People always want to know where they can find good snorkeling on the island. That is a little hard to find on the north-east side of the island because this area is more developed and the rivers that run down from the rain forest add silt into the water. So usually we suggest going to an out-island, like Icacos or Culebra, etc. That’s where you will find crystal clear water, live coral and many different fishes. But sometimes cost or time restraints prevent people from leaving the main island. So what you need to do is find an area that is protected from loads of people and run-off.

We found a cute secluded beach that offers decent snorkeling, just a short 25-minute walk from Seven Seas Balneario in Fajardo. Because it is a bit of a hike, most people don’t bother going, which makes it a great "get-away".

Called Playa Colora, it is a little known beach at the far left of the Seven Seas cove. The sand is orangey tan. There are large black rocks at either side of the beach, protecting it from people and some of the currents. The water is clear and blue. You can look across and see the lighthouse. All in all it is a beautiful, picture perfect sight.

How do I get there?

Like I said, it is a bit of a walk to get there. As you walk into Seven Seas beach, facing the water, start walking to your left. When you get to some rocks, you will notice a path. Here you have two choices – if it is low tide, you can continue to walk along the shore line, scrambling over some rocks or you can take the path to your left through the mangroves. Either way, you will end up on a small sandy area where the beach ends. Here you will see some trails. Take the one on the right. You will walk about 10 minutes through the mangrove "forest". This is where we saw a lot of birds, lizards and a mongoose. We also met a million hungry mosquitoes. Here is an important tip – bring bug spray and use it liberally before starting on this path! You will eventually get to a path and a sign for Playa Colora. You can take this right path to the beach.

So how is the snorkeling?

Once we got onto Playa Colora, we realized we were the only people there! We looked around a bit – the sand is pretty, a heavy type, mostly clean and free of seaweed. We determined where the reef was (the dark areas in the water). We decided the easiest and closest way to reach it is by walking to the right and going in there. We set up "camp" and went in. There were some waves that day, maybe a few feet. You need to be aware, there are no life guards, so be cautious of the water. We were there when the tide was coming up, we did not find any hard currents, but that could change depending on the tide and conditions. If you are not a great swimmer, bring a life vest . Winter months can make for larger waves, usually summer months have calmer water. Use common sense, if the waves are high, it is not safe to snorkel or even swim.

The water was pretty clear, but the tide change and the waves did limit our visibility to about 40 feet. The reef was very large and it was only about 30 feet from the beach. It is pretty deep – the reef goes down in areas about 40 plus feet – making a nice "wall" effect. The coral was mostly older and covered with silt, but there were some nice new coral heads around. We saw new elk horn corals, many large brain corals, and lots of colorful fan corals. There were also lots of different fishes. There was one school of blue tangs that had to have 200 fish. There were a lot of variety of fishes and we even saw a cleaning station. It was probably the best snorkeling we have seen in the north-east of the main island of Puerto Rico.

Secluded Beaches

Realize, you need to bring everything – there are no facilities there. Bring a beach umbrella, since there is no shade at all. Also bring plenty of fluids. And please be prepared to "pack-out" your trash.

Here’s a tip: wear a t-shirt while you are snorkeling – this will prevent a nasty sunburn on your back.

There are other beaches (Playa Escondida, Finca el Convento, Governor’s Beach) just a little further up the mangrove path (go straight instead of turning right to Playa Colora). They are also supposed to have decent snorkeling, and a little calmer waters. We’ll make a trip back to check those beaches out in the future.

I have heard both of these beaches are sometimes used by "clothing optional" people. While nude sunbathing is not allowed anywhere in Puerto Rico, this area is pretty secluded … so just be careful that you don’t see something that you don’t want to see!

We were glad to see the beach was clean – there was no trash around. So remember to pack-out all of your trash, so the next people can also enjoy the unspoiled beauty.

The Seven Seas balneario is open 8:30am – 5:00pm October through April, and 8:30am – 6:00pm May through September.

You can locate Seven Seas Beach on our Interactive Island Map as the starting point for your walk to Playa Colora.