Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches
It’s so hard to say which is the “best beach” in Puerto Rico, let alone rank 50+ beaches in order as I have done on Beaches. What makes for the best beach? Should it be where you have the most fun, where you find yourself going most often, or simply the most picturesque? Should seasonal changes to a beach impact its ranking? Should a long hike or expensive boat ride to get to the beach? Should activity opportunities like snorkeling, surfing, paddle boarding, or volleyball? Do showers, bathrooms, or nearby restaurants make a beach better or worse? What about crowds or the amount of shade? These are questions that even the wisest among us dare not answer. We may never know. Still, I did my best to consider all these factors and more when ranking the beaches of Puerto Rico. Obviously it’s just my subjective opinion on the matter, but my opinions are nearly always objectively right. For this list, I lay down such scientifically rigorous and objective measures and instead present which beaches are the most beautiful to me.
Tortuga Beach on Culebrita Island is a Caribbean paradise with crystal-clear water and white sand. Sea turtles munch on seagrass in the bay and coral reefs surround the island. When I went, there were a dozen other people at most, and at times I was the only one on the beach. It’s the most beautiful beach I have seen, not just in Puerto Rico, but in my entire life. This is what people think of when they think of the Caribbean. The small, uninhabited island of Culebrita is the easternmost island in the Puerto Rican archipelago. On the boat ride over, the neighboring island of St. Thomas is clearly visible and is closer than the Puerto Rican main island. To get there, you’ll need to hire a water taxi or organize a tour. I highly recommend Gammy’s Water Tours.
A beach known for its turquoise water and soft white sand has long been considered a top-tier Caribbean beach. Located on the Puerto Rican island of Culebra, this is the quintessential tropical beach. It is essentially a much bigger version of Tortuga Beach. The water is calmest on the left side, near the entrance. Walking along the shore, relaxing in the shallows, and snorkeling in the crystal clear water makes for a great day trip.
The sand is white and the water is turquoise blue and crystal clear at Navio Beach (in good conditions). We went two days in a row and found the beach mostly empty, probably due to its remote location. I was one of a few people at the beach and the only one in the water for around 30 minutes. I kept finding myself looking around and laughing like a fool. I suppose I was in awe of the beauty of my surroundings, and floored that a beach like this would be virtually empty. I hope I always remember that feeling.
Located in the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, Caracas Beach has soft, white sand. It is popular among locals and visitors alike. It has pavilions with picnic tables and BBQ’s which are often all claimed. Generally, the water is very calm and clear. If you want to see this beach without the crowds, make it your first stop in the morning when you arrive on Vieques Island. This picturesque Caribbean beach will only get more popular in the coming years.
A short boat ride from Fajardo brings you to Icacos Key. There are many charters you can pick to take you to the island for about $100. I went with a company that rents inflatable motorized dinghies. Upon arriving, you see the water change from dark blue to turquoise as it gets more shallow. There were a lot of people chilling in the water and loud music. The water is crystal clear and the beach is beautiful. As you lounge in the water you’ll have the moment where you realize, “Wow. I am relaxing in the Caribbean Sea on an uninhabited tropical island, nice.” There is some mediocre snorkeling at the ruined pier, but the main thing to do here is relax.
Luis Peña Key is off the west coast of the island of Culebra. It is one of the most idyllic Caribbean beaches I have seen, and the words (or possibly compound word?) “picture-perfect” comes to mind. The water is a brilliant blue that changes in hue depending on the depth or whether there is sand or a reef below the calm water. Unfortunately, the picture I have is far from perfect and does not do it justice. The beach is very small though so it won’t take many boaters anchoring their boats at the beach to fill it up. The only way to get there is via via chartered boat The snorkeling here is very good with a decent amount of coral and marine life.
