El Faro de Cabo Rojo and La Playuela

At the beginning of this year I promised to show you more of one of my favorite spots in Puerto Rico. It is a nature preserve on the southwestern cap of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo, with great hiking areas, a lighthouse, dramatic cliffs,

salt fields
and the most beautiful beach in the entire Puerto Rico, la Playuela.

The beach is in a shape of a half moon, bordering a cove, enveloped in two "arms" of cliffs.

There is a lighthouse on one of the arms,

and a fan shaped escarpment at the end of the other.

Both arms have walking and hiking paths with tremendous views toward the playuela, the salt fields and the Caribbean sea on both sides of the cap.

La Playuela, lying in a protected cove, has a very calm water and the most azure caribbean color you can ever imagine. Its water is also very salty, so swimming and playing in it makes your skin very soft. Free natural thalassotherapy!

The beach is undeveloped, since it is within a nature preserve and only the most sturdy 4x4 with most skilled drivers are able to get there.

All others have to walk, leaving their cars somewhere along the road bordering the salt fields. But that is a small place to pay for having this place remain pristine, accessible to everybody and not marred by any housing and condo development. I love La Playuela and El Faro de Cabo Rojo and try to enjoy them once a week - preferably during the week, when there are a lot fewer other La Playuela lovers there.