Puerto rico playa: 12 Best Beaches in Puerto Rico
10 Best Beaches in Puerto Rico for Getting Away From It All
Mar Chiquita is just 45 minutes from San Juan airport.
Photo by J Steele / Shutterstock
If you can dream it, you can beach it in Puerto Rico. With over 300 miles of coastline between the main island and smaller islands like Vieques and Culebra, beaches here unspool in cove after crescent of sandy perfection. That means there’s surely more than one beach in Puerto Rico with your name scrawled into its sands.
Will you flop down at a natural pool shaped like a half-moon on Puerto Rico’s north coast in Manatí or head instead to one of the idyllic beaches beloved by the surf set on the island’s west coast?
Read on for a few of the best beaches in Puerto Rico for getting away from it all.
Playa Mar Chiquita
Manatí
Within 45 minutes of leaving the airport in San Juan, you can be in beautiful Manatí on Puerto Rico’s north coast, a pretty region distinguished by looming limestone hills that peek from jungle-clad surrounds.
The area is known for its blissful beaches, too, lined with lagoons and natural pools; among the best of them is Playa Mar Chiquita.
Here, a crescent-like sweep of beach is lapped by calm, protected waters a glacier-blue hue. While it’s quieter during the week, weekends bring food trucks selling empanadas and piña coladas to Playa Mar Chiquita—along with lots of local families enjoying the shallow waters. Rinse off from the beach later in one of the sublime outdoor showers in suites at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve just west of San Juan.
Playa Carlos Rosario
Culebra
This rugged sweep of white sand bookended by forested headlands on the northwest coast of Culebra is well worth the 20-minute hike to reach it along a dirt path that winds from the parking lot at Flamenco Beach. After walking along the forested fringes of the Reserva Natural de Culebra, you’ll arrive at Playa Carlos Rosario and its prime snorkeling waters, where clouds of reef fish often school in the shallows.
If you prefer to arrive by boat, it’s easy enough to find captains offering their services back in Culebra’s main town, Culebra Pueblo (Dewey) for about $50 to $60 per person for boats with at least four passengers. The trip takes about 20 minutes.
Playa Caracas
Vieques
Vieques’s bioluminescent lagoon tends to hog the spotlight, and it’s stunning, for sure. But beach lovers might be even more impressed by the island’s powdery stretches like Playa Caracas, one of the finest examples of a quintessential Caribbean beach. Located on the island’s south coast, it’s one of the most easily accessible beaches within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge yet rarely crowded. Dramatic rock formations surrounding the chalk white crescent of sand are carpeted with lush vegetation, and the surrounding waters are usually as transparent as a swimming pool.
To continue the zen theme, book a suite at the farmhouse-style boutique inn and yoga retreat, Finca Victoria, and stay surrounded by cacti and flowering gardens.
Cayo Aurora
Just off Puerto Rico’s southern coast and also referred to as Gilligan’s Island, Cayo Aurora is a tiny cay that’s part of the Cayos de Caña Gorda. It’s just off shore from the mainland and the subtropical dry forests of the Bosque Estatal de Guánica, a United Nations Biosphere Reserve.
It’s also easily accessible via private boat tours (or the ferry, when it’s running) from nearby Playa de Guánica, just 10 minutes away. If you’re feeling ambitious and find someone renting kayaks, you can also use your own paddle power to reach it. How you spend your day on the cay is up to you. For most, it’s all about frolicking in the natural surrounds, snorkeling in a mangrove-lined lagoon, or relaxing on another pristine Puerto Rico beach.
Zoni Beach
Culebra
The visual parfait of diamond-dust white sand meeting turquoise and sapphire seas awaits at Zoni Beach on the east side of Culebra Island. From April to June, leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles haul themselves ashore on a beach lined with sea caves to nest.
Far less crowded than Culebra’s other main beach, Flamenco, Zoni is an idyllic place to linger along palm-lined shores or, come summer, bathe in waters that approach bathtub temperatures. The sea is usually calm, too, because the beach is sheltered by the islands of Cayo Norte and Culebrita, just offshore, which add to the impressive views.
