West Coast Guide to Puerto Rico: Isabela, Rincon, Cabo Rojo + More!

We could not get enough of Puerto Rico. While San Juan and the central or Eastern coast of Puerto Rico may be the more popular spot for tourists since it is surrounds the international airport. I gotta say - the West coast in the best coast, 100%. I urge you to rent a car and spend at least half of your trip on the West coast of PR, you will not regret it.

From pink water salt flats, light houses, sea caves, natural rock bridges, and waterfalls, you will get non-stop adventure and hidden beauties.

Keep reading if you're ready to check out the Puerto Ricos western natural beauties.

Isabela:

What to do:

Rio Camuy Cave Park (closed)

While we were in Puerto Rico in November 2021, this park was closed due to recovering from Hurricane Maria.

However - I am adding this to my list because it was one of the main attractions I was most excited to do. It is one of the world's largest caves networks, with long scenic hikes through caves, leading up to this window-view called "Cueva Ventana" through a cave looking out over the canopy of the jungle forests. Just stunning.

Know before you go:

It was stated that it would be reopened in 2021, so just call and double check before you spend the time driving out here, it is a 1hour and a half drive from San Juan. You also must make a reservation before driving to the park, they are said to be open Wednesdays to Sundays 8am-5pm, and sometimes closed during these days due to extreme weather. Admission rates for adults is $18 and children 4-12 is $13.

Taino Indian Face Sculpture

This Puerto Rican cultural and heritage sculpture can be found just outside of Isabela on the intersection of roads 113 and 2. We actually almost drove past this without even noticing it! Park on the opposite side of the face sculpture and get out to get an up close photo. There is also a shallow cave you can check out, right off the side of the road as well.

Survival Beach Sea Caves

Make sure you wear a hat, good grip shoes and sunscreen for this moderate 3.5km trail. Prepare to bake in the sun while you climb and hop over all these rocky structures along the coast, but don't worry, there are multiple private coves to enter the water for a quick cool off before you keep hiking. Each new corner there is something that is more stunning than the last. For miles there are sea caves, sea arches, sea pinnacles, rock islands, lush jungle paths.

Start at Surfers Beach, here there is a parking lot and a trail head leading into the forest at the west end. It isn't marked well so just venture to the edge of the parking lot near the beach until you see a small bridge leading into the forest, after 5-10 minutes of hiking you will come across the first beach called "Table Top beach."

The trail will keep you interested as it constantly is switching changing from forest trails, to beach trails, to having to climb or crouch through crevasses. Finally after about an hour of walking you will come to a long beach, this seems like the perfect place to stop and just bask in the glory that you made it! We didn't go past here but you most definitely could have. Just be weary of the tides, because the climb down to this beach would be difficult to reach from the beach if the tides were high.

Originally we were trying to find this massive cave that you can walk into through the beach and see out towards the ocean, but we were unsuccessful in finding it. There is a LOT of ground to cover. I have a feeling it is possibly even further down the coast from where we made it to. Some directions I found after the hike to find this cave are... "At the end of the beach there is a cave with some stairs that lead up to a military base, which is the best view of the entire trail." According to this, make sure you wander all the way down the beach to find this beautiful cave.

Playa Puerto Hermina (face carvings)

This is a historic pirates beach, with lots of fun reminisces of them, like huge pirate ship cables, anchors, and carvings. (Check out the carved face in the rocks from the parking lot!) The Quebradillas coastline is the remains of an old port, that is believed to be a main place that pirates would visit due to its remote location and difficulty to access, for that reason it attracted pirates to hide their stolen treasure and loot.

This beach is called "Puerto Hermina" because of the iconic building structure that has beaten down by wave erosion, leaving little more than just a rock door frame looking out to the sea.

Know before you go:

The road down here is quite steep and has sharp curves so just be sure to drive slow and careful. It isn't often a busy spot so I wouldn't recommend leaving any valuables in your car.

Pozo de Jacinto (cool cavern, pirates, man and cow story)

Park and pay $5 to a man who owns the parking lot and explore the multiple beach bars and beautiful rocky coastline.

While we were here there was a family screaming into this pit cave. I walked over and offered to take their photo and in exchange they told me the story of this place.

Apparently back a few decades, a man named Jacinto was walking with his cow along the coast and his cow fell into the pit cave. Without thinking, Jacinto jumped in after his cow, but they both drowned. It is said that by screaming Jacinto's name and mentioning his cow, it will cause the ocean to become furious and cause it to churn wildly.

El Tunel de Guajatac

A lovely short walk that takes you through a set of tunnels and ends at a lovely pretty secluded beach. There is also a funky swing before the entrance to take a cute shot of yourself.

Gonzalandia Falls

For $10 you can explore these two beautiful falls and natural pools.

We arrived near closing time of this park, and it sort of was perfect because we almost had the entire area to ourselves. After a short walk from the parking lot and down some flights of stairs, you will find the lower and more photographed falls. When we arrived her we met a local couple who showed us all the hidden gems of this place, so I will share with you.

While facing the falls, to the right, there is a rope dangling down. Grab on to that and start the climb up the rocks to the middle of the falls. With conscious steps, walk along the rocks into the waterfall for a little shower. From here, when you are completely and directly under the water you can cliff jump into the pool safely.

Now, you are back in the water. Swim over the the base where the rope is hanging. Just to the right of this is an underwater cave! Duck under and come up in a small cave in the base of the waterfall. SO cool!

This is one of those cases where had we not started a conversation with this local couple we would have had no idea. The beauty of traveling. Don't be afraid to reach out to those around you and start building connections - only good comes out of it.

