Best Beaches of Puerto Rico

Based on a recommendation by one of our readers, we ventured to the islands that make up Puerto Rico and came back with some of the most astonishing beaches! Yes, even next to our arrival airport - San Juan International, there's a community beach that's hard to beat.

As we followed the 272 miles of dramatic coast, we stop at each of the best beaches in the area. There are beaches for bird watchers; beaches for swimming; beaches for sailing; surfing, diving, snorkeling, kiteboarding, windsurfing, boogie boarding - one for each passion!

Taino Indians called these beaches home when Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. But Spanish explorers made them extinct in little time when they exploited them and brought disease the Tainos had no defense against.

With the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States. Citizens became American Citizens. Nonetheless, a battle for autonomy runs warm throughout much of the land. Many are divided because they want what American citizenship gives them, yet they desire autonomy as well.

Politics aside, the people we found in Puerto Rico were so hospitable - it reminded us of our journey to Buzios, Brazil. And, truthfully, the beaches are very similar. Here, you'll find beach vendors. These are people who sell goods right on the beach. We found all types of delicious Caribbean food, from seafood to chicken - most cooked right on the beach over hibachis.

Other vendors sell sarongs and towels, suntan lotion, and souvenirs. A few stay at posts near the entrances to the beaches, and a few wander the beaches. This is customary here. Some of the balneareos - beach areas - had a few dollar access fee. And they use the American dollar here - so no exchange.

Speaking of that - American citizens can fly down here on nothing more than ID and an airline ticket. You don't need a passport. That's convenient and simple - so you have no excuse not to check out some of these beaches soon.

We found the beaches well kept and five of them are world class Blue Flag beaches - an honor very hard to acquire. Come venture with us as this month we take a close look at the many Beaches of Puerto Rico! >>

Daytona Beach, Florida - Spring Break Beach

Daytona Beach, Florida having an identity crisis? Indeed - the place in our dreams has beaches miles long, all-day sunshine, and surf, but it's going through a makeover. While you can't see it everywhere, this town, after years of being the number one Spring Break destination, is trying to upgrade its image. Spring Break in Florida is now officially up north - in Panama City Beach. For some, that's good news. For others, not so good - low revenues. But for you as a beach lover, Daytona Beach, Florida, is one of the funnest beaches we've found on all our journeys. You can actually drive your car right on the sand here.

And do they have the beaches. Here we found 23 miles of wide beaches with hard-packed sand - and 18 of those miles are open to automobile traffic. That's what put Daytona on the map - beach driving! Remember those old black and white shows on TV with the cars racing along the ocean shore. It all started here. And continues!

Daytona Beach has become synonymous with Spring Break, so much so that MTV has come here since the '80's to broadcast from the beach and gave us the impression that Daytona Beach was one huge oceanside Animal House. Even though they still come in the thousands, the peak was in 1989, when over 400,000 students showed up. With only 20,000 hotel rooms - you do the math. Some locals cared only about the fun and money, with money taking a front seat. Others saw their precious Daytona going to the dogs.

The city has done a lot to change the image - trying to turn interest to the major-league baseball spring training and the Daytona Beach NASCAR racing event. Still, 200,000 come here each Spring Break, spaced out over a four to six week period. The most rowdy and wild party animals now call Panama City Beach up in Florida's Panhandle their Spring Break home. What was nice about Daytona was you could expect pretty decent weather during Spring. Whereas Panama City is so far north, you can have some pretty chilly Spring Breaks. For you, this means when you plan a visit during the Spring months, you'll enjoy wonderful weather with low humidity and pleasant days.

The Beach - The 23 miles of beautiful sand starts at Ormond Beach and runs down to Ponce Inlet. In the middle sits Daytona Beach. This thing is spectacular at low tide. It's almost 500 feet wide! Vehicles, including RV's and trucks under 33' are allowed on 18 of those 23 miles.

We noted the sand here to be very fine. It's of quartz origin and packs tightly. So hard is the sand that cars once raced here! But tourists can still drive (although no more than 10 mph) on the famous beach. On a nice day, you'll see over 10,000 vehicles roaming the beach.

But more than cars, we saw volleyball, jogging, surfing, and bicycling. And swimming here is great. The bank slopes slightly so even little ones will enjoy the shallow water. Watch for the waves - bodysurfing of Daytona Beach is the best in the state.



Riptides do exist during times when the tide is going out. There are over 200 lifeguards watching over the beach - but take care. Rip currents are dangerous.

Another Florida Beach takes top honors as the Space Coast favorite. You might even catch a Space Shuttle launch. Cocoa Beach is... Next! >>