Boquerón’s main attraction is its beach, arguably one of the best and finest sheltered balneario (public beach facilities) on the island with showers and toilets, changing rooms and picnic tables. Puerto Ricans travel from afar to visit this popular ‘playa’. At the weekend the palm tree shaded beach is packed with locals, blasting Latino music and setting up grills with huge homemade spreads laid out on tables and blankets. Keep an eye open for the ice cream man walking the beach selling his locally made goods to cool you down. The beach is over a mile long and starts just south of the bridge to the private lagoon and small marina. At the other end, the beach tapers off into a mangrove area known as Refugio de Boquerón – a 400 acre patch of protected mangrove – a great place for bird watching with over 60 species like ospreys or mangrove canaries. You can swim, snorkel, kayak or paddleboard through the mangrove channels. The bay is also home to the slow and gentle-natured manatee. Early in the morning you might be lucky enough to watch these genial creatures as they swim around your boat.
Whether it’s your first port of call or last after the Mona Passage, or you are simply exploring Puerto Rico’s fine
cruising grounds, make sure you leave enough time to enjoy what this small hippie seaside town has to offer.
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