The Segmental Info System
Whether you're searching the northwestern coast for surf spots, planning to spend your days admiring underwater life with a pair of fins of your own, or just stretching out on a sandy spot near the water's edge, Puerto Rico's beaches offer something for everyone. Puerto Rico is one of the largest islands in the Caribbean, and popular beaches can be found along every shore.
Puerto Rico participates in the Blue Flag program, which may be familiar to some of the island's European visitors. This system only endorses beaches that meet rigorous standards, so you'll know these beaches offer the very best of Puerto Rico.
...determine your own beach-going style...
The key to enjoying the perfect beach is being aware of what each one has to offer. Once you're more informed about the unique characteristics of each, you'll need to determine your own beach-going style in order to help you to choose between all of the amazing options you'll find in Puerto Rico.
If you're looking for an adventurous day-trip, you may want to look into Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra. A participant in the Blue Flag system, this beach offers pristine beauty and a history of naval activity. Motorized water sports aren't permitted here, however, so if you'd like a more active getaway, there may be another beach better suited to your interests.
If you'd prefer to stay on the main island of Puerto Rico, Luquillo Beach is an extremely convenient option. Souvenir stands and lifeguards can be found on this beach, which is part of a national park. Swimming is also enjoyable, as there are off-shore reefs that serve as a natural barrier from rough, choppy waters.
The beaches in the greater San Juan area are some of the most frequented in Puerto Rico - perhaps because they are easily accessible to day-trippers that arrive via cruise ship and located near many top resorts.
There are several government run beaches in this area, including Balneario de Carolina and Balneario de Escambron, which both have calm surf and excellent facilities including showers, bathrooms, life guards, and picnic tables. The best beaches for families in the area are Luquillo and Pine Grove, where reef and sand bars make the waters are forgiving to beginning swimmers. Playa de Condado, which is located near Pine Grove Beach, encompasses a long stretch of waterfront that begins calm and great for family play, then heads into waters that are a bit less friendly. This area of Condado, as well as nearby Playa de Ocean Park, is great for water sports.

Eastern Puerto Rico is home to the largest marina in the Caribbean, and the area offers plenty of scuba diving and fishing opportunities. There are a few good beaches in the area (Balneario de Monserrate and Balneario Seven Seas, both equipped with life guards, bathrooms, changing areas, picnic benches, and showers), but the best part about Eastern Puerto Rico is that it is a short distance from two of Puerto Rico's most popular smaller islands, Culebra and Vieques. There are numerous beaches on these islands that are tourist favorites.
Located on Isla Culebra is one of the highest ranked beaches in the world, Playa Flamenco. This beautiful crescent-shaped strech of land is the only beach on the island fitted with bathrooms and showers. There are also picnic areas, vendor stands, and camp grounds nearby. Powder white sand beaches with a mountainous backdrop make this beach picture perfect.
Beaches on Isla Vieques include Playa Media Luna, Red Beach, and Green Beach, where peaceful waters make it a great destination for families; Playa Sun Bay, an area so relaxed that wild horses are commonly seen grazing inland; Blue Beach and Navajo Beach, where beach-goers head to for small crowds and seclusion; Cofi Beach, Playa Grande Beach and Esperanza Beach, three Vieques waterfronts especially known for their pretty scenery; and Black Sand Beach, the treasured beach where the sand is not white or tan, but jet black and beautiful.
The Southern and Western areas of Puerto Rico are known for plains cleared centuries ago to make way for sugar plantations, as well as the famed dry forest Bosque Estatal de Guanica. Despite the desert like climate, there are a few beaches worth checking out in the area.
La Guancha is the public beach in Ponce, where the small beach's shallow waters are perfect for young children. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Playa de Jobos in Isabela. This beach is known for rough waters that attract only the strongest swimmers and surfers. There are some stretches of the beach that are suitable for recreational swimming, but it is recommended that visitors proceed with caution. Landing somewhere in the middle is the mile long Playa Crashboat in Aguadilla. Though the waters are not as shallow as La Guancha, they are quite swimmable, and the numerous colorful fishing boats that dock themselves along the beach make for a pretty picture.
The beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico have many different personalities, as varied as the people of the island itself. From carefully preserved eco-adventures to shores filled with fun activities for vacationers, there's something amazing waiting, no matter which part of the island you visit. To learn more about individual beaches, simply visit the links below. They'll take you to detailed pages about many of the island's top beaches.
| Beach Name | Location | Coast | Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana Beach | 3.2 mi. West of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Bahia Fanduca | 7.0 mi. East-Southeast of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Bahia Icacos | 9.3 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Bahia Jalova | 7.2 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Bahia Mosquito | 2.6 mi. East-Southeast of Culebra | South East | Culebra |
| Bahia Salinas | 9.6 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Bahia Sucia Beach | 9.4 mi. West of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Bahia Yoye | 7.0 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Bainairo Beach | 5.2 mi. West-Southwest of Ponce | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Ballena Beach | 12.9 mi. East of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Blue Beach | 3.8 mi. Southeast of Vieques | South East | Vieques |
| Boqueròn Beach | Boqueron | West | Puerto Rico |
| Buyé Beach | 10.9 mi. West-Northwest of La Parguera | West | Puerto Rico |
| Cabo Rojo Beaches | 5.3 mi. South West of Mayagüez | West | Puerto Rico |
| Cana Gorda Beach | 11.0 mi. East of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Carolina Beach | Isla Verde | East | Puerto Rico |
| Cerro Gordo Beach | 14.7 mi. West of Old San Juan | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Coco Beach | 3.6 mi. East-Southeast of Loiza | East | Puerto Rico |
| Combate Beach | El Combate | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Condado Beach | Condado District | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Corcega Beach | 9.0 mi. Northwest of Mayagüez | West | Puerto Rico |
| Crashboat Beach | 5.8 mi. North-Northeast of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Domes Beach | 9.0 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Dorado Beach | 8.6 mi. West of Old San Juan | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Emajagua Beach | 10.0 mi. South West of Palmas Del Mar | South East | Puerto Rico |
| Escambrion Beach | Viejo San Juan | South East | Viejo San Juan |
| Esperanza Beach | 4.2 mi. South-Southwest of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Espinar Beach | 3.2 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Flamenco Beach | 1.8 mi. Northwest of Culebra | West | Culebra |
| Fortuna Playa | 1.8 mi. West of Luquillo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Guajataca Beach | 13.2 mi. East-Northeast of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Humacao Beach | 3.2 mi. Northeast of Palmas Del Mar | East | Puerto Rico |
| Indicators | 9.1 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Isla Verde Beach | Isla Verde | East | Puerto Rico |
| Jabos Beach | 9.4 mi. Northeast of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| La Guancha | 3.2 mi. Southeast of Ponce | South | Puerto Rico |
| Laguna Algodones Beach | 4.4 mi. East of Vieques | North East | Vieques |
| Laguna de Molino | Culebrita | East | Culebrita |
| Laguna La Plata Beach | 4.8 mi. East-Southeast of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Laguna Matias Beach | 8.2 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Las Croabas Beach | Las Croabas | East | Puerto Rico |
| Los Tocores Beach | 12.6 mi. West of Old San Juan | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Luquillo Beach | Luquillo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Luquillo Public Beach | Luquillo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Manglillos Beach | 6.7 mi. East-Southeast of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Mar Chiquita Beach | 15.5 mi. East of Arecibo | North | Puerto Rico |
