6 Amazing Anchorages Along the South Coast of Puerto Rico
Our favorite anchorages, beaches and hikes along the south coast of Puerto Rico – untamed nature meets festive vibes, with so much to see and do – affordably!
We sailed to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic, crossing the dreaded Mona Passage and decided to cruise along the south coast, as a PR local had suggested.
Five years prior, we had visited San Juan briefly, on a huge cruise ship. We had a day to spend in the city, before hitting the all-you-can-eat buffet…
Little did we know we would be coming back, five years later, on our own boat, with our own all-you-can-eat teenagers!
San Juan might quickly win the heart of any traveler.
But if you are looking for a true love story, you must look south, across the rocky hills, through the lush jungle and down the winding roads, until you reach the south coast of Puerto Rico.
Here they are – six of the most fabulous anchorages along the south coast of Puerto Rico.
1. Puerto Real
Pros: Beautiful view, calm, protected water and plenty of anchoring space. Very clean marina with helpful staff. The bakery!
Cons: It does become busy with jet-ski riders on weekends and holidays. Not great for swimming.
Featured in our own YouTube episode: Sailing to Puerto Rico (E23)
After around thirty hours of Mona passage crossing, from the Dominican Republic, I was more than ready for calm waters!
The Dreaded Mona Passage! – check out our post about that ride.
Puerto Real had plenty of it, together with a pleasant breeze. The small marina there, Marina Puerto Real lived up to its reputation built by multiple positive reviews on Navionics.
We decided to anchor a bit away from the marina, and for a small amount per day, we used all their facilities, including a washer and a drier (coin operated).
The showers were clean and large enough, so you would not touch the shower curtain at all! A golf cart was available for near-by errands, but walking by the bright homes of Puerto Real filled our stroll with local color.
For those enjoying restaurants, there are a couple right at the docks. However, the local bakery was where the goodies were – Mercado’s Bakery – fresh-baked bread, sandwiches, pastries and sweets at great prices – around $5 for a breakfast sandwich!
I stayed in there for a bit, observing those who ran in, clearly familiar with the assortment, order without hesitation and leave…
“Can I please have whatever that guy just ordered?”
It works every time!
Frugal boater’s note – We borrowed lots of ideas off of the menu and made our own breakfast burritos at the boat! But we should have treated ourselves – we were being cheap that day, not frugal, not sure why…
2. Bahia de Boqueron
Pros: Amazing beach for swimming and running. Probably our most favorite, along the south coast of Puerto Rico.
Cons: Not much to explore within walking distance. Can be crowded.
After we left our first PR anchorage, we motored east, right over the next point, to a sunny beach, which our friends had recommended for swimming. As we only drew around 4ft, anchoring close to the beach was easy.
Boqueron would make a perfect background to any photo, so those with selfie plans – look no further!
Frugal boater’s note – As an added bonus, coconut trees were provided at no cost…no, not for shade, why would you sit underneath a coconut tree?! We found a few coconuts to eat – a favorite snack aboard Graceful!
3. Bahia Fosforesente
Pros: Good snorkeling, calm anchorage with plenty of breeze. Great bioluminescent plankton inside the bay.
Cons: The Bio bay is a bit far from the reef.
Featured in our own YouTube episode: Dancing, Junk Food and Lobster (E24)
Continuing east along the coast, we found another well-protected anchorage with a nice reef to explore. We used the reef as protection from the swells, which made us quite exposed to the wind, while very comfortable and stable at anchor.
And we loved it – windy anchorage meant ventilation and zero bugs! The view was worth the longer dinghy ride to the bio bay.
The highlight of that anchorage was the bio bay; I wish we had a pro camera that night; my phone did not work at all.
Oh, that was not the only bio bay we visited, I have a nice post about them:
Visit the Best Bio Bays by Boat, in Puerto Rico.
Just leave your boat well-lit, and maybe do a trial run during the day, because the best time to see the plankton is during a moonless night, but those also make it harder to spot anything in the water.
Frugal boater’s note – with some patience, lobsters can be found right at the rocky reef. The boys caught our dinner that evening! And lobster rolls the next morning – it was a big one.
4. Ponce Bay
Pros: City offers much to see. Large grocery stores and other American staples near-by, for convenient provisioning.
Cons: Very industrial feel, exposed and uncomfortable anchorage.
Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico and has quite a few sights to see, including the Old Town and the brewery.
Arriving by boat, there were a couple of options to anchor – by the Yacht Club, in a tiny spot, which was fill with boats, or in the main anchorage.