A picturesque beach stretching 1.5 miles along the southern coast of Vieques Island. The sand is almost white, a light grey like the color of dry cement. The water is shallow and crystal clear. There is a lot of seagrass after a certain point. To get there, you’ll need to drive down a bumpy dirt road through the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. Because it’s so long, there are a bunch of different places to access the shore. You’ll see roads to the right marked 1 – 23. The entrances to La Chiva are numbers 4 – 18. The sandy point in the middle of what looks to be a giant “W” (pictured above) is shallow a long way out, park at or near #9 to be close. You’re more likely to find washed-up sea grass and other debris at numbers 10 – 15.
Located on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, not far from the famous Mosquito Bay sits a long, crescent-shaped beach with palm trees lining one side and the blue Caribbean water lapping on the other. My friend Sam said upon seeing it, “This is straight out of a commercial.” Drive down the sandy road and pick a palm tree to lie under. It’s more accessible than the other popular beaches on the island because it’s the closest.
To get to “The Jungle Beach”, a car with clearance is non-negotiable. The dirt road to get to this beach can be treacherous but depends on the recent weather. When you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of a virgin coastline with El Yunque looming in the background. Very few venture out to this beach so you’ll likely have this expanse of sand and sea to yourself. This beach looks wild and exotic. It is one of the most important beaches in the Caribbean for sea turtle nesting. The waves are pretty constant which makes chilling in the water tough. If you like long walks on the beach, this is your personal paradise.
This beach makes the list as it is the most unique beach I have laid eyes on. The north coast is full of natural pools formed by the rock near the shore, but none are so majestic as this one. The water enters from two channels in the center to create an almost perfect semi-circle pool of teal-colored water. Climb up the rocks on the left to get a view of this beautiful natural wonder. In the winter the waves are sometimes huge and crash on the rock to blast water everywhere. The rocks on the right are not safe to climb when there is big surf.
Honorable Mentions
This beach, like others in the area, has the feeling of a virgin coastline that has been left largely undeveloped. Palm trees and other foliage line the sand, near the shore. The sand is as soft as powder sugar, though an earthy brown tone. The lighthouse perched on a cliff overlooking the beach is picturesque. When I went, I was the only person on the beach. If you are touring the lesser traveled south coast, add this beach to your list. The shore break waves can be rough so the signs say not to get in the water.
The drive down the hill to this beach located in Quebradillas is gorgeous. As you drive down a steep road you’ll have an awesome view of the Atlantic Ocean. Parallel to the rocky coastline are coconut palms and a few pavilions with picnic tables under them. The beach is at the end of the road located next to the ruins of some structure. The beach is small and interestingly the sand runs far inland, away from the ocean in a vaguely triangle shape, surrounded by steep limestone cliffs.
This popular beach sits at the foot of El Yunque National Forest. Coral reefs far from shore take the brunt of the rough Atlantic swell, allowing this beach calm shores and placid waters year-round. Palms and pines line the sand, splitting the beach from a day-use area. Make sure you walk towards where the beach rounds a corner so you get a good view of the Luquillo Mountains.
This is a small beach outside of the Puerta de San Juan – the main, and only remaining entrance into the walled city from colonial times. It’s a great place to cool off from walking around the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. The view from the beach of the 300-year-old walls and recently restored turrets is beautiful. It took 150 years for the walls around the city to be built. Sitting in the warm, calm water is a good place to appreciate the scale and beauty of the construction. You’ll have to scramble over large rocks to make it to the narrow strip of sand.
On the Northwest tip of Vieques Island is a beautiful beach with palm trees leaning towards the sea and boats anchored in the sand. There are conch shells washed up on the shore and many more in the shallows. The sand is partially composed of smoothed granite pebbles mottled with black stone and quartz. Floating in the clear water affords a great view of the main island with the tall and verdant Luquillo Mountains visible. The last part of the drive to get there is on a rough dirt road with unmarked speed bumps, I recommend a UTV for the suspension. Likely for this reason, this is one of the least-visited beaches on Vieques.
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