Today I want to share a little bit of the beauty of Puerto Rico with you. When I first visited this island back in 2008, I didn’t really have any idea what I would encounter. I had been to the Caribbean before (on a cruise to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands) so I had a preconceived expectation of tropical spirits and sugar cane rum, boisterously friendly people and mostly dilapidated homes scattered amongst hotels and condos. But I what I found was really anything but this (with the exception of the friendly people, I do find many here!).

I’ve been mostly astonished by the multitude of natural hidden gems like waterfalls, caves, forests, rivers, canyons, mountain peaks, grottos and gorges. All beautiful, picturesque and still in relatively decent shape despite any real state or federal land management or protection. In all honesty, the most awe-inspiring sites have been those mostly shut off and inaccessible to the usual throng of tourists. However, there is one somewhat-more-likely-to-be-on-a-tourist-map place I do love to visit each year. Want to see why?

This place is Cabo Rojo – which in Spanish means “red cliff”. Makes sense, eh? There is a lighthouse here that illuminates this vast meeting of Atlantic and Caribbean waters. The lighthouse itself is rather small and uninviting, but the view it guards is gorgeous. Step to the edge of the cliff to view the constantly eroding red clays and crashing waves of salt water below. There’s evidence of once long-standing seamounts, stranded in the water and just barely reaching out to the mainland. Walk around the lighthouse and find perhaps the foundation of a home or shed for the original lighthouse (where I’m standing, above) that still remains. This angle allows you the beachscape of one of the most beautiful (and deserted) beaches on the west coast – Playa Sucia (which means “dirty beach”, an attempt to keep attraction from growing). From this view, I watched manatee moms and calves play together in the calm and gentle half-moon bay, sheltered from the crashing waves just to my right. If you ever have a chance to visit Puerto Rico, be sure to make this southwest corner part of your island travels. 

Have you been to Puerto Rico? Where did you go and what was your favorite part? Is there a different Caribbean island that you’re dying to experience? Tell me about it! If you’re curious about other beautiful places I’ve seen here, check out my personal blog.

Have a beautiful and relaxing Monday! Daydream about the ocean~
Until tomorrow,