The main anchorage was in the open bay, next to a large metal recycling facility, and a bit exposed and uncomfortable. We anchored there, and had the entire bay to ourselves… no wonder!
Why stay at a poor anchorage with a crappy view? Because of Walmart (I need to contact them for some kind of loyalty award next time we visit).
Friends of ours, from a different boat, tipped us about a doable walk to Walmart (around 3 miles each way), and the kids drafted candy lists immediately.
There was a cozy fishing peer called Villa Pesquera Pescadores, reachable by dinghy, from the anchorage. The local fishermen did not look surprised at us asking to leave our dinghy at their docks.
“Walk to Walmart? You are crazy, we will give you a ride!” We politely declined; walking on firm land felt good. And the kids needed to earn those M&M’s…
There was a small shop, at the docks, well-stocked with all kinds of fish and seafood. No, thank you, we wanted to try and catch our own…
Should you happen to try our walking adventure, keep in mind that by noon, the quieting effect of the land disappears, and the anchorage is very rocky for a guaranteed soaking ride back to the boat!
Frugal boater’s note – Walmart.
5. Isla Caja De Muertos (Coffin Island)
Pros: Beautiful anchorage; amazing views, great hike, good snorkeling!
Cons: None – we loved the island!
Stocked up with all kinds of unhealthy snacks, we decided to sail to Coffin Island, as it promised both good anchorage and a steep hill hike.
Featured in our own YouTube Episode: Coffin Island and an Unpleasant Incident (E25)
I have an entire post dedicated to this amazing gem in the Caribbean Sea, do not miss it:
9 Isla Caja de Muertos Adventures you will Love
Coffin Island had both a protected sandy beach and plenty of rocks to snorkel around. Being the spoiled boaters that we had become, spotting a few colorful fishes was not enough any longer! The crew expected a variety of sea life, as well as dinner!
Back during the Covid pandemic, the ferry stopped running, so nurse sharks and turtles swam around the long peer waiting to be observed.
The steep trail lined with tall cacti, led us towards the abandoned lighthouse. It took us about 30min to climb to the top, without rushing and with complaining at regular intervals.
The photos from the top were worth the hike. The inside of the light house was covered in graffiti, broken beer bottles and it smelled like… you know what. Which was also worth the hike, in a different kind of way.
Frugal boater’s note – there is absolutely nowhere to spend money at the island!
6. Salinas
Pros: Manatees, great showers and Wi-Fi at the docks. Amazing street empanadas!
Cons: Not good for swimming, very busy on the weekends with small motor boats zooming to the near-by party island.
Featured in our own YouTube Episode: Just a Perfect Day, on a Boat, in Puerto Rico (E27)
After a short motor-sailing from Coffin Island, we arrived in Salinas – a small town with plenty of protection from all sides. We decided to anchor at the very opening of the inlet, to avoid the crowds.
Manatees were everywhere and a leisurely float by kayak disturbed them the least. Around sunset, pelicans would surround our boat, diving for fish.
The marina offered their facilities and wifi for $35/month (laundry not included). We paid, gladly, our taxes were due and the IRS could not be kept waiting!
Bonus: The two bars at the docks, with the strongest wifi signal, were only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at noon. Any other time, their shade and chairs made a great spot to bring a laptop, upload videos and do taxes!
The large Econo grocery store won the prize for the closest large food shop yet! Our walk was a bit over a mile each way, and the local empanada stand along the way always had people lined up. We had to taste them – amazing, especially the shrimp ones!
Frugal boater note: Econo grocery store offered low prices and deals, no membership card required! Free water at the docks, at the marina.
Explore More of Puerto Rico
Salinas is a convenient place to rent a car and explore the rest of Puerto Rico. Sydney would be the local guy to call; his number is +1-787-473-7037 (do check with the local marina, just in case it has changed).
We used the car to visit El Yunque National park and stock up on groceries and propane.
I do have an episode about the adventure:
Jungles, Repairs and a Quiz for you, in Puerto Rico (Е28)
After sailing along the south coast of PR, it was finally time to relax, watch the weather for our next passage, and snack on those Walmart M&M’s!
Related posts
Crossing the Mona Passage: How to do it Safely.
9 Isla Caja de Muertos Adventures you will Love
We lived in PR when I was a small child. First in San Juan, then at Ramey AFB which my dad helped to build. We lived int he first set of duplex quarters that was finished. My two older sisters went to jr. high and high school there. One side was our apartment and the other side the construction office. At that time the firestation in Ponce was painted stripes.
Ah, small world! We must have walked down some of the streets you ran along, as a child!