La Poza del Obispo Beach

Location: Arecibo

Getting there: From San Juan, drive 1 hour west to Arecibo. There is a lot of parking in a large sand and grass lot near the beach. The walk along the sand can be hot so sandals is a good idea. If there’s room, set up on the left side of the pool, closest to the rock.

Things to do: Relax in the shallows – The water is calmest in the summer but is usually relatively calm close to shore. Wave pool – This beach is often a natural wave pool. There is a rocky barrier that slows the waves, making them fun for most any age to play in. The closer you get to the rocks the stronger the wave. When the surf is big, the wave will explode on the rock and blast water high into the air. It’s a lot of fun to play in or just to watch. Snorkeling – You won’t see much except a large school of whiteish fish (pictured above).

Heads up: It is a very small area and can get very crowded. This beach is nearly always windy. Avoid being sandblasted by bringing a beach chair to get a little higher off the sand and set up on the left side, close to the water. The shape of this beach changes depending on how the sand gets pushed around during the year. At times, the pool is 100% sand with no exposed rock besides where the wave hits, other times one whole side of the normally sandy bowl is rock. The current can get strong in this natural pool, but there’s no danger of being dragged out to sea except perhaps in the harshest inclement weather during high tide.