends, you’ll possible discover distributors promoting fried meals and contemporary coconuts.
Planning tip: Convey sturdy-sole water footwear to discover the seashore’s ridges. Rocks listed here are sharp and slippery.
3. Balneario La Monserrate
Greatest seashore for native meals
La Monserrate, additionally known as Luquillo Seashore, is a 15-minute drive from El Yunque Nationwide Rainforest – the proper place to unwind after mountaineering. Begin by grazing across the Kioskos de Luquillo – a strip of meals stalls serving Puerto Rican classics like mofongo (mashed plantains with pork rinds) and bacalao (cod). As soon as satiated, stroll or drive east to La Monserrate ($5 parking charge). The pristine, palm-lined shore slopes regularly into shallow water, making this seashore ultimate for youths. Anticipate boisterous weekend crowds: teams blast music by Puerto Rican rapper and singer, Unhealthy Bunny, as jet skis race within the distance.
Detour: For minimal effort and most reward in El Yunque, climb the quick path to Juan Diego Falls. Small, freshwater swimming pools line the root-tangled, creek-side ascent to a 20ft cascade.
4. Playa Escondida
Greatest seashore or solitude
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Arriving at “Hidden Seashore,” an hour’s drive east of San Juan, requires a mile-long hike by way of a mangrove forest. The legwork reaps huge rewards: skinny crowds, glittering sands, distant mountain views and reefs that create pure wading swimming pools. Playa Escondida’s water is commonly clear, and you may even see snorkelers – however watch out – the seashore is thought for robust rip tides.
Planning tip: To achieve Playa Escondida, park close to Seven Seas Seashore (on Carr. Cabezas de San Juan) and observe the coast westward to start the mountaineering path.
5. Playa Flamenco
Greatest seashore for tenting
Flamenco Seashore is sugar-sand perfection on the island of Culebra, lapped by balmy bathtub water and backed by lush greenery. Stroll the mile-long horseshoe-shaped shore to identify two graffiti-splattered Sherman tanks – rusted remnants of when the US Navy occupied Culebra within the twentieth century. Getting right here can appear Odyssean: select between a 35-minute flight from Luis Muñoz Marín Worldwide Airport or a 45-minute ferry from Ceiba, plus a cab trip. Think about tenting on-site to make the lengthy haul depend – that is Culebra’s solely seashore the place pitching tents is authorized.
Detour: For distinctive snorkeling, trek 20 minutes to Playa Carlos Rosario or Playa Tamarindo, the place turtles often graze among the many seagrass.
6. Playa Caracas
Greatest seashore for powdery sand
The Vieques Nationwide Wildlife Refuge covers almost 18,000 acres of its namesake island, with seashores lined in cumulus-cloud gentle sand. Playa Caracas is among the first shores discovered on the refuge’s jap border, and its blue waters set the bar for magnificence excessive. You can spend a whole day nursing Medalla Lites below a shaded gazebo, snorkeling across the east facet’s mild surf or mountaineering to distant coves, like Playuela, the place semi-wild horses usually outnumber individuals.
Planning tip: Attending to Vieques is much like Culebra. Take a flight from San Juan or a 30-minute ferry trip from Ceiba, adopted by a 15-minute cab trip to the seashore.
7. La Playuela
Greatest distant seashore
La Playuela, typically known as Playa Sucia, is a serene strip on the south facet of Refugio Nacional Cabo Rojo, the place yellow-shouldered blackbirds flit between mangroves and pink-water salt flats. To understand the coast’s magnificence, climb to Faro Los Morrillos, a Nineteenth-century lighthouse on a limestone cliff 200ft above the Caribbean. From right here, you’ll be able to see La Playuela’s shoreline slicing between saltwater marshes and the turquoise sea like a scythe. With the closest city 20 minutes away, civilization looks like a distant dream.
Detour: As night time descends, beeline to La Parguera for a boat tour of the close by bioluminescent bay. That is Puerto Rico’s solely bio bay the place it’s authorized to swim amongst twinkling dinoflagellates – a psychedelic expertise.
8. La Jungla
Greatest seashore for soothing Caribbean waters
No must examine the climate forecast right here. This cay-protected seashore hugs Guánica – a municipality in Puerto Rico’s semi-arid south generally known as the “paradise of everlasting summer season.” Arrive because the solar rises to snag a non-public sand patch backed by mangroves or hike additional west to achieve two lengthy, slender seashores. The water is normally wave-free – ultimate for wading or floating in an internal tube. If the $2 entry charge is a deterrent, head to Playa Santa – a family-friendly public seashore close by.
Detour: Earlier than enjoyable at La Jungla, work up a sweat alongside the 6.5-mile Vereda Meseta Path, a coastal hike inside Bosque Estatal de Guánica, a subtropical dry forest lined in cacti.
9. Playa Domes
Greatest seashore for browsing
Ever for the reason that 1968 World Browsing Championship went noseriding in Rincón, Puerto Rico’s west coast has been the go-to spot for hang-ten execs. Newbies pop up at Little Malibu and desperados courageous the occasional 20-footers rolling by way of Tres Palmas. Much more common is Playa Domes, because of its constant, reef-breaking waves. The panorama provides to the attract: honey-colored sand stretches between a lighthouse from 1892 and a dome-shaped, decommissioned nuclear energy plant, therefore the seashore’s identify. For browsing classes, attempt Rincón Surf College.
Planning tip: Surfers descend upon Rincón between December and April, when winter swells carry wild waves. In case you’re trying to find solitude, go to in summer season, when crowds skinny out and the waves are youngster’s play.
10. Playa Crash Boat
Greatest seashore for partying
There’s by no means a uninteresting second at Playa Crash Boat in Aguadilla. As soon as the solar’s overhead, anticipate to listen to reggaeton beats underscoring the motion. Meals distributors hock ceviches and frituras to households, who rotate between sunbathing, swimming and diving off a man-made pier to spy tropical fish round its pilings. Trying to amp up the adrenaline? Lease a jet-ski from West Paradise. Parking prices $5 – arrive by 11am (if not earlier) to make sure you get a spot.
Detour: Keep away from crowds by heading north to Peña Blanca, a petite playa backed by jagged cliffs. The views are postcard-perfect and the snorkeling is respectable – greatest completed in summer season, when waves are non-existent.
