La Parguera Overview

Puerto Ricans know that this small town makes an excellent destination for a long-weekend getaway. Just offshore, several mangrove islands and calm, shallow water create a paradise for boaters as well as a main research spot for marine biologists. Most foreigners come to La Parguera to see the phosphorescent bay, frequently touted as the best in Puerto Rico. Don’t be confused—this is not La Parguera’s principal attraction; although it is the cheapest place to be dazzled by glowing water, both Fajardo and Vieques have better bioluminescent bays. Farther out to sea, The Wall, a 20 mi. long coral reef cliff, attracts serious scuba divers from around the island. On weekends and holidays, the small neighborhood takes on the feel of a seaside carnival, with crowds of people wandering the streets munching on pinchos and empanadas.

Coming from the east, drive west on Hwy. 2, turn toward Guánica on Rte. 116, and continue west to the intersection with Rte. 304, which leads south into town. From the west, take Rte. 2 to Rte. 100, then turn left on Rte. 101. Continue on Rte. 303, then Rte. 305, and finally take a right onto Rte. 116; this leads to Rte. 304, which in turn leads to La Parguera. Many of the streets in the tiny town of La Parguera do not have names. Luckily, almost nothing is more than a short walk away from the central wharf area. Rte. 304 leads straight into town and becomes the main thoroughfare. After the church, turn right on Av. los Pescadores to find the Centro Commercial El Muelle, a small shopping center filled with many traveler-friendly amenities. A block east away from the plaza is a large parking lot where you can leave your car and walk around town.

• Públicos: Shared vans pick up travelers from the brightly painted bench just north of town on Rte. 304 and take them to Lajas ($1), but this service is very sporadic. From Lajas, públicos continue to San Germán.
• ATMs: La Parguera has no banks, but there are ATMs in the Centroahorras supermarket , at Parador Villa Parguera, and in front of Panadería Lucerna Bakery .
• Equipment Rental: Ventoera (☎808-0396 or 505-4541), in El Muelle, rents 12-17 ft. sailboats ($125 per day) and kayaks (singles $10 per hr., $45 per day; doubles $15/$55). Also offers lessons in kitesurfing ($55 per hr.), sailing ($35 per hr.; 12hr. over 2 days to complete course), and windsurfing (8hr. course $275). All equipment included. Open in summer M 9am-8pm, Tu-Sa 9am-8pm, Su 9am-5pm; fall-spring Tu-Sa 9am-8pm, Su 9am-5pm. AmEx/MC/V.
• English-Language Books: A free book exchange in the corner of El Muelle next to the Ventolera has a large selection of English-language books.
• Laundromat: Lavamático (☎899-4844), on the left side of El Muelle. Wash $1.50, dry $1. No detergent. Change available in the supermarket. Open M-Sa 7am-8:45pm, Su 7am-7:45pm.
• Police: On Rte. 304, across from Guacataco (☎899-2250 or 899-2020). Open 24hr.
• Pharmacy: Farmacia San Pedro (☎899-8719), in El Muelle. Open M-Sa 7am-9pm, Su 7am-8pm. AmEx/MC/V.
• Post Office: The small postal service in El Muelle (☎899-6075) has General Delivery. Open M-F 7:30am-4pm, Sa 7:30am-noon. Postal Code: 00667.

Accommodations

La Parguera offers a pick of relatively affordable accommodations, from quasi-ocean-side resorts to rustic guesthouses. If possible, reserve a room a few weeks ahead, especially during the summer when places fill up quickly. The bigger hotels offer weekend packages and may have a two-night minimum on weekends during the summer; guesthouses are more flexible. During the week, the town is less crowded and most accommodations are cheaper.

• Andy’s Chalet & Guest House, C. 8 #133 (☎899-0000). Entering the town from Rte. 304, turn left on C. 7, then right on C. 8. This 3-story residential guesthouse offers the best price in the region for standard rooms with TV and A/C. Common 2nd fl. patio with microwave and fridge. Rooftop area with small pool. Breakfast included. Limited parking. No 24hr. reception. Call ahead for reservations. Doubles $55; triples $65; quads $71; 2-room apartments with kitchen $80-95. Tax included. AmEx/MC/V.
• Nautilus Hotel (☎899-4565 or 899-4004; www.nautilushotelpr.com), near the boat parking lot. Rooms with TV and A/C are just as nice as those at the paradores, at a fraction of the price. Private balconies look out on the parking lot. Pool and hot tub. Reception in the gift shop 3 doors down. Mid-June to mid-Sept. doubles $88; quads $109. Mid-Sept. to mid-June doubles M-Th $66, F-Sa $76; quads $98. Tax included. AmEx/MC/V.
• Parador Villa Parguera (☎899-7777; www.villaparguera.net). On Rte. 304 across from the church. The exceptional ocean-side setting makes it a popular wedding location. Beautiful poolside grass patio and courtyard waterfall with white-washed deck and pier. Pristine rooms. A/C, phone, TV, and private balcony. Restaurant offering breakfast and dinner and Sa night dance show. Parking. Check-in 3pm. Check-out noon. Doubles Su-Th $97-107, Sa with dinner and dance show $187. AmEx/D/MC/V.
• Glady’s Guest House, C. 2 #42B (☎899-4678), near the intersection with Rte. 304 near Lucerna’s bakery. Above the owner’s house, exudes professionalism and maintains tidy rooms just steps from the town center. A/C and TV. Doubles $60; triples $65; 4-person apartment $75. Tax included. AmEx/MC/V.
• Torres Guest House, on Rte. 304 (☎899-5476 or 899-4281), across from the boat parking lot, next to Nautilus Hotel. Conveniently located near the town center and nightlife. This small guesthouse