Zoni Beach is another quintessential Puerto Rico beach.
Photo by Nick Spinder / Shutterstock
Pata Prieta Beach
Vieques
Just east of Playa Caracas and within the lush and undeveloped setting of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, Playa Pata Prieta is often called Secret Beach. And even if it’s not really a secret, it is one of the quieter and prettier beaches on an island brimming with them, ribboned with a thin strip of sand and backed by thick shade-providing palms and other lush tropical foliage. On calm days, the waters are as smooth as a mirror and beckon beachgoers off the sand to swim among swirls of tropical reef fish.
(Don’t forget your snorkeling gear.)
Continue the reef theme with a stay at El Blok Hotel, where the architecture was inspired by Puerto Rico’s coral reefs and contemporary suites overlook the mangroves.
Playa Punta Borinquen
Aguadilla
Just north of the surf haven of Aguadilla in Puerto Rico’s northwestern corner, Playa Punta Borinquen is a favorite among local families who come to spread out and enjoy its wide, golden sands. Surfers gravitate here and along beaches to the south and north, too, where strong northwest swells pump out perfect tubes from shallow reef breaks. And between its natural beauty and killer waves, it’s no surprise the beach was declared a World Surfing Reserve in late 2018 by the Saves the Waves Coalition.
Playa Buyé
Cabo Rojo
In Cabo Rajo on Puerto Rico’s southwest coast, Playa Buyé is known for the clarity of its waters on an island lapped by them. Stretching roughly a half-mile long, it’s a favorite spot for beachgoers who enjoy a strand where they can go for a decently long stroll, too.
Picnic tables shaded by almond trees and swaying palms are an ideal spot to unpack lunch with million-dollar views of the typically translucent sea. On the weekends, things can take on a party vibe, as the beach is a favorite among locals. But during the week, you can find long lonely stretches to unfurl your beach towel and breathe in the briny ocean air.
Buyé Beach beckons responsible travelers.
Photo by Cesar Zapata-Lozada / Shutterstock
Playa Punta Soldado
Culebra
Another fantastic Culebra beach awaits near the southernmost tip of the island at Playa Punta Soldado, where a sweep of golden sand fronts a semi-protected bay lapped by clear waters. Be sure to bring a mask and fins: There’s excellent snorkeling just offshore from the leftmost end of the beach.
With its lush hillside setting strung with hammocks and villas overlooking Fulladoza Bay, Club Seabourne makes for a quiet boutique hotel stay a 10-minute drive from Playa Punta Soldado.
Several companies in Culebra Pueblo (Dewey) rent golf carts or jeeps to make it easy to get around and explore.
Playa Escondida
Fajardo
You reach Playa Escondida, in the northeastern corner of Puerto Rico, via an easy 25-minute hike through a forest of tangled mangroves from the western end of Fajardo’s far busier Seven Seas Beach. Along the way, you may wonder whose domain you’re in, with large holes tunneled by land crabs littering the sandy path. Once you emerge at the secluded setting of Playa Escondida, chances are you’ll have the beach to yourself or be sharing it with only a few others. The seas can be dangerous to swim in when rough. As long as things are calm, wade in and enjoy the solitude.
>> Next: AFAR’s Puerto Rico Travel Guide
The Best Beaches in Puerto Rico
White sandy beaches and idyllic offshore islands are what put Puerto Rico on tourist maps in the first place.
- Best for Singles (Straight & Gay): Sandwiched between the Condado and Isla Verde along San Juan’s coast, Ocean Park beach attracts more adults and less of the family trade.
