Fajardo and around
Justly regarded as the boating capital of Puerto Rico, it’s no surprise that the real appeal of FAJARDO lies along the coast. Numerous boat operators provide ample opportunity to explore the glittering waters and islets of La Cordillera just offshore, while the nearby Reserva Natural Cabezas de San Juan is an unexpectedly wild reserve containing one of the island’s extraordinary bioluminescent bays. The city itself has become something of a boomtown in recent years and is best avoided; a wholly unattractive mess of strip malls, clogged highways and rampant property development.
Coming by car, it’s easy to drive right through all this and most públicos will drop you elsewhere if you ask – get a taxi or another bus if you get stuck at the downtown terminal. The reserva is 5km north of the city on PR-987, near the fishing village of Las Croabas, which also contains some of the best places to stay and eat. Most boat excursions depart from Villa Marina, just east of the centre on PR-987, or Puerto del Rey, several kilometres to the south. For the ferries to Vieques and Culebra, head straight to the grubby port district of Puerto Real (referred to locally and on públicos as “La Playa”).
Around Fajardo
Lingering in Fajardo itself is pointless; focus instead on the varied ecosystems of the Reserva Natural Cabezas de San Juan and Laguna Grande before exploring the reef-encrusted islands of La Cordillera. While plenty of travellers visit on day-trips from San Juan, staying in the area means you won’t have to pay additional transport charges or get up at the crack of dawn.
Laguna Grande
Lying just inside the reserve, the placid waters of Laguna Grande look fairly ordinary by day, but when night falls everything changes. Thanks to creatures known as dinoflagellates, kayaks and boats leave glowing trails in the dark, while water falls like sparks of light from paddles and trailing arms. Puerto Rico has several places where heavy concentrations of microscopic plankton create this mesmerizing phenomenon: Vieques is home to the most celebrated example, but on a dark (and moonless) night, Laguna Grande is almost as magical. Optimum days for viewing are based not only on the phases of the moon but also the actual time the moon rises – check before you go.
The only way to experience the lagoon is to take a tour, preferably by kayak. It is forbidden to swim in the bay, so cutting through the mangroves by kayak is the best way to appreciate its bizarre luminescence – it’s not as taxing as it looks and easy for beginners. One of the most eco-friendly and informative operators is Yokahú Kayak Trips (787/604-7375, www.yokahukayaks.com), which runs 2hr tours at 6pm and 8pm daily. Kayaking Puerto Rico (787/435-1665, www.kayakingpuertorico.com) is another professional outfit that can arrange trips also for $45 per person. Try to book at least three days in advance for both companies.
Captain Charlie Robles’s electric boat at Bio Island (787/422-7857, www.bioislandpr.com) is an eco-friendly alternative to kayaking. Captain Suárez (787/655-2739 or 787/556-8291) is the only operator licensed to pilot actual motorboats in the lagoon, and though he’s a knowledgeable guide, his boat isn’t really helping the lagoon. All tours start at the Las Croabas quay, last 90 minutes, and guides are all bilingual.
Reserva Natural Cabezas de San Juan
Wonderfully preserved by the Conservation Trust (www.fideicomiso.org) since 1975, the Reserva Natural Cabezas de San Juan (787/860-2563 or 787/722-5834, weekends 787/860-2560) comprises 321 acres of untamed scrub and mangroves and 8km of reef-lined coast on the northeastern tip of the island. You’ll pass the gated entrance to the reserve just beyond the Balneario Seven Seas car park, but the guard will only let you in if you have a reservation: reserve a tour in advance, by phone or online: English tours depart at 2pm.
Laguna Grande dominates the lower half of the reserve, while the bush-smothered hill that rises over the northern section is topped by El Faro, the old Spanish lighthouse completed in 1882. It now houses a small visitors’ centre with exhibits showcasing the reserve’s marine and coastal ecosystems, including the bio bay – the highlight being bags of dinoflagellates that glow in the dark when shaken. Be sure to soak up the magnificent views from the observation deck on top.
General tours (by trolley bus; 2hr 30min) provide a brief taste of some of the diverse environments preserved here, starting with the mangrove forests that surround the lagoon (30 percent of the reserve), where a short boardwalk passes red, black, white and buttonwood mangroves and hordes of crab scuttle for cover. At Playa Lirios you get a chance to see the rocky coast and scrub and the three headlands that give the reserve its name (cabeza means “head”), before ending up at the lighthouse. Other than birds and insects, the only other wildlife you may encounter are giant iguanas, plodding through the undergrowth.
