Ultimate Beach Hopping Guide
This itinerary will hit many of the best beaches on the island. Starting from San Juan, you’ll traverse the entire north coast and the northen tip of the west coast. How long this itinerary will take you is up to you. You could spend a full day at many of these beaches. I enjoy spending 1-3 hours before hopping to the next location. So, about four beaches is the max I do. If you go at about the same pace, it will take you 5 days to complete this itinerary. However, beaches change depending on the season. Some aren’t even worth visiting when the waves get bigger, like Las Palmas Beach. If you want to see how I rank these beaches to help you prioritize, check them out on my Beaches page where I list them in ranked order.
Puerto Salinas
The first stop is Puerto Salinas, located right outside of San Juan, in Toa Baja. The beach makes up the left side of a peninsula vaguely shaped like a whale’s tale. The water is shallow and calm. Coconut trees offer shade and showers to rinse off. This is a perfect beach to relax in the water.
Next, drive 30 min to visit two small beaches in Vega Alta. First, Tocones Beach, accessed via a path between residential homes. Depending on conditions, the water visibility can be good. There is a good amount of live hard coral to see while snorkeling and you can even surf near the mouth of the bay. I have heard of cars being broken into here but I have never had an issue.
Second, Cerro Gordo Beach. The main part of this beach is surround by a paid parking lot ($4). A small key is visible off the coast. There are mountain biking trails nearby and apparently the snorkeling is decent. There are showers to rinse off.
If you are choosing between the two, Cerro Gordo is more accessible and popular. The water is more calm and shallow. Tocones is less crowded and feels more wild. It’s better for snorkeling or surfing, depending on conditions.
Tocones Beach
Cerro Gordo Beach
Puerto Nuevo Beach
Drive 20 min around a nature reserve to arrive at Puerto Nuevo Beach. The beach is a sandy point sticking out like a small peninsula which runs into a wall of rocks parallel to the coastline. Laying on the sand, you’ll find water on either side of you. One side is protected by the rock which creates a natural pool. There was a surprising amount of fish in and near the mouth of this pool when I last went so I had a good time snorkeling. This beach can get extremely crowded, go before noon on a weekday to beat the crowd.
Los Tubos Beach
The next stop is the municipality of Manatí. Manatí’s coastline is loaded with great beaches. There are at least five spots worth visiting all very near the other.
The first is Los Tubos Beach. This is an intermediate surf spot when there are waves. When it is calm, you can chill in the water or do some snorkeling. The snorkeling here is fun but can’t compare to other spots. This is a huge beach, but most people settle near the parking lot and boat ramp.
Mar Chiquita
Just 6 minutes away is the unique Mar Chiquita Beach. When the surf is big, watch the waves smash on the rocks, when it’s calm you can do some decent snorkeling. At any time of the year, this is one of the coolest-looking beaches you can visit. The shore is rocky, but there’s a couple places that are sandy where you can enter.
Las Palmas Beach
If you are visiting in the summer and the waves aren’t too big, try Las Palmas Beach next. Drive 7 minutes to park here. Walk through the opening in the fence and down the farm road until you get to the beach. During much of the year, this beach is not worth visiting, but when conditions are right it totally transforms into the idyllic Caribbean paradise. If the surf is rough, skip this beach and head to the next spot.
Las Golondrinas Cave
The way to Las Golondrinas Cave is a nice, but very short hike in a nature reserve, it should take about 10 min each way. On the way you’ll see a sign detailing this and other nearby trails. Park here, walk along the beach until you get to rocks, follow the stairs up and into a forested section. At any fork go right until you get there. You want to get to the rocky section you can see jutting out in the distance from the first beach. Or, walk behind the houses and follow that trail to get to the cave or Boquillas Beach.
Boquillas Beach
As close to a natural swimming pool as I have found. This beach is protected by rocks and has a sandy bottom throughout. Fresh water from a natural spring runs into the pool in an extremely shallow river. If you look around underwater, the top 6 inches or so is hazy from the fresh and salt waters mixing. Getting to this beach requires a 10 min hike through a small forest, park here. You can walk in front of or behind the abandoned buildings, there is a trail on either side. This beach attracts nudists for whatever reason so be prepared for that. Though it is secluded, this beach still gets busy on weekends.