The wide beach, lined with palm and sea grape trees, fronts a residential neighborhood of beautiful homes, free of the high-rise condos that line other San Juan beaches. A favorite for swimming, paddle tennis, and kite surfing, the beach is also a favorite spot for young and beautiful sanjuaneros to congregate, especially on weekends. Knowledgeable tourists also seek out Ocean Park, which has several guesthouses catering to young urban professionals from the East Coast, both gay and straight. There definitely is a South Beach-Río vibe here, with more than a fair share of well-stuffed bikinis, but it’s decidedly more low-key and Caribbean. It’s a good spot for tourists and locals to mix. There are a few beachfront bar/restaurants housed in the guesthouses, good for a snack or lunch or cold drink.
The wide beach, lined with palm and sea grape trees, fronts a residential neighborhood of beautiful homes, free of the high-rise condos that line other San Juan beaches. A favorite for swimming, paddle tennis, and kite surfing, the beach is also a favorite spot for young and beautiful sanjuaneros to congregate, especially on weekends. Knowledgeable tourists also seek out Ocean Park, which has several guesthouses catering to young urban professionals from the East Coast, both gay and straight. There definitely is a South Beach-Río vibe here, with more than a fair share of well-stuffed bikinis, but it’s decidedly more low-key and Caribbean. It’s a good spot for tourists and locals to mix. There are a few beachfront bar/restaurants housed in the guesthouses, good for a snack or lunch or cold drink.
- Best Beach for Families: Luquillo Beach, 30 miles (48km) east of San Juan, has better sands and clearer waters than most in San Juan. The vast sandy beach opens onto a crescent-shaped bay edged by a coconut grove. Coral reefs protect the crystal-clear lagoon from the often rough Atlantic waters that can buffet the northern coast, making Luquillo a good place for young children to swim. Much photographed because of its white sands, Luquillo also has tent sites as well as picnic areas with changing rooms, lockers, and showers.
Coral reefs protect the crystal-clear lagoon from the often rough Atlantic waters that can buffet the northern coast, making Luquillo a good place for young children to swim. Much photographed because of its white sands, Luquillo also has tent sites as well as picnic areas with changing rooms, lockers, and showers.
- Best for Swimming: Pine Grove Beach, which stretches between the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott Courtyard at the end of Isla Verde near the airport, is a crescent, white-sand beach, whose tranquil, blue waters are protected by an offshore reef from the often rough Atlantic current. By the Ritz-Carlton and the Casa Cuba social club to the west, the water is completely sheltered, and a long sandbar means shallow water stretches a long way offshore. There’s more of a surf to the east, which is a popular spot for surfing, boogie boarding, and body surfing. The waves are well formed but never too big, which makes it a perfect spot to learn to surf. Local surfers give lessons and rent boards from this beach, which is also a favorite for small sail boats and catamarans. There are no public facilities here, but it’s a short walk to restaurants in the Isla Verde district. Both hotels on the beach have restaurants, bars and restroom facilities. The beach also connects to the Carolina Public Beach, which has lockers, outdoor showers and restrooms, and is immediately adjacent to the east. If you are driving here, parking at the public beach may be your best bet. It’s right off Rte. 187 on the road to Piñones. Otherwise, enter the beach near the Ritz-Carlton or Marriott Courtyard hotel. Outside San Juan, the best beaches for swimming are probably Guánica’s Playa Santa and Caña Gorda beaches in southwest Puerto Rico. The water is extremely warm and absolutely calm year round, and both spots boast wide, white-sand beaches with vistas of nothing but Caribbean Sea and hilly coastline.
Local surfers give lessons and rent boards from this beach, which is also a favorite for small sail boats and catamarans. There are no public facilities here, but it’s a short walk to restaurants in the Isla Verde district. Both hotels on the beach have restaurants, bars and restroom facilities. The beach also connects to the Carolina Public Beach, which has lockers, outdoor showers and restrooms, and is immediately adjacent to the east. If you are driving here, parking at the public beach may be your best bet. It’s right off Rte. 187 on the road to Piñones. Otherwise, enter the beach near the Ritz-Carlton or Marriott Courtyard hotel. Outside San Juan, the best beaches for swimming are probably Guánica’s Playa Santa and Caña Gorda beaches in southwest Puerto Rico. The water is extremely warm and absolutely calm year round, and both spots boast wide, white-sand beaches with vistas of nothing but Caribbean Sea and hilly coastline.