This photo was actually capture MINUTES before it stated pouring rain on us. That's what you get in the depths of the rainforest, one second sun shining and humid air, the next pouring gigantic rain drops falling from the sky. There are flash flood warnings here - if it begins to rain you should leave the pool area because the water levels ride so quickly that the falls can become dangerous. We gathered our camera gear as fast as we could and ran up the hill back to our car - completely soaked.

After our adventure at the lower falls, we followed the local couple up to the upper falls. Here there is a rope swing and also another under cave system to the right of the falls. No safe cliff jumping here.

Where to eat:

Bakeries: Isabela Panderia

Cheap, freshly baked breakfast sandwiches (my fav).

Breakfast + Lunch: Pancake

Always busy, so make sure you don't go on the weekend and also near opening time to avoid the long wait times. Delicious huge menu.

Coffee Stop: The Coffee Spot

Best frappes. Ever. Okay - i'll admit it I miss my starbucks matcha or caramel decaf-coffee frappes. BUT this place makes delicious frappes in SO many flavours, and each day they have a new "house" flavour that somehow gets better each day.

Rincon:

What to do:

Steps Beach

"Playa Escalera" is one of Puerto Ricos best surfing locations in the winter season. And one of the best snorkelling spots in the spring and summer months (April-October).

When Dal saw this set of steps he was immensely disappointed, haha, thinking it was a huge flight of stair coming out of the ocean or something. No, it is exactly how it sounds, steps beach, a few steps in the shallow part of the ocean. Snap a quick shot here to throw onto your Instagram.

Facing the ocean, walk to the left down along the beach for about 10 minutes. Here you will find a low hanging palm tree with a swing hanging from it.

Domes Beach

A surfers paradise and also a drone shot paradise, located right next to the Punta Higuero Lighthouse.

In the winter this beach is known for massive surfing waves. It is also near an old nuclear facility and you can see the massive nuclear dome just above the beach.

Punta Higuero Lighthouse Park

Built in 1893, here you will find a small park with vendors, a mojito bar, multiple look outs of the ocean and surfers, and a washroom. There was actually a wedding taking place while we were here, which speaks to the beauty of the place.

Ola Sunset Cafe and Bar, Massive mojitos with view of surfers

Where to eat:

Lunch: Green Bowls

If you are feeling like you are lacking fruits and veggies in your diet because all you are eating is tacos, every, single, day (like us), then this is the place to get your fix. Delicious huge açai bowls and smoothies, with so many different toppings. My fav was adding the chocolate trail mix, honey and bananas to mine, YUM.

Drinks w/ a view: Ola Sunset Cafe

You have done a fair bit of road tripping and exploring, you deserve to sit back and enjoy one of the largest mojitos that you will have in your life. They are pretty much buckets. Choose from like 10 flavours too. Sit back with your bucket mojito and watch the surfers on Domes beach.

Sunset Dinner: Beach house

Dinner with a view. That is all I have to say.

Cabo Rojo

What to do:

Las Salinas Salt Fields

This place is known as "Pink Beach," these salt flats were supposed to be pink, and apparently on days with no clouds in the sky the pinker they look. However, we were there on a zero clouded day and the salt fields were nothing close to the colour of pink. But nothing a little photoshop and editing can't fix. Which makes me wonder - does everyone do this? Just keep in mind, it might have been another variable as for why the flats were not pink for us when we visited, but don't have your hopes up too high. Below is the unedited version, so you can really experience exactly how we experienced it.

Regardless, this walk was beautiful and is an excellent eco attraction. Here you can find 6 ecological systems: the mangrove forests, coral reefs, marine lagoons, hyper saline lagoons, salt marshes, and a subtropical dry forest. Just be sure to leave this place untouched, leave nothing but footprints behind as it is a natural treasure of Puerto Rico. The Salt flats have been part of the Cabo Rojo Wildlife Refugee since 1999, and it is important to continue to respect and conserve them as best as we can.

Playa Sucia

This is one of the most popular beaches in Cabo Rojo. Just a short drive from the Los Morillos Lighthouse, it is well known, yet not too crowded.

This was originally the beach we thought that the Puento de Piedra unique natural bridge was, however, we were wrong. We weren't disappointed though, this beach has other beautiful things to offer. The beach is long, white with very calm and clean water - ideal for laying back and floating in the salty water.

Also, if you walk to the west side of the beach there is a path you can take to explore the red rock coast. Definitely do this! Here there is a smaller version natural bridge, sea caves, and your own private coves that you can swim in.

Los Morillos Lighthouse

The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge is open from 7am-4pm Monday to Friday, so get there early and get exploring all corners it has to offer.

A short walk from the parking lot, you will come to the massive white Los Morillos Lighthouse built in 1882 and then renovated in 1967. But something even more worth the walk, is the coastal view. Sit or stand on the edges of these massive red sea cliffs, gazing out towards the open ocean. Looking out at the Caribbean sea and Mona Passage to the Atlantic Ocean.

Puento de Piedra (Natural Bridge)

There is a lot to explore on this little tip of the south-western island. From the parking lot of the Los Morillos Lighthouse, about 100 meters into the trail there is fork off to the right. This trail takes you down to another beach with a stunning natural bridge out to a rock island.

We unfortunately didn't plan ahead, ran out of water and food and we were getting hangry (story of my life - haha), so we didn't make it to this part. We told ourselves we would drive back another day from our Airbnb in Isabela to check this stunning natural wonder, but that day never came. The photos I have seen of this place look fantastic, and DEF a killer instagram photo op. So do not miss out like we did.

We loved Puerto Rico so much though, I know we will be back to check it out.