La Cordillera
While the modern city of Fajardo has all the charm of a giant shopping mall, the real Caribbean starts in earnest just offshore. La Cordillera is a chain of around ten uninhabited, reef-encrusted white sand cays, paradise for anyone interested in snorkelling, diving or lazing on the beach. Turtles nest here each year and the sprawling coral reefs are home to a variety of marine life. Many of the islands are protected within the Reserva Natural La Cordillera, managed by the DRNA.
To reach the islands you’ll need a boat: the easiest way to get one is to find or call Captain Domingo “Mingo” Nieves (t787/383-6509) at the Las Croabas pier. He’ll take you to Icacos or Palominitos for $100 (maximum 6 people) and pick you up anytime. For $30 per person (minimum 4 people) he’ll take you snorkelling off Palominitos for a couple of hours. If you’re lucky enough to be a guest at the El Conquistador Resort, you’ll get ferried over to Isla Palominos for free and failing that, numerous boats operating out of Villa Marina and Puerto del Rey visit the islands every day.
The islands
Cayo Icacos (163 acres) is the biggest island in the chain, coated in a thick layer of scrubby bush, seagrape and coconut palms, and fringed by incredibly seductive beaches of floury white sand and vivid, turquoise waters. Being relatively close to shore (though still 7km from Villa Marina), it’s a particular favourite of boat operators, which means the best beach areas (on the calmer, leeward side) can get crowded on weekends, but at other times it’s easy to find a secluded spot. The ocean side of the island is rough and rocky, while the reefs between Icacos and the rock known as “Cucaracha” have the best snorkelling.
From here, smaller islets stretch east towards Culebra: Cayo Ratones, Cayo Lobos and, further out, Cayo Diablo (30–40min by boat), are popular dive and snorkel sites (see The islands), and it’s rare to go ashore. Five-acre Lobos is 2.7km east of Icacos and actually a private island, though it’s permitted to dive or snorkel off its reef. A posh hotel was built here in the early 1960s, but went bankrupt soon after and now serves as a luxury vacation home for the owners.
To the south is the larger, rockier Isla Palominos (4.8km offshore and 15min by boat). Most of the island is leased by the El Conquistador Resort and officially off-limits to everyone else, though people do come here to snorkel off the northern shore and dine in the restaurant. Resort guests get whisked across in minutes to enjoy the lavish facilities on the 104-acre island, which include swimming, snorkelling, diving, windsurfing and horse riding. It also has a bar, a café and plenty of loungers on the smallish but pristine beach. Isla Palominitos covers just one acre, 460m off the southern tip of Isla Palominos, and surrounded by a reef perfect for snorkelling. Though it’s tiny, it also has wide, sugary-sand beaches – a real desert island.
Diving La Cordillera
Join any dive trip from Fajardo and you’ll almost certainly be heading for La Cordillera. Unless conditions are perfect, experienced divers may be disappointed with the coral and marine life on display, much reduced in the last twenty years or so – hardcore divers should head to Cayo Diablo (or Culebra). For casual or beginner divers, it’s worth a look and it’s not overly expensive.
La Casa del Mar Dive Center
(t787/860-3483, wwww.scubapuertorico.net) inside El Conquistador Resort is open to non-guests and offers two-tank dives for $99 ($69 for one tank). Trips to Culebra start at $125 for two tanks, while the Discover Scuba programme for beginners is $139. They also run daily snorkelling trips to Lobos ($60) and Culebra ($95), and offer a popular kids’ programme (for 8- to 9-year-olds) known as Bubblemakers – call for details.
Sea Ventures Dive Center
(t787/863-3483, wwww.divepuertorico.com) at Puerto del Rey is the other main operator in the area, charging $119 for two-tank dives with equipment and $109 if you bring your own ($55–65 for one tank). Non-certified beginners can dive for $150.