- Best for Scenery: In the southwestern corner of Puerto Rico, Boquerón Beach and its neighboring area brings to mind a tropical Cape Cod. The beach town of Boquerón itself, filled with colorful scenery, stands along the coast just beside the beach running along a 3-mile (4.8km) bay, with palm-fringed white sand curving away on both sides. The water is always tranquil, making it perfect for families and swimming. There’s fine snorkeling, sailing and fishing as well. The beach here is also one of the Puerto Rico’s state-run public beaches, with lifeguards, lockers, bathrooms, showers, a cafeteria and sundries shop, and picnic tables and barbecue pits. The village is a ramshackle collection of open-air establishments along the coast selling seafood and drinks. Fresh oysters are shucked on the spot and doused with Tabasco. Try the fried fritters filled with freshly caught fish or Caribbean lobster. There are plenty of interesting photo ops at this beach and its adjacent town.
The beach town of Boquerón itself, filled with colorful scenery, stands along the coast just beside the beach running along a 3-mile (4.8km) bay, with palm-fringed white sand curving away on both sides. The water is always tranquil, making it perfect for families and swimming. There’s fine snorkeling, sailing and fishing as well. The beach here is also one of the Puerto Rico’s state-run public beaches, with lifeguards, lockers, bathrooms, showers, a cafeteria and sundries shop, and picnic tables and barbecue pits. The village is a ramshackle collection of open-air establishments along the coast selling seafood and drinks. Fresh oysters are shucked on the spot and doused with Tabasco. Try the fried fritters filled with freshly caught fish or Caribbean lobster. There are plenty of interesting photo ops at this beach and its adjacent town.
- Best for Surfing: The winter surf along Puerto Rico’s northwest coast is the best in the region. Generally regarded as one of the best surf spots across the globe, it draws surfers from around the world. Rincón is the center of the island surf scene, but it extends to neighboring Isabela and Aguadilla. Dubbed the “Caribbean Pipeline,” winter waves here can approach 20 feet (6.1m) in height, equaling the force of the surf on Oahu’s north shore. Rincón became a renowned surfing destination when it hosted the 1968 world surfing championships. Famed surfing beaches in town include Puntas, Domes, Tres Palmas, and Steps. In Aguadilla, surfers head to Gas Chambers, Crash Boat, or Wilderness; in Isabela, preferred spots include Jobos and Middles. The best time to surf is from November through April, but summer storms can also kick up the surf. In the summer season, however, when the waves diminish, these northwest beaches double as perfect spots for windsurfing and snorkeling, with calm waters filled with coral reefs and marine life.
Rincón is the center of the island surf scene, but it extends to neighboring Isabela and Aguadilla. Dubbed the “Caribbean Pipeline,” winter waves here can approach 20 feet (6.1m) in height, equaling the force of the surf on Oahu’s north shore. Rincón became a renowned surfing destination when it hosted the 1968 world surfing championships. Famed surfing beaches in town include Puntas, Domes, Tres Palmas, and Steps. In Aguadilla, surfers head to Gas Chambers, Crash Boat, or Wilderness; in Isabela, preferred spots include Jobos and Middles. The best time to surf is from November through April, but summer storms can also kick up the surf. In the summer season, however, when the waves diminish, these northwest beaches double as perfect spots for windsurfing and snorkeling, with calm waters filled with coral reefs and marine life.
- Best for Windsurfing: Puerto Rico is filled with places for windsurfing and, increasingly, kite surfing. San Juan itself is a windsurfer’s haven, and you’ll see them off the coast from Pine Grove beach near the airport all the way west to where Ocean Park runs into Condado at Parque del Indio. Punta Las Marías, between Ocean Park and Isla Verde, is a center of activity. The Condado Lagoon, just behind the oceanfront strip of hotels, is also popular for windsurfing. (It’s increasingly popular with kayakers too.) The northwest, from Rincón to Isabela, is another center for windsurfing, with strong winds throughout the year.
