Luquillo Beaches

The coast of Luquillo consists of fourteen (14) miles of unobstructed shores for amazing beach hikes. And we are not just speaking of one immense stretch of beach, but multiple beaches side by side within the city limits, providing different sceneries and opportunities for activities. We will walk you from the east in Fajardo, to the west in Río Grande, through the most popular beaches Luquillo has to offer: La Selva This popular surfers' beach can be found in the middle of the Northeast Ecological Corridor which stretches from Fajardo to Luquillo. It is about an hour's walk along the beach from town, or you can also reach it by car, going in the entrance to the Corredor Ecológico del Noreste off PR3. This beach is entrancing for its remoteness and primitive beauty. Although it is a favored place for those who kow it, it has remained pristine throughout the decades. This is a surfers' beach, not recommended for swimmers or bathers. Sandy Hills This beach lies at the foot of the monumental residential twin towers in town. The sand beginnigs at the bottom of a line of rocks where there is a trail with a sidewalk that leads from the Fishermen's Balcony at La Boca, to La Piedra, the landmark rock that stretches from Sandy Hills towards the ocean. This beach is high energy and treacherous with many currents criss-crossing close to the shore. It is not apt for surfers, or swimmers, or bather, or any sport whatsoever. But it is the perfect place to sunbathe and meditate while staring out on the ocean. The beach can be expansive at certain times of year, with a clear sky overhead. The most emblematic thing about this particular beach is that it is where the mouth of the Río Sabana leads to the ocean at different spots on the beach throughout the year, going from a trickle right next to the balcony, to running along the shoreline and crashing on the rocks on its way out to open sea. This beach also marks the entrance of the Northeast Ecogogical Corridor. La Pared In the middle of town, a couple of streets off the plaza, is the famous local surfers' beach La Pared. Favored by locals and visitors, it is a sandy bottom, very high energy beach filled with waves and currents. On this beach you may observe the beginning of a display of warning flags placed by volunteer rescuers indicating the water conditions. As any traffic light, green means it is safe, yellow means to be cautious, and red means danger, or what we call “Nadie en el Agua” (Nobody in the Water). As you walk down La Pared you may spot these flags at intervals, all the way to La Punta. It is up to the attendants to the beach to observe and obey these flags. La Pared is also famously known for a multitude of surf contest and beach festivals throughout the decades. With its landmark mosaic boardwalk, it is the perfect place for cruising and people watching. That is, if you don't go out there and ride our waves. Costa Azul Costa Azul beach can also be found in town, blending with La Pared, stretching from La Tintorera sculpture to La Punta. This beach can also be very treacherous and dangerous and occasions, with random rip currents, but it can also be the perfect beach for learning to surf, or cruising on your kite surfboard. This beach can be found in an urbanization right in town. Where the stretch of green grass and palm trees begin you can find El Cayito (the little reef), a favorite spot for surfing, right on the edge of La Pared. As the name suggests, it is also off a coral reef. Right next to that there is a spot filled with an array of reefs, leaving a sandy spot in the middle, perfect for bathing, and swimming, and playing. It is perfectly safe as long as you stay within the borders of the reefs. La Punta This beach is at the point where Costa Azul ends and Playa Azul begins. Rounding a sharp corner, there are two set of waves, one coming from each side, crossing each other on their way to the shore. The energy here is from moderate to low, perfect for basking in the water, or snorkeling, or fishing at sundown. It has a wide space of sand perfect for sunbathing. Playa Azul This is one of our biggest and prettiest stretches of beaches. Going from La Punta on the east to El Bajo on the west, it is a small cove filled with coral reefs. The water ranges in energy from calm on a summer morning to active on a winter's day. This beach does not have lifeguards, and although it is apt for swimmers, bathers and bodyboarders, it also displays flags indicating the conditions of the water. Lined with forest, the Playa Azul condominiums and Vilomar, there are places where you can see El Yunque rainforest behind you. It is a perfect place for hanging with friends and family with its coconut palms and pine trees. It is also the home of one of our most beautiful urban art galleries filled with murals created by diverse local artists. El Bajo This beach is called El Bajo because it is low. Very low energy, it is basically a strip of sand with a few feet of water covering a shelf of coral reef. Dotted in the distance you can occasionally find colorful rowboats anchored, rolling in the small waves. It is the perfect spot if what you like is to sit in your beach chair on the water, or on the sandy bottom itself, and just bask and roll in the water. A baby beach, if you will, where it is safe for your children to play. Balneario La Monserrate Right on the outskirt of town, this is our most famous beach. Consisting of a small bay bordered by palm groves and a backdrop of bejeweled mountains, this is our public beach, favorite among the locals and the tourists alike. This beach, government run, has lifeguard stations, information kiosks and a whole range of services and amenities. You can reach this beach either by walking to it from town, or driving to it off PR3. This beach is distinguishable because on the road side it is lined with a gallery of flamboyán trees that in summer bloom and explode with bright red and orange flowers. Los Kioskos As a continuation of La Monserrate, this beach lies right behind the gastronomical strip filled with restaurants and food shacks known as Los Kioskos. It is also very low energy, with groves of pine trees and palms also, and a small cement dock overlooking reefs. In the summer this beach gets filled with campers and jet skis, so it gets quite busy. But for the most part, this beach is beautiful and peaceful.