If you are hungry and looking for a place to eat, head to Veronica’s Bakery in Manatí. This place has an unassuming exterior, but I like everything I have tried here. The beef empanada was the star of the show for us but you can’t go wrong here for breakfast or lunch.
Christopher Colombus Statue
Leaving Manatí, you’ll need to drive 30-40 min to Arecivo. Driving along the coast, seemingly in a random location, you’ll suddenly see a massive statue. Bigger than the statue of liberty, the Estatua de Colón is an awesome sight. The gate to get close to it is always locked, still there are spots you can stop to get a good look.
Cueva del Indio
Not far down the road is probably the most significant indigenous site on the island, the Cueva del Indio Nature Reserve. The indigenous people that populated the island before the Spanish found it carved hundreds of markings all over the inside of a rocky cove. To see them face to face isn’t for the faint of heart. Sneak through a small slit in the rock, spiderman-walk the two walls, and hop to a rock dodging a steep fall. If that’s not for you, you can still see markings looking down into the cave, but not nearly so many as when you are down there. I believe there used to be some kind of ladder but that is gone now and can not be replaced due to laws protecting the site. Entrance fee is steep at $10.00 per person because you must park on and cross private land. There is a beach next door with good surfing when conditions are right.
La Poza del Obispo
Drive 10 minutes west to La Poza del Obispo . This is a special beach but because it is so small it can get very crowded. It’s best to go early or late in the day. It’s basically a natural swimming pool where rocks enclose a sandy pool of clear water. When big waves break on those rocks, it blasts water high into the air to rain on those that stand close to the rocky perimeter. This also creates a kind of wave pool that is fun to play in, though currents can get strong. This beach easily could have come higher in the list for me. It gets really windy often, so umbrellas won’t work. Also, it is a very small area and can get very crowded. On the upside there is a shower to rinse off (rare in PR) and an ice cream man. You need to see this one
Puerto Hermina Beach
Leave Arecibo and drive to Puerto Hermina Beach in Hatillo. It’s another small beach 40 minutes to the west. You’ll drive down a steep road to get to sea level, and the view of the vast Atlantic Ocean from the top of the hill is stunning. At sea level, along the road, there are several pavilions with picnic tables, making this a great place to eat a packed lunch. The beach itself is very small, and not one to stay at for more than an hour or so, but it’s a very scenic location and worth the stop. When I was there, there were people snorkeling pretty far off shore but I have not done it myself, yet.
Guajataca Tunnel
Next, drive 15 min west to the municipality of Isabela to check out a historic tunnel near the ocean. Túnel de Guajataca is a relic of the spanish colonial railroad project. In 1924, most of the major cities were all connected by rail. Once car’s became common, the train was used less and less until it was abandoned in the 1950’s. Now we all get to sit in traffic everywhere, nice. The tunnel of Guajataca is a nice walk if you want to take a break from the ocean. You can stop at the Mirador de Guajataca on the way there for an awesome view of the Isabela coastline.
Pastillo Beach
An 8 min drive west take you to Pastillo Beach – a pretty, really long, and mostly empty beach. There’s a small parking lot down a road perpendicular to the shore. From there, you can walk left for a long way until you reach a rocky cliff. We walked all the way there and found tons of sea glass along the way. Once we reached the cliff, we found some coconuts I broke open on the rock like a savage. Worth it. I believe that when you visit on low tide you can access a large cave on the cliff side.
Isabela Boardwalk
I’d say the Isabela Boardwalk is one of the best walks on the island. It’s a wooden boardwalk suspended about 15 feet off the sand. It’s one everyone will enjoy. One side of the boardwalk ends at the beautiful Jobos Beach where you can get some food at the many restaurants that surround it.
Jobos Beach
Jobos Beach has something for everyone. It has surfing for all skill levels, with sea turtles that graze on seaweed around the beginner surf area. Near the rocky area you can do some snorkeling. Close to shore the water is calm and the bottom is sandy so you can relax in the shallows. On the shore there are many palm trees where you can set up your spot in the shade. Parking on the road can be tough.