Where you end up diving is largely in the hands of your divemaster and the weather/sea conditions on the day – heavy rain in El Yunque can decrease visibility dramatically, as heavily silted rivers flow into the sea near here. Beginners usually end up at Pyramid (9m), a coral rise teeming with small fish and reef lobsters, but often disappointing for seasoned divers. Cayo Lobos has three main sites, with Lobos itself (up to 10m) having the greatest variety of fish: yellowtail snapper, blue tang, the ubiquitous sergeant major and sometimes dolphins and stingrays. Isla Palominos has five main dive sites, with Sandslide (4.5–21m) one of the most popular, a gentle sandy slope that leads to a large reef crawling with enormous lobsters and all sorts of coral. You might also see dolphins, turtles, barracudas, small tuna and octopus here. Finally, Cayo Diablo (13–15m) has several sites and some of the best diving on the east coast, though swells and high winds often prevent visits. The island is surrounded by brilliant hard and soft corals, schools of barracuda and occasional rays – the water is extremely clear.
Luquillo and the northeast coast
Perched on the balmy Atlantic coast in the shadow of El Yunque, 45km east of San Juan, LUQUILLO combines three of Puerto Rico’s most appealing pastimes: lounging on palm-fringed beaches, world-class surfing and gorging on celebrated cocina en kiosco. While it can get insufferably busy on weekends, it’s well worth a pit stop during the week and a couple of attractive hotels mean you can stay the night (and use it as a base for El Yunque). Getting here involves a straightforward 45-minute drive from San Juan along PR-3, or a shorter twenty-minute hop from El Yunque. Taxis from San Juan’s Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín will charge $70.
The beaches
Luquillo’s town centre lies around Plaza Jesús T. Piñero, just off PR-3, but other than a few places to eat, contains little to see and the beaches are spread out for several miles either side of here. If you’re coming from San Juan the first is Balneario de Luquillo, the main beach and one of Puerto Rico’s most beguiling strips of sand, formally known as Balneario de Monserrate. Look for the brown sign to “Balneario” and “Kioscos” on PR-3, just after you pass the line of kioscos on the left (if you reach the Luquillo exit on PR-3, you’ve missed it).
With a wide swathe of honey-gold sand, plenty of palm trees and El Yunque for a backdrop, it’s definitely one of the top beaches on the island, best enjoyed on weekdays when you’ll avoid the crowds (and the rubbish). As an official public beach, it has a vast car park, toilets, changing facilities, showers and clear, calm water, perfect for swimming. It even has a staffed ramp for wheelchair users known as the Mar Sin Barreras (“sea without barriers”). Luquillo itself is 1km east of the balneario on the other side of a headland and quite separate from it – you have to rejoin PR-3 and take the next exit to reach the centre (you can follow one-way PR-193 in the other direction).
The northern half of Luquillo town is almost completely given over to condos and known as Vilomar or just “Condominio” – it backs Playa Azul, a narrow but reasonably clean beach where you can park for free on the street and doze under the palms. Central Luquillo lies beyond the small headland (“La Punta”) further along, a slightly shabby, sleepy place fronting the rougher beach of Playa La Pared, popular with surfers. To the southeast you’ll see the sand stretching away into the distance: known as La Selva, this is hard to access by car and often sprinkled with debris, but almost always deserted. Conservationists managed to get the undeveloped stretch of coast between here and Balneario Seven Seas (dubbed “the Northeast Ecological Corridor”) designated a nature reserve in 2008, but just over a year later Governor Fortuño rescinded the decision. With turtle nesting sites threatened by the construction of mega resorts, the area has attracted a coalition of various groups campaigning for its protection: see wwww.sierraclub.org for more details.
Luquillo watersports
Surfers flock to Luquillo’s Playa La Pared (“the wall”) on weekends for its fairly consistent left beach-break, though it can go flat in the summer: it’s fine for beginners, with a fairly gentle swell and a sandy bottom. Board Riders Luquillo Surf Shop (t787/599-2097, wwww.boardridersinc.com) overlooks La Pared at c/Veve Calzada 25, not far from the main plaza and rents surfboards for $40 per day ($10/hr) and bodyboards for $20 per day ($6/hr); lessons are $60 per hour. Ask here about current conditions, or stop by La Selva Surf Shop (t787/889-6205) at c/Fernández García 250, one block inland from the plaza, where boards are usually slightly cheaper and owner Bob Roberts also offers lessons. The reefs around La Punta dividing Playa Azul and La Pared offer some good snorkelling, but you’ll need your own gear.