8/2024- Last I heard, the island is still officially closed by DRNA, but people still go, in droves! The hurricanes and earthquakes have caused damage and raises the sea level. No maintenance is being done, and the place looks pretty abandoned (especially the dressing rooms and bathrooms). Lots of trash (so if you go, please take yours and some extra with you). Picnic tables are being eaten by the water and mangroves, some parts of the inland boardwalk are messed up. I saw local volunteers are trying to help and fix the cay up, which is good as it needs a lot of work. Really, at this time, you go and just hang out in the water, not a lot of land to be had.

The mangrove cayos (keys or cays in English) in La Parguera are really something to see. They are tiny specks of green in middle of the blue ocean. Most are nothing more than clumps of mangroves and broken coral. However, there WAS one in particular — Mata de Gata — that had the facilities that you needed to make a perfect setting for a picnic. At this time, it is more of a “hang out in the water or on your boat” experience, which is still fun!

Being an island, you will need a kayak, boat or another type of watercraft out to it. But once there, you may never want to leave!

What’s in a name?

The name of the cayo, Mata la Gata translates literally to Kill the Cat. However, loosely translated in local vernacular it means Nurse Shark Grove.

Isla Mata la Gata is situated between Cayo Enrique and Cayo Caracoles, which are all part of La Parguera Nature Reserve which is 1 to 2 nautical miles south of La Parguera, which is in the town of Lajas, which is in the south-west part of Puerto Rico.

Isla Mata la Gata is a small island, measuring only about 1500 feet long and 1200 feet wide. It was formed by coral fragments that got caught in the red mangrove roots.

The island is under the control of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), and they had constructed a boat dock for dropping-off passengers. It has a SMALL beach area with white sand.

They also enclosed an area of the calm ocean, making a natural ocean pool that is protected from surges and currents.

There is a decently healthy coral reef all along the south side of the island, but you need to be careful of the waves and currents. This reef also runs along toward a deep boat channel on the east side of the island. If you snorkel in this area, make sure you have a marker so that you are visible to boaters.

We visited Mata de Gata during a great kayak trip . I have read the island is very well-used, especially on weekends in the summer months. It seems like all the local boat crowd anchor and hang out by the small cays.

Details

There are Boat Charter and Kayak Tours of the area. It is possible that the tour guide or boat captain will suggest a tour of all the cays or maybe even suggest a different cay that might be better on any given day. Take their suggestion to make the most of your time in the area. You might also try a tour that offers some time in the cays AND the BioBay!

There are a couple different ways to get to Mata la Gata. You can hire a water taxi to take you, you can rent a small motor boat and drive yourself, charter a book, or you can go on a guided kayak tour. I’d recommend contacting them ahead of time to make a reservation.

There are also guided kayak tours that visit the various cays in La Parguera. The kayak tours can be strenuous due to winds or current – the operators run the tours at the best times of day given the weather and sea conditions. Some are geared toward photography, check the descriptions.

The first step is to get yourself to La Parguera in Lajas. Once you get there and park (see map below).

Water Taxi usually cost about $22-25 per person, round trip. Price will depend on time of year, size of your group, and where you want them to take you. Typically, cash only.

Water taxi from La Parguera take 10 to 15 minutes to reach Mata la Gata. They will typically drop you off and return to pick you up at a pre-determined time.

One operator that offer boat rentals and/or boat taxi service in La Parguera is

• Fondo de Cristal — phone 787-899-5891

Bring towels, sunblock, food/drinks, bathing suits &meash; everything you need for a beach day. There is nothing for sale on the island.

Click on a placename below to view the location on Google Maps ...

• Cayo Caracoles
• Cayo Enrique
• Cayo Mata la Gata
• La Parguera, parking

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