Shacks Beach
5 minutes down the road lies the best snorkeling spot on the main island – Shacks Beach. There is a good amount of living coral, a good diversity of fish, and these really cool caves you can swim around, into, and even through. This is a location for confident swimmers, exercise caution when swimming in the caves and be aware of the current and the reef. The reef gets extremely shallow and the current can be strong. There are a lot of sea urchins in all the rock crevices, be very careful! Snorkel with a buddy, take it slow, exercise caution, you’ll have a blast.
Our next stop is Aguadilla. At this point, we have arrived at the west coast. There are more than a couple good restaurants in this area but two of my favorites are Senpai Ramen and Khalan Thai. Both are just a few minutes away from Shacks. Khalan Thai can have long wait times and is a little hit or miss in terms of food quality. If you like thai food, it’s worth rolling the dice because when it’s good, it’s really good. At Senpai Ramen try the double pork ramen, it’s amazing.
Punta Borinquen Beach
After some grub, the next beach to visit is Punta Borinquen Beach. A wild-looking beach in the unofficial Playuela Nature Reserve (home to many beautiful beaches like Peña Blanca and Wilderness Beach). A steep cliff face borders one side of the beach – an unusual feature in Puerto Rico. The shore break can be a little rough here. A palm grove offers a lot of shade to relax, there are a couple picnic tables set close to the entrance. The shore break can get rough, but it’s worth checking to visit this beautiful beach.
Lighthosue Ruins
Just down the dirt road is the ruins of an old lighthouse. What’s left of the old structure is still impressive, they don’t make them like they used to. This is a fun 15 min stop before heading to the next beach. Just outside the entrance is a sign of the nearby roads/trails. If you have a car that can handle some subpar dirt roads, you can reach the next two beaches on the dirt roads that wind along the coast in the Playuela Nature Reserve.
Really the only reason to stop at this beach is if you are into surfing. I have heard that camping in this area is popular. When I arrived, a couple was sitting on a bench looking out to sea. To get to it, you’ll need to drive down the dirt road until you get to a small parking lot with a bench near the water. While not ideal for lounging or getting in the water due to the rough surf, this beach’s secluded location gives it a certain charm.
Peña Blanca Beach
Continue down the dirt road if you are up for the adventure and have a jeep or something like it. Otherwise, backtrack to the highway to get to Peña Blanca Beach. It’s a great beach for snorkeling, laying in the sand, or even whale watching! There is decent snorkeling here close to shore. I have seen fish, eels, and turtles. Whales pass between the shore and the distant Desecheo Island in the winter. The water is almost as clear as the nearby Crash Boat Beach. We got a $100 ticket for parking close to the beach. It turns out that a man owns a dirt lot near the beach and charges everyone $10.00 to park on his dirt. If you park at the beach entrance (where there are no “no parking” signs), he calls the cops who promptly come to hand out tickets. High tide makes this beach disappear so time your visit with the tidal chart.
Crash Boat Beach
Drive 12 minutes south to Crash Boat Beach, one of the most popular beaches on the entire island, it’s always packed. Everyone has congregated at this western beach in Aguadilla for a reason. The water visibility here is perhaps the best on the mainland. You can snorkel around the tip of the pier and see marine life like fish, sea snakes, and squid. This is a popular scuba shore dive location for these reasons. I like to swim out to the scuba buoy and dive down there with freediving fins. It’s where most of the fish are located. Just keep an eye out when you’re on the surface, people are always blasting around this area on jet ski rentals. You can walk to the end of the pier and jump off in either direction, then climb up a rope attached to the end of the pier to do it again.
This concludes the Ultimate Beach Hopping Itinerary. There is certainly a lot more to do along the north and west coasts of the island, but if you follow this itinerary, you’ll see many of the best beaches on the island. If you want to keep the party going, check out my Rincón Travel Itinerary. Rincón is about a 45 minute drive from Crash Boat Beach and has a lot to offer for beach lovers!
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