- Best Beaches for Being Alone: Puerto Rico is filled with isolated sandy coves and virgin white beaches accessible only by dirt roads that only the locals seem to know about. The best, all guaranteed to delight the escapist in you, stretch between Cabo Rojo (the southwesterly tip of Puerto Rico) all the way east to Ponce. Guánica has several, including Las Paldas and La Jungla, which are empty except during holiday weekends. In Fajardo, a 2-mile (3.2km) hike from the Seven Seas Public Beach will reward you with the breathtaking El Convento Beach, along the miles-long undeveloped coastline stretching between Fajardo and Luquillo. Besides the governor’s official beach house, a rustic wooden cottage, there is nothing but white-sand beach and pristine aquamarine waters. The area is a nesting site for endangered sea turtles, and there is excellent snorkeling just offshore, where the water is rife with unspoiled coral reefs and marine life. Environmentalists hope to turn the area into a nature reserve, but two hotel projects are also planned for the area. The government has indicated it wants to develop small-scale, low impact tourism for the area. Vieques and Culebra, the Spanish Virgin Islands, also have their fair share of deserted, out of the way beaches. Because access to many of these is limited due to poor roads, it is necessary to bring supplies, including fresh drinking water.
The best, all guaranteed to delight the escapist in you, stretch between Cabo Rojo (the southwesterly tip of Puerto Rico) all the way east to Ponce. Guánica has several, including Las Paldas and La Jungla, which are empty except during holiday weekends. In Fajardo, a 2-mile (3.2km) hike from the Seven Seas Public Beach will reward you with the breathtaking El Convento Beach, along the miles-long undeveloped coastline stretching between Fajardo and Luquillo. Besides the governor’s official beach house, a rustic wooden cottage, there is nothing but white-sand beach and pristine aquamarine waters. The area is a nesting site for endangered sea turtles, and there is excellent snorkeling just offshore, where the water is rife with unspoiled coral reefs and marine life. Environmentalists hope to turn the area into a nature reserve, but two hotel projects are also planned for the area. The government has indicated it wants to develop small-scale, low impact tourism for the area.
Vieques and Culebra, the Spanish Virgin Islands, also have their fair share of deserted, out of the way beaches. Because access to many of these is limited due to poor roads, it is necessary to bring supplies, including fresh drinking water.
- Best for Snorkeling: The southwest, from Guánica through Boquerón, has excellent snorkeling with plenty of reefs and marine life right offshore. In the summer, once the big surf quiets down, several beaches in the northwest, from Rincón to Isabela, also boast good snorkeling. Steps is one of the best spots. The islands of Vieques and Culebra also have great snorkeling. On Vieques, try Media Luna, Navio, Red, and Blue beaches on the eastern side, and in the west, Green Beach. Culebra’s most popular beach, Flamenco is picture perfect and has very good snorkeling, but a 20-minute hike from its parking leads to the Playa Tamarindo and Playa Carlos Rosario, beaches enveloped by a barrier reef. A quarter-mile (.4km) to the south is a place called “The Wall,” which has 40-foot (12m) drop-offs, rainbow-hued fish, and other delights.
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A quarter-mile (.4km) to the south is a place called “The Wall,” which has 40-foot (12m) drop-offs, rainbow-hued fish, and other delights.
The Best Hotel Beaches
- El San Juan Hotel & Casino (San Juan; tel. 787/791-1000): This posh resort occupies the choicest beachfront real estate in San Juan at the heart of Isla Verde, a fat golden beach lined by luxury hotels and condominiums on one side and aquamarine waters on the other, evoking South Miami. The lush, multilevel pool area and outdoor restaurants form an oasis right off the beach, which pulsates with beautiful crowds and activity every day of the week. You can do it all, from parasailing to taking a catamaran trip, but sunbathing and splashing in the surf are the main attractions here. The hotel has a full array of watersports and other activities and is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and nightclubs.
