I go to this beach quite often (being it is the closest swimming beach to my house). It is one of my favorites too, just due to the scenery - it is a cresent of fine sand, with lots of mature palm trees for shade. And behind that, you have the Rain Forest - it’s picture perfect.

The Balneario, which has been designated a Blue Flag Beach, is gated - you pay $3- $4 for parking, depending on your vehicle type (car or minivan or truck). The walk from the parking lot to the beach, which takes you past the camping/picnic area, is kinda far, but it’s not too bad. The beach itself is wide, so there is ample room to pick your favorite spot. Try to get one in the shade because the sun is HOT and you will burn quickly!

On this recent trip, we picked a spot in the middle, close to the lifeguard stand. There was only one lifeguard on duty sporadically throughout the day, but there were only about 10 other families on the beach, so it was not busy. In the summer and weekends, it is a different story, as Luquillo beach is very popular with the locals, and the beach can get really crowded.

On the beach, there are kiosks selling some typical foods (pinchos, empanadillas, etc). The pinchos were dry, and the empanadillas were not very stuffed, but they tasted good. They were only a buck or two, so what do you expect! We had some frozen pina coladas and they were yummy - only $3.00 with rum! There is also a kiosk selling souvenirs and beach stuff - towels, sunglasses, etc.

You can rent chairs and umbrellas if you don’t have your own and you prefer sitting up out of the sand. We have our own, so we didn’t rent them, but I think the prices are about $5-7 each.

The water was calm, since there is a reef way out that breaks the waves. The kids had no problem at all. Since it was not busy, we were allowed to use our boogie boards in the swimming area. I know when it is busy, it is not allowed. Because the sand is so fine on this beach, the water at the shore’s edge is not clear - each little wave picks up the sand. But as you go further out, it clears up. I like the water here because it has very little seaweed in it and it is kind of warm too.They clean the beach, so the sand is clean. It is also perfect for sand castle building.

They have facilities. They have outside showers for rinsing off. There is a $1.00 per adult (50¢ per child) fee to use the bathrooms, which also includes a changing room with showers.

There is camping allowed on the grassy area. You need a permit to camp. I have only seen camping in the summer, so I don’t know if it is allowed all year round or not. If you want to go camping on a quiet beach, DON’T go here on a summer weekend - the camping area is packed - every square inch has a tent (it is a very popular thing to do for locals)!

Just down the beach to the West, there is a guy that rents kayaks ($5 per person per 30 minutes) , and past that are the Luquillo Kiosks where you can get a wider selection of food and drinks.

Down the beach to the east is the Beach without Boundaries. This used to be a great area where it was easy to roll a wheelchair right in to the water on a cement pad. The area in the water is now gone, but you can drive to this area and drop off someone in a wheelchair close to the edge of the beach (to avoid having to push them a long distance to through the sand).

 Restrooms and changing room are $1 for adults and 50¢ for children. Sea kayak rentals are $5 per person per 30 minutes.

The lifeguard schedule that is posted on the beach says that lifeguards are on duty 8:30am - 6:00pm 7 days/week in high season, and 8:30am - 5:00pm Wed - Sun in low season. There is a $3 - $4 fee for parking (depending on your vehicle type). During the Winter, the beach is “closed” Monday and Tuesday- just park outside the gates and walk in. There will be no services available, but the beach is still lovely and it will be almost empty.

You could easily spend the whole day at the beach, but allow a minimum of 2 hours. We find that a trip to Luquillo Beach is a great way to spend the afternoon after a morning of hiking in the Rain Forest.

Administration Office of the Balneario La Monserrate: 787-889-5871
Puerto Rico Tourism Company: 787-721-2400

From San Juan: Take Route 66 East (este) and then Route 3 East (este). Continue on Route 3 past the turn off for El Yunque / the Rain Forest. The beach is located just off Route 3 in Luquillo. Take the right hand “Balneario” exit just after you see the long row of food Kiosks on your left.

It is a quick 20 minutes from Coqui’s Hideaway in Rio Grande.