The Best Things to Do in Piñones, Puerto Rico

It’s remarkable that just east of the glitzy metropolis of San Juan is one of the most beautiful and pristine wilderness areas in all of Puerto Rico. Located in the municipality of Loíza, Piñones is a miles-long stretch of undeveloped beach backed by thick palm groves, mangrove forests, and lagoons.

Beautiful tropical beach with low palm trees under blue sky.
A beach in Piñones. © Cliff Estes/Dreamstime.

Running from end to end is PR 187 (also known as Calle Boca de Cangrejos on some maps), a narrow, wooded roadway lined on both sides with kioskos and chinchorros serving up fresh fritters cooked over an open flame, as well as a variety of seafood dishes and an array of alcoholic beverages. Along the road you can see stretches of sandy beach between longer swaths of thick foliage that are punctuated by cut-throughs where you can pull in and park, then walk down to the water. Piñones is also home to Afro-Caribbean families who have been living here for hundreds of years.

It is possible to take a taxi or bus (D45) to Piñones, but driving is the best way to enjoy all it has to offer. If you do drive, be sure to leave nothing of value visible inside your parked vehicle.

Bosque Estatal de Piñones

Everyone just calls it Piñones, but Bosque Estatal de Piñones is the official name of this protected wilderness managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. Stretching from San Juan to Loíza Aldea, the 1,560-acre forest reserve is a natural wonderland of deserted beaches; mangrove and palm forests; sand dunes; coral reefs; bays; salt flats; and two lagoons. It is home to 46 species of birds, including a variety of herons and pelicans, and features 11 kilometers (7 mi) of wooden boardwalk for walking and biking along the coastline and into the forest. It is also the site of scores of street food stands and restaurants.

Boca de Cangrejos

Approaching from San Juan, the western gateway to Piñones is called Boca de Cangrejos, also known as Punta Cangrejos. This is the central commercial hub of Piñones, where you’ll find a small private marina, a tourist information center that rents bikes and kayaks, and a dense concentration of casual restaurants and chinchorros specializing in fritters and seafood. Venturing here for the first time can be daunting on weekends and holidays, when it is a chaotic tangle of automobile and pedestrian traffic as people flock here to spend the day visiting their favorite kiosks or to fuel up before hitting the beach. The party atmosphere starts early and lasts late on weekends and holidays.

More bars and restaurants dot both sides of PR 187 as you proceed eastward toward Loíza. On the left side of the road is the coast, much of it obscured from view by the thick growth of palms and sea grape. There are cut-throughs in the thick foliage where beachgoers can pull their cars in, park, and walk down to the water. On the right side of the road are streets that lead to modest residential neighborhoods and two lagoons, Laguna de Piñones and Laguna la Torrecilla.

Piñones Cultural and Ecotourism Center

Managed by the nonprofit cooperative COPÍ, Piñones Cultural and Ecotourism Center is the place to go to rent bicycles ($10/hour) and kayaks ($15/hour pp) for use on the Paseo Tablado bike path and the reserve’s lagoons. It’s also a good place to get your bearings, using the big map on the floor, and to ask the friendly and knowledgeable staff questions. Occasional cultural activities include bomba classes and folkloric dance performances. There is a small collection of pre-Taíno artifacts on display in the back. Be sure to check out the massive iguanas roaming the deck overlooking Laguna de Torrecilla out back.

Traveling east on PR 187 from San Juan to- ward Piñones, turn right immediately after the Cangrejos Yacht Club and look for El Faro restaurant. The center is next door.

Laguna de Piñones Observation Tower

Admire the pristine beauty of the smaller, more remote Laguna de Piñones from the top of a covered, two-level observation tower on the water’s edge. From PR 187, turn inland around km 8.1 onto Calle 1, also known on some maps as Calla Fina Piñones. Stay on the road until it ends at the lagoon. There’s a grassy, fenced-in park area with a locked gate that prohibits vehicle access. To the left of the gate is a pedestrian entry that is open, allowing free access to the tower. Walk up two flights of stairs to reach the top.

Paseo Tablado de Piñones

Paseo Tablado de Piñones is an 11-kilometer (7-mi) bike and walking path through Piñones. It’s part paved asphalt and part wooden boardwalk, with occasional stretches that share the road with automobiles. The path begins west of Piñones at Balneario Carolina on PR 187 and travels east through Boca de Cangrejos and along the beach before turning inland through tropical forest past Laguna de Piñones and ending at Playa de Las Tres Palmitas.

Beaches

Much of the coastline along Piñones is rocky, but good swimming areas can be found. One popular spot is Playa La Posita, located on PR 187 around km 6. Look for a large parking area and cluster of kiosks on the inland side of the road across from a sandy beach with a large natural pool ideal for swimming. Another option is Vacia Talega, a small crescent beach on PR 187 around km 14. It has a small, sandy parking area. Playa Aviones on PR 187 (around km 8) is considered a premier surfing spot, and the best one close to San Juan. It’s recommended for experienced surfers only.

Because Piñones is a wilderness beach area, there are no public restrooms or lifeguards. Swimmers are advised to check the National Weather Service for the daily rip current forecast.

Suzanne Van Atten

About the Author

Suzanne Van Atten has written about destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. She has barhopped in Barcelona, slept in a Jesuit monastery on the Amalfi coast, crewed a hot air balloon in New Mexico, gone white-water rafting in Tennessee, and gotten lost too many times to count.

Amidst all these travels, she always returns to Puerto Rico, a place she fell in love with when she lived there as a teenager. The country’s rich culture, postcard-perfect beaches, lush tropical jungle, cobblestone streets, pastel colors, lively music, and the joie de vivre of its people colluded to seduce her. No matter how many times she returns, she always discovers something new and delightful.

Suzanne is a creative writing instructor, an editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and a Pushcart Prize-nominated essayist who’s been published in the Gettysburg Review, The Chattahoochee Review, and Full Grown People.

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