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| SPOTLIGHT | | Wild
and naughty beaches and jungle, Wildlife,natural heritage and sun-kissed islands.
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Puerto Rico Beach | |
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Top Beaches |  |
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 Condado Beach - San Juan, Puerto Rico | Condado is 10-minute drive from the airport Old San Juan (where San Felipe del Morro is). It's a favorite destination for the tourists from all ove the world, and the location isn't the only reason. Condado sits just beyond Gran Ventana al Mar plaza, and the nicest section fronts the San Juan Marriot Resort & Stellaris Casino.
You will love Condado because of it's calm, Check out El Escambron, a Blue Flag Beach just a half-mile from here with fantastic views of the fortress in Old San Juan. We found Escambron really alive on the weekends, with the locals playing dominoes. El Escambron has a great area for snorkel as well.
Condado, there's the beautiful curved Ocean Park Beach. This beach is two miles long - but because of the gated community here, it's hard to find the entrance to the beach. Take the narrow walk at Park Boulevard and you'll find Ocean Park Beach. It's a fun beach to tan, but because of the tradewinds, the water is choppy making it perfect for kiteboarders. |
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| Isla Verde Beach - San Juan, Puerto Rico | At San Juan area one of the best place for tourist is Isla Verde. It's a majestic, 200 feet wide strip of that genuine light tan sand and surf that is so gentle, you'll say you've found paradise. At Isla Verde you found all the amenities are, and we found the beach just as nice.
Pull up a chair and umbrella, because Isla Verde is one beautiful beach. With nice people having a good time, you could sit for hours and literally people watch. But here, you could write your own screenplay because everything is right here. You have the Casinos close by, the resorts, the water sports, the dining, and the mystique of wondering who may be sitting near you.
People enjoying kayaks and PWC's, or jet-skis . Plus as we said, this beach beats most for enjoyable swimming with nice wave action and the not too big surf. This beach is rated as a complete family beach. |
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| Pinones Beach - San Juan, Puerto Rico | San Juan city limits the most scenic drive is up coastal Highway 187. Along Highway 187 is Pinones, where beach goers beat a path to because of the wonderful strip of sand. There are still traces of hurricane Hugo which hit in 1989. But the best thing we liked about Pinones is the paved bike path that runs some six miles through mangroves, rock formations, and hugs the coast.
If you get to Pinones Beach early, you'll be able to stake out one of the few coconut palms. If you don't, make sure you bring some sort of shade.
Because of the rock ledge, swimming isn't the best. But you can found a nice swim area called Vacia Telega at the far eastern point of Pinones Beach, about where those dunes start. Don't worry though. You can tan forever, or fish, as many do. Walk eastward to the point - you'll enjoy the view. |
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| Luquillo Beach - Luquillo, Puerto Rico | Across the bay of Wyndham is beautiful Luquillo Beach. Some say it's the nicest "balneario" on this coast. You can found over a mile of nice hard fine sand lined by an old coconut plantation. Luquillo Beach is a Blue Flag facility.
There are lifeguards at Luquillo Beach, along with changing rooms, bathrooms, and a recycling station - nice! You'll fine shaded picnic areas which also come in handy for the afternoon rain showers that develop off the El Yunque mountain rainforest.
When you think you've seen it all, beachfront campsites are available. Now, you must have did this in Hawaii, and it was a great experience for the kids. Here in Puerto Rico, with the protection of the park, this is a treat. There are rentals for kayaks and jet skis. |
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| St
Joseph Peninsula State Park, FL | | Joseph
Peninsula in florida has miles of white sand beaches, striking dune formations,
a heavily-forested interior and a favorable climate for year-round outdoor recreation
characterize this peninsular state park. The 2,516-acre park is bounded on three
sides by the waters of St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. | |
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| Isla Palominos - Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
Fajardo is very beautiful. A major boating center, Fajardo has many charters available to visit the nearby islands. But let me tell you the diving and snorkeling off the coast here is spectacular. Because of the offshore reef, the shoreline in many areas is calm and since there really isn't any beach around Fajardo, except for Seven Seas Beach, the water is clear.
El Conquistador runs a full-service water-sports operation, along with something for those who'd rather stay above water: a putting green. We found Isla Palominos to be wonderful, with a sweet cafe that caters to almost every need.
Along the north side of the island is Sunrise Cove, and Hidden Cove, both clothing-optional beaches. Make sure you take your sunscreen. |
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| Flamenco Beach Culebra - Puerto Rico | If you want to get exotic, check out Isla Culebra. This is a small island which is really closer to St. Thomas than to Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico calls it its own.
Flamenco Beach is a Blue Flag Beach. Divers rent the B and B's and small apartments here on Culebra, but otherwise this island would probably sink into obscurity if it weren't for Flamenco Beach. You'll have an experience you will cherish for a lifetime.
Truly the best location for the beach, on Culebra's wild western shore, it's only five minutes from the ferry dock.
Flamenco Beach is horseshoe shaped, half-mile-wide, is bordered by the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge, one of America's oldest preserves from 1909. What makes the beach special is the surf break over the reef which is about a quarter-mile offshore on the west side. |
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| Isla Vieques - Puerto Rico | Blue Beach, Isla Vieques has top rated snorkeling right off the eastern tip. Hang around the rock outcroppings and just sit, or float. You'll be amazed. Then work your way around the rock and enjoy the undersea abundant life.
Just east of Esperanza, we were told to look for Sun Bay, or as the locals call it, "Sombe". It's a beautiful balneario created in a semi-circle bay that will imprison you all day. The curve give you protected swimming here.
Close to Mosquito Bay is one of these Bioluminescence bays. Probably among the world's best. So come here to see the magic. Next to the Bioluminescence bay are a couple of beaches worth mentioning. Media Luna Beach (Half Moon), and Navio Beach (Ship), are so different and right near each other.
Narrow Green Beach , is up on the northwest point of Isla Vieques, as you pass the Kiani Lagoon. Come here to see the sunsets |
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| Guanica - Southwest Coast - Puerto Rico |
Guánica is famous for: the United Nations Biosphere Reserve named the Guánica Dry Forest. This preserve we found, is the "top" birding spot on the island. There are now 134 species recorded here.
This is Puerto Rico's rocky coast, along the Caribbean Sea. Good beaches are hard to find, but here are a couple of nice ones.
Plaza Las Delicias, Cana Gorda wasn't one of our favorites - but it's a nice beach.
Porta del Sol area, just west of Ponce, one our favorite cities for getting away from the beach - it has those beautiful colonial buildings and streets that take you back - well, only a half hour drive from Ponce is the quaint Plaza Las Delicias, Cana Gorda balneario. |
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| La Playuela, Cabo Rojo - Puerto Rico
| Boqueron is another beautiful beach in the area, just 30 minutes up the road from La Playuela. Boqueron has the best balneario in the area and 5 km of out of this world beach. The sand, like on most beaches of Puerto Rico, is off-white. This is because of the great rock content. Not too much coral. Try the middle section of Boqueron. We found a lot of sea grass on both sides of the beach.
But do take the road down to the lighthouse and get out to see this beach. We're not sure why they call the area Cabo Rojo, which means Red Cape, or Red Handle. However, some of the sunsets here are breathtaking. And there are many places to stay the night, if you'd like. Awaken the next day refreshed to check out both land and sea. You're probably only going to see this once.
Boqueron has a nice playground with gazebos and a nice handicap sea ramp. Plus the bathrooms were downright clean! |
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