We spent our time in the southeastern corner of the island searching for beaches. Since the one at Palmas del Mar was covered with seaweed and had dangerous waves, we headed west, and discovered El Cocal and Punta Santiago.
Messy Suitcase Mini Tour: Playa Montones
Playa Montones is a beautiful family-friendly beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. It has sand dunes as well as rock formations, though not a lot of shade, so bring your umbrella. Â
Its shallow water make this natural pool the family-preferred beach in Isabela, a safe environment for kids and toddlers to play around. A natural wall prevents the strong surf from rushing in.
The beach is also right next to the jogging/biking trail in Isabela, so you can add a nice walk to your day out.
Watch where you park, though! We got a ticket for facing the wrong way on the street.
Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Santa in Guanica, Puerto Rico
After indulging ourselves on pinchos (kebabs) at a little food truck park on the way, we spent a peaceful weekday afternoon at Playa Santa, a quiet neighborhood beach in Guanica on the south coast of Puerto Rico.
There were no restrooms, though it looks like on weekends it’s quite lively, and you can take advantage of food kioskos and kayak rentals. The surf is calm and the kids are plentiful.
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