Peña Blanca Beach

Location: Aguadilla

Getting there: From San Juan, drive 1 hour 30 minutes west until you reach the west coast of the island. Drive through a neighborhood until you get to a dead end. The trail down to the beach is at that dead end. Just before the dead end is a dirt lot where you’ll have to pay $10.00 to park. Walk down the trail, there are steps down to the beach on the left hand side.

Things to do:  Snorkel – There isn’t a lot to see, but I did see a young green sea turtle cruising around. Relax in the shallows – there may be some small waves on the shore, but not big enough to stop anyone from hanging out in the water. Paddle board – Because the water is so calm, you can kayak or paddle board without difficulty. Whale watch – Whales pass between the west coast of Puerto Rico and the distant Desecheo Island. Visit in February or March for the best chance of seeing one.

Heads up: 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. There may be sand flies when you visit. They get worse in the evening or early morning. This beach is very small and can get eaten up up by high tide, check a tidal chart before you visit to arrive during low tide.