Top 10 Most
Fun 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 fun to me.
This beach has something for everyone. It has surfing for all skill levels as there are small-moderate waves that break near a sand bar and bigger waves that break further out. Sea turtles 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. You can easily spend the whole day on this beach.
A natural swimming pool where rocks enclose a sandy pool of clear water. When big waves break on those rocks, they blast 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 so fun to play in, though currents can get strong. It gets 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.
This is easily one of the most popular beaches on the island, it’s always packed and loud. Everyone has congregated at this west coast beach in Aguadilla for a reason. The water visibility here is perhaps the best on the main island. 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. 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. Renting jet skis is common here as the water is calm. There are food stands all around where you can buy things like pinchos (shish kebab) or piña coladas.
Domes Beach is considered one of the best surf spots on the island. From my experience, it’s the best. I had the best surf day of my life here. The waves are clean and consistent, the water is clear, and the ride time for each wave is long. It can get crowded, but you can catch it on a day with very few people. I saw a snorkeler ducking the waves to observe the sea turtles cruising around the surfing area to find seagrass. If you aren’t interested in surfing, skip this one.
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. For those interested, there is rock climbing on the sheer cliffs near the parking lot. The climbs are moderate but pumpy and well-bolted. The snorkeling is quite good with a lot of sea life visible but little coral. This is a popular beach for spearfishing.
Walk along the shore to see a WW2 ear tank, relax in the calm, turquoise water, or snorkel in the crystal clear water to one of the reefs clearly visible from the shore. A day trip to Flamenco Beach on Culebra Island is always fun! If you will be there all day and you enjoy snorkeling, there are other beaches just a 20-minute walk away with even better reefs.
I love snorkeling, and down an unassuming farm road, you’ll find a beach with one of the healthiest coral reefs on the island. There isn’t a lot of diversity in coral species, what makes Steps Beach special is the sheer quantity of living elkhorn coral. Small tropical fish swim through the antler-like limbs they call home. It is important to go when the surf is calm because the swell clouds the water and can drag you around, risking a collision with the coral. The shore is rocky, look for an easier entrance into the water on the left.
The beach itself is windy and rocky, but Shacks Beach has some of the best snorkeling on the main island. There is a good amount of living coral, a diversity of fish, and these really cool caves you can swim around, into, and even through. I once dove into a cave and looked up to see a massive barracuda staring at me. 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 rock crevices, even in the shallows. Snorkel with a buddy, take it slow, exercise caution, and you’ll have a blast.
Tortuga Beach is located in a picturesque bay on Culebrita Island. The boat ride to this small island, hiking trails to different beaches with heavy hermit crab traffic, natural pools, and snorkeling the nearby reefs, all contribute to the fun of exploring this Caribbean paradise. The neighboring island of St. Thomas is clearly visible and is closer than the Puerto Rican main island. To get to this small, uninhabited island, you’ll need to hire a water taxi or organize a tour. I highly recommend Gammy’s Water Tours, we had a great experience with the couple that runs this business. In addition to dropping you off on the island, they also provide chairs, umbrellas, snorkel gear, and even a paddleboard for you to use. Sea turtles munch on seagrass in the bay and coral reefs surround the island, making for some amazing snorkeling.
Inches Beach usually has pretty small waves or is altogether flat. When you see 2-3 ft on Surfline, it’s on. Inches is a true reef break. The reef is so shallow that there is even a section sticking out of the water. Line up parallel with the exposed coral, there is a break close to the coral that is most consistent and one that breaks slightly further out. The part you surf over varies in depth, most of it is safe if you fall flat on your back or stomach. However, during low tide there are extremely shallow sections; if you fall over them, you are hitting the coral. I have done this twice but I keep coming back. The view from your board looking to the shore will make you grateful to be alive. The longer I have lived in Puerto Rico, the more I find myself coming to this secluded spot. The sunsets here are incredible.
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