- Copamarina Beach Resort (Caña Gorda; tel. 787/821-0505) lies west of Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second-largest city, in the coastal town of Guánica. A laid-back retreat, the resort is located off a breathtaking country road that winds over a mountainside and back down toward the mangrove-lined coast. It sits on one of the prettiest and least crowded beaches in southwestern Puerto Rico, beside the Gúanica Dry Forest nature reserve and bird sanctuary.
787/821-0505) lies west of Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second-largest city, in the coastal town of Guánica. A laid-back retreat, the resort is located off a breathtaking country road that winds over a mountainside and back down toward the mangrove-lined coast. It sits on one of the prettiest and least crowded beaches in southwestern Puerto Rico, beside the Gúanica Dry Forest nature reserve and bird sanctuary.
- The Ritz-Carlton San Juan Spa & Casino (Isla Verde; tel. 787/253-1700): This elegant sandstone and azure blue resort blends effortlessly into its setting on one of San Juan’s most pristine beaches at the secluded eastern end of Isla Verde. Majestic stone-lion fountains and towering rows of royal palm trees run through its pool area. A large gate opens to the white-sand beach, whose tranquil aquamarine waters are sheltered by a large coral reef offshore.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice.
Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
90,000 water temperature in Playa Fortune (Puerto Rico) in January
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Playa Fortuna, Puerto Rico | © Alexis Fonseca
Is it possible to swim in Playa Fortuna in January? All information about the water temperature in the Caribbean Sea in January. Historical data, comparison and analysis. nine0004
Analysis of historical data on water temperature in Plai Fortune in January
#minimum
25.0 ° C
#average
27.0 ° C
#maximum
28.0 ° C
The average temperature in the Caribbean Sea in Playa Fortune in January is 27.
0°C. It is very warm and comfortable water for long bathing in any body of water. It is believed that these are ideal conditions under which you can be without the slightest discomfort. But it is worth remembering that at such a water temperature, various pathogens multiply very quickly. nine0005
The minimum water temperature in Playa Fortuna in January is 25.0°C, the maximum is 28.0°C. In recent years, at the beginning of the month, the temperature here is at around 26.8°C, and by the end of the month the water warms up to 27°C.
The average water temperature in the first decade is 27°C, in the middle of the month – 26°C, and at the end – 26°C.
Table of sea water temperatures in Playa Fortuna in January for recent years
| Day | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| 1 | 28°C | 28°C | 28°C | 26°C | ||||
| 2 | 27°C | 27° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | ||||
| 3 | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | ° C | ||||
| 4 | 27 ° C | 2 C | 27°C | 26°C | ||||
| 5 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 25 ° C | ||||
| 6 | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | ,27 ° C | ||||
| 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | |||||
| 8 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C. | 27°C | 27°C | 27°C | 28°C |
| 10 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | ||||
| 11 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | |||||
| 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | |||||
| 13 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C. | 27°C | 27°C | 27°C | 25°C |
| 15 | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | ||||
| 27 ° C | 27 ° C 9006 ° C 9006 9 9006 9 | 17 | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | ||
| 27 ° C | 27 ° C | |||||||
| 19 | 28°C | 27°C | 27°C | 28°C | ||||
| 20 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | ||||
| 27 ° C | 27 ° C. | |||||||
| 22 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | ||||
| 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C. | ||||||
| 24 | 27°C | 26°C | 27°C | 27°C | ||||
| 25 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | ||||
| 26 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C. | ||||||
| 27 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | ||||
| 28 | 27 ° C | 27 ° C. | ||||||
| 29 | 27°C | 26°C | 27°C | 27°C Detailed information about the water temperature today in Playa Fortuna and the forecast for the next week, see the link: water in more than 12,000 cities and resorts around the world. The water surface temperature values are available in real time. We use data from a variety of sources, including the National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA), weather services around the world, data from over a thousand buoys around the world, satellite systems to scan the surface of the oceans and seas. All supported languages:
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There is a forecast of changes in water temperature for the coming days, as well as historical data on sea surface temperatures for all days of recent years. nine0005