| Maria's | 9.2 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Maunabo Beach | Emajagua | South East | Puerto Rico |
| Media Luna Beach | 4.0 mi. South of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Morillo Beach | 4.8 mi. East of Humacao | East | Puerto Rico |
| Mosquito Beach Pier | 4.7 mi. West of Vieques | West | Vieques |
| Municipal Beach | 5.3 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Naguabo Beach | 7.7 mi. East-Northeast of Humacao | East | Puerto Rico |
| Navio Beach | 3.9 mi. South of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Ocean Park | Ocean Park | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Palmas del Mar | Palmas Del Mar | East | Puerto Rico |
| Parque Beach | Condado District | North East | Puerto Rico |
| Playa Branca | 10.7 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Playa Brava | 1.5 mi. Northeast of Culebra | East | Culebra |
| Playa Carlos Rosario | 2.5 mi. Northwest of Culebra | West | Culebra |
| Playa Cayo Norte | Cayo Norte | East | Cayo Norte |
| Playa de Cascajo | 1.1 mi. South of Culebra | South | Culebra |
| Playa de Ponce | 1.9 mi. South-Southwest of Ponce | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Playa de Sardinas | 0.7 mi. South West of Culebra | South West | Culebra |
| Playa Grande | 5.8 mi. South West of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Playa Higuero | 7.8 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Playa La Playa | 6.5 mi. North-Northwest of Mayagüez | West | Puerto Rico |
| Playa Laguna Aguas Prietas | 2.6 mi. North of Fajardo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Playa Larga | 3.7 mi. East of Culebra | South East | Culebra |
| Playa Luis Pena | 2.1 mi. West of Culebra | West | Culebra |
| Playa Manzanilla | 3.0 mi. East-Southeast of Culebra | South East | Culebra |
| Playa Melones | 0.8 mi. West-Southwest of Culebra | South West | Culebra |
| Playa Punta de Soldado | 2.2 mi. South-Southeast of Culebra | South | Culebra |
| Playa Punta Santiago | 5.0 mi. East of Humacao | East | Puerto Rico |
| Playa Resaca | 1.5 mi. North of Culebra | North West | Culebra |
| Playa Santa | 9.0 mi. East-Southeast of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Playa Sardinera | Fajardo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Playa South Beach | 2.1 mi. West-Southwest of Culebra | South West | Culebra |
| Playa Sun Bay | 4.2 mi. South-Southwest of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Playa Tamarindo | 1.2 mi. West-Northwest of Culebra | West | Culebra |
| Playa Tortuga | Culebrita | North East | Culebrita |
| Playita Machete | 20.1 mi. South of Caguas | South East | Puerto Rico |
| Ponce Beach | 3.4 mi. South West of Ponce | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Puerto Diablo | 7.2 mi. East of Vieques | East | Vieques |
| Puerto Neuvo Beach | 18.5 mi. West of Old San Juan | North | Puerto Rico |
| Puerto Yabucoa | 2.0 mi. South-Southwest of Palmas Del Mar | East | Puerto Rico |
| Punta Arenas 'Green' Beach | 9.1 mi. West of Vieques | West | Vieques |
| Punta Guilarte Beach | 16.1 mi. West-Southwest of Palmas Del Mar | South East | Puerto Rico |
| Punta Pozuelo | 22.9 mi. South-Southwest of Caguas | South East | Puerto Rico |
| Red Beach | 3.5 mi. Southeast of Vieques | South East | Vieques |
| Rincon Beach | Rincón | West | Puerto Rico |
| Roosevelt Roads Beach | 8.9 mi. South of Fajardo | East | Puerto Rico |
| Rosado Beach | 6.7 mi. East-Southeast of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| Sandy Beach | 8.1 mi. South West of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Seven Seas Beach | Las Croabas | East | Puerto Rico |
| Shacks Beach | Isabela | West | Puerto Rico |
| Sun Bay Beach | 3.8 mi. South-Southwest of Vieques | South West | Vieques |
| Tamarindo Beach | 13.4 mi. East of La Parguera | South West | Puerto Rico |
| The Shacks | 4.0 mi. North of Aguadilla | West | Puerto Rico |
| Torrecilla Pinones Beach | 5.5 mi. West of Loiza | East | Puerto Rico |
| Vacia Talega Beach | 3.3 mi. West-Northwest of Loiza | East | Puerto Rico |
| Vega Baja Beach | 17.0 mi. West of Old San Juan | North | Puerto Rico |
| Zoni Beach | 3.1 mi. East of Culebra | East | Culebra |
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