Jobos Beach, Isabela - Puerto Rico

You can't leave Isabela, Puerto Rico without dropping by Jobos Beach. This whole area, just west of the former Ramey Air Force Base, now Raphael Hernandez Airport, is breathtaking. You can hop on Jet Blue, as of this writing, from JFK and be here in a few hours. Most tourism to Puerto Rico happens around San Juan. This coast is often overlooked.

The northwestern Puerto Rican shore has wild sand dunes and a handful of recommended beaches we have to tell you about, as they are better known to surfers. But we were asked about what locals consider the better sites to surf and Jobos Beach in Isabela was always mentioned. So with a little research we found that even though it takes some work to get to - the reward is great. You'll be presented with a family beach that encompasses something for everyone. Seems people have grown up coming here and have great memories of it.

We just reviewed Shacks Beach for you, some five miles from Isabela. But two miles east you'll see Jobos Beach. It's a nice walk from one to the other. Jobos curves beneath an unusual geological formation known as a fossilized sand dune. It's incredible to see. The cove her seems serene, but be aware of the rip currents. Even in the calm area, tidal currents move deep.

This natural beauty, Jobos Beach, Puerto Rico, is a haven for surfers. You'll catch the local gang in the southwestern corner by the coral heads. But Jobos also offers a strip of sand great for families with children. Bunches of restaurants line the beach. There's fishing here, snorkeling, scuba diving, along with kiteboarding and windsurfing. This area is great for exploring, too. See some unusual surf and shore formations.

There are a few hotels close by, but most are high priced between November and April. You'll get more reasonable accommodations inland at Isabela.

Jobos Beach - Beach Index:

• Sand - nice white/tan combination
• Facilities - full
• Shade - great palms and umbrellas
• Sports - snorkel, diving, kiteboarding, boogie boarding, windsurf, surfing
• Notes - amazing terrain makes for a spectacular beach
  

The surf keeps getting bigger. We make our way to Montones Beach! Next! >>

Aguadilla Beaches - Puerto Rico

There are a handful of nice surfing beaches in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, as the coastline continues here on the northwest point of the island. They are all worth noting; some more popular and picturesque than others. The most well-known beach is Crash Boat Beach. This is probably the most photographed beach in Aguadilla as well.

The swim area is great and this place is one of our favorites for exploring. There are a few limestone caves right off the beach! Now, unless you're talking surfing. Aguadilla has a reputation with surfing, holding two ISA championships in 1968 and again in 1988. The surfing beaches are:

Crash Boat Beach
Crash Point Beach
Gas Chambers Beach
Surfer's Beach
Wilderness Beach and
Wishing Well Beach

Just a couple miles from Highway 2, Crash Boat Beach sits in all its glory. There are numerous food vendors packing the parking lot with those yummy kabobs that they grill at site. We found everything from popcorn to smoothies here and a small restaurant that serves local fish - since they're next to the fishing cooperative.

But next to the picturesque boats on the sand is an strange and ugly concrete pier. It was a bad design idea because the concrete causes the pier boat slips to fill with sand, making them unusable. Nonetheless, people still flock here, mainly because the sand is great and the beach overall beautiful as the terrain slopes gently down to the shore.

Crash Boat Beach is actually two beaches in one. The south side of the beach offers a wide area of sheltered swimming. Then the north side is a tad rougher, with great places to snorkel just around the north end rocks. Watch out for the kayakers here.

As with most beaches, tourists make the best of it during the week and the locals come during the weekends. Make sure you plan accordingly, as Crash Boat Beach can get crowded.

Crash Boat Beach - Beach Index:

• Sand - lightly packed, clean
• Facilities - full
• Shade - cliff offer shade, trees
• Sports - diving, snorkeling, kayak, swimming, surfing, kiteboarding
• Notes - can get a little crowded on weekends
  

Surf's Up at Shacks Beach - some say the Best Surf Beach in Isabela!

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. Now there's a ferry which is really inexpensive - $2.25 one-way, and sails three times a day from Fajardo. So why check out this out of the way island? Flamenco Beach!

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. Take my advice and select one of the B and B's. You'll have an experience you will cherish for a lifetime. Who knew this island was here and a part of a U.S. Territory?

Truly the best location for the beach, on Culebra's wild western shore, it's only five minutes from the ferry dock. And bus fare is $2.00 from where you put in, at Dewey, the main settlement of Culebra. And when I look at this photo, I am taken back. Just think what you and your family could do here. Some could stay up on the sand and walk along the tree line. Others could get their snorkel gear and spend the whole day looking down at the pristine reef. Still others could simply swim and soak up the Caribbean sunshine. It's incredible! And still not many come here!

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. If you're curious, there's an old World War II tank, half-buried and rusting as a reminder that Culebra was once a firing range for the military.

But the balneario at Flamenco on the west shore is first class. Fine, white-sand greets you and goes gently around to a pleasant picnic area. Here you'll find some vendors and the beginning of the campground area. We found the bottom here relatively rock free. And when you try snorkeling out towards the rock outcroppings, there are some nice brain coral with plenty of parrot fish, blue tang, and wrasse to see.

Your calmest water will be on the east side. It does get a little rough in the middle of the beach because this is the area that is more exposed to the open sea. You're not going to find a bad spot on the beach. Trust us. Puerto Rico sits with the Caribbean Sea on the south coast and the mighty Atlantic on the north coast. Culebra basks in the Caribbean and the waters are warm.

Flamenco Beach Culebra - Beach Index:

• Sand - fine grain and white/tan
• Facilities - a Blue Flag beach, full facilities
• Shade - available, trees, beach huts
• Sports - fishing, swimming, snorkeling, diving
• Notes - recommended
  

Another wonderful island, steeped in controversy is up next. Vieques has some of the best beaches of Puerto Rico! >>

Isla Palominos - Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Fajardo is very beautiful. We love these types of port towns that seem to have been here forever. 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.

The El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa has an exclusive lease on a near by island called Isla Palominos. Imagine being ferried off to the 100 acre paradise through cobalt blue seas. The resort has a catamaran that takes you from the hotel out to the island. And the beach here is white!

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.

El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa has around 1,000 rooms, with 16 cafes and restaurants, with a Mahattan's Strip House that's hard to beat. The Arthur Hill golf course has breathtaking views. And they recently updated the casino here. Well worth the visit. Take time to enjoy the fresh ocean breezes here. We found them quite invigorating, especially since we didn't go in the water. Where is my snorkel gear when I need it?

Isla Palominos - Beach Index:

• Sand - fine white powder
• Facilities - full
• Shade - umbrellas, some trees
• Sports - full water-sports facility. Snorkel, diving, windsurf, kiteboard.
• Notes - a $12 million water park opens early 2008.
  

Our favorite beach is up next. It's a Blue Flag beach with sand so white you'll think it's powder. Let's go to Culebra, Next! >>