27 Mar Mar Chiquita Bay, Puerto Rico

I was going through my favourite photos today and came to one inescapable conclusion: I miss Puerto Rico. So Today I’m going to blog about one of the beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico, which we discovered on the 2013 Fearless Retreat.

The beautiful Puerto Rico beach of Mar Chiquita Bay is a perfect crescent of turquoise water and white sand protected from the crashing ocean by dramatic volcanic cliffs. The ruins we found there were a beautiful surprise and a complete mystery. We played there all day, splashing in the water, taking pictures in every delightful nook and cranny, on cliffs and in tide pools, among twisted tropical trees and in the surf.

I’d heard of the beach on my favourite site for planning Puerto Rico excursions and it sounded lovely, but it’s hard to predict what a place will be like for photography without being there. One of the funny things about Puerto Rico is that finding the beach you want isn’t straightforward; if you’re looking for more than just the typical crowded tourist experience in San Juan (with bonus skyscraper background!) you really have to go off the beaten path and get out of the city.

Side note: This was my first time driving in Puerto Rico, which was a bit hair-raising, but by the end of the day I was a pro.  We navigated by committee- loudest chorus of “This way!” won- and only got lost once, which is better than I generally do at home. In the small town we stopped at on our way we even successfully ordered our coffee in Spanish! Admittedly, also a group effort.

If you plan to visit, here are a few tips:

• There may be people picnicking on the very tip-top of the cliffs who can see even the totally secluded spot you think is perfect to shoot art nudes.
• Plan to leave before it gets dark, as we were warned that there was a less savoury crowd that gathered there at night (when we went it was quiet and friendly).
• We were told this was “a pretty beach, not a swimming beach” so unless you’re a very strong swimmer, think twice about going for a dip. The waves got pretty strong sometimes.
• The cliffs are SHARP. Really, really, really sharp. I cannot emphasise this enough. So sharp.
• There are no facilities. We found food, water and bathrooms at a local bar/restaurant about 5 minutes away, but nobody there spoke any more English than we did Spanish. Good food, though.

Want to see more of the photos from our day at Mar Chiquita Bay in Puerto Rico? Check out the gallery below:

 P.S.

We’ve had a spot open up for the 2019 Fearless Retreat to Paros, Greece; want to join us? 😉