Categories: TRAVEL

3 Beautiful Beaches in Puerto Rico

The beautiful island of Puerto Rico is a well travelled tourist hot spot with its year round tropical weather, rainforests, mountains galore, and of course plenty of rum. During a recent trip to Puerto Rico this summer, I was especially impressed with their beaches. This rather small island surrounded by two different bodies of water; both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea had a lot to offer.

Having grown up a stone’s throw from Pensacola, Florida; I consider myself well acquainted with its beaches. I have travelled the state considerably from the sugar sand beaches along the Emerald Coast in Destin to Del Tura Beach in picturesque Ft. Lauderdale-by-the-sea, where my husband and I were married. Initially, the most notable difference I found with many of Puerto Rico’s beaches was the dark golden colored sand with flecks of black.

In addition to the oddly colored sand, I found that there were many areas that didn’t have a traditional shoreline. This made it that much more challenging for those of us wanting to take an impromptu dip in the warm and
inviting waters. The absence of sand didn’t stop me from enjoying the beautiful beaches.

My top choice is Luquillo Beach, a 25 mile highly populated tourist hotspot that runs alongside a strip of restaurants, night spot, retail space and authentic Puerto Rican eateries. The shoreline is dotted with palm and coconut trees. This busy beach, located in Rio Grande just outside of Luqillo, is home to the Leatherback turtle nesting site. Our resort offered a private beach that was part of Luquillo beach. They pulled all tables, beach chairs and umbrellas in at dusk as not to disturb the nesting grounds.

Luquillo Beach at night was a complete opposite to the scene during the day. The warm water, the cool breeze and the hypnotic sound of the waves against the shore was intoxicating. We spent much of the time in the warm waters of Luquillo Beach which is located on the North side of the island in the Atlantic Ocean. Because it was cloudy for the greater part of our visit we decided to travel to the Southern part of the island where it was sunny and dry. This led us to the Santa Playa; my second choice.

Santa Playa is a close second to Luquillo; this peaceful beach is located in Guánica, 20 miles west of Ponce. Santa Playa Beach has a rugged coastline which provides a rocky perch to observe one of the islands most beautiful beaches. After travelling down a long winding road, alongside a densely populated forest I was rewarded with a beautiful beach. Unlike the Piñones and Luquillo Beach; Santa Playa is a beautifully secluded beach perfect for couples looking for a romantic retreat.

I enjoyed splashing in water but feel free to bring chairs to enjoy the view from atop the dramatic sea cliffs. This unspoiled stretch of beach offered waves, rocks, barnacles and plenty of privacy; oh my!

Last but not least is Piñones Beach, located in Condado, a busy suburb of San Juan. When we arrived to watch a sunrise we discovered that many others had the same great idea. There were small clusters of people reclining on beach chairs enjoying the serene sunrise. There were very few trees to obstruct the view. The shoreline was plentiful and wide enough to handle a game of beach volleyball. In addition, there were several large black rocks jutting out of the sand and water.

I have had the privilege of swimming in the white sandy beaches along the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and of course the Gulf of Mexico as I have lived in the south for the majority of my life. Some might even consider me somewhat of a beach aficionado. In my opinion the beaches in Puerto Rico were phenomenal; first of all they were everywhere and secondly, they offered unique and dramatic scenery.

As a self certified beach bum, I have always dreamed of travelling to the black sand beaches of exotic places like Guatemala’s Monterrico Beach and Hawaii’s Punaluu Beach. There are actually many countries that boast black sand beaches; New Zealand and Alaska also carry this distinguished honor. Since I am a huge fan of warm weather, I have had very little inclination to travel to such frigid destinations.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home and learned that there were black sand beaches just 8 miles east of the mountainous island of Puerto Rico, on Isle de Vieques. I guess that serves as my challenge on my next great adventure!