Five Things To See & Do in Western Puerto Rico
Produced in Collaboration With Discover Puerto Rico
Words & Photography by Alison Engstrom
There are many sights and landscapes to be discovered while exploring Puerto Rico. The island’s manageable size, which is 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, allows you to visit a few parts of the tropical destination. The western region draws visitors with its unrivaled beaches perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and surfing alongside nature preserves and history. Here is a shortlist of five things to see and do while enjoying your stay.
enjoy a beach day at Playa Sucia
above Turquoise waters at Playa Sucia.
Crystal blue water, white sands, and its remoteness—meaning it’s not built-up— make Playa Sucia a beach to add on your list when visiting the region. Tucked away in the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, this crescent-shaped strip is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The best bet is to head there early so you can find parking, hike up to Los Morillos Lighthouse, and then hit the beach.
discover the Salt Flats of Cabo Rojo Efrén Pérez
The expansive Cabo Rojo salt flats, which are often tinged with pink due to the shrimp in the water, sprawl over 1,200 acres and can’t be missed when driving the bumpy dirt road to Los Morrillos Lighthouse or Playa Sucia. While at first glance it appears to be barren, it’s actually home to a diverse ecosystem including hypersaline lagoons and mangroves juxtaposed by the aqua blue water of the Caribbean.
dine oceanfront on local specialties
above Seaside dining at Salitre Mesón Costero.
You know you have entered vacation mode when you are dining seaside and all you can think about is how amazing the warm ocean breeze feels. The island boasts many notable dining experiences, many of which face the sea. Salitre Mesón Costero offers a menu of local seafood, rice dishes, and Puerto Rican specialties like mofongo, about 50 miles from San Juan. For a starter order the addictive housemade corn fritters (sorullitos), the mini plantain fritters (alcapurria), or the tasty Tostones Rellenos filled with crab. For a main try the mofongo, a local dish where fried plantains are the star, served alongside a protein like mahi-mahi, or order the cazuela de garbanzos with snapper. Varadero Seafood & Cuban, located in Joyuda, puts you even closer to the sea by enjoying a meal perched on top of a dock with the azure water below. This menu highlights include appetizers like queso frito or salted codfish fritters, and mains such as paella and mofongo.
Take a Hike or go birdwatching in Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
left Morning light at the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge; right sun-baked earth inside the refuge.
The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches an expanse of just over 1,800 acres, is a nature-lover’s paradise. The vast terrain, which was first delineated in 1974, is now home to 245 plant species and 145 different types of birds. Here you’ll discover great hiking and bike trails, swimming, salt flats (see above), Puente de Piedra (or stone bridge), and Los Morrillos Lighthouse, which dates back to 1882. If being among nature is what you need, book a night at Combate Beach Resort, a 3-star hotel perched next to the refuge and the popular Combate Beach.
above Birds feeding in a still lagoon.
swim in glowing water at La Parguera’s bio bay
Some miracles in nature you have to see to in order believe and one of those magical experiences is swimming under a sky full of stars in a bioluminescent bay. There are five bio bays in the world and Puerto Rico is home to three of them including La Parguera, located in Lajas. This phenomenon is caused by dinoflagellates, which are single-celled organisms that when activated create a glow-in-the-dark effect around you as well as on your skin. Several boat companies offer evening tours including Paradise Scuba, which takes visitors on a two-hour ride to the cove at either 6 pm, which sets sail at the golden hour, or at 9 pm. Your ticket also includes two delicious empanadas—vegetarian or meat—drinks, and a snorkeling mask. There is also a stop at a small island set among mangroves, which is an ideal spot to see the sunset. Once you arrive to La Parguera, grab the snorkeling mask, jump in, and revel in the experience that is like swimming in glitter.
Getting there & Around
There are daily flights from Jet Blue out of major airport hubs like JFK. American citizens do not need a passport to enter into Puerto Rico. Once you land, it’s best to rent a car in San Juan and set out to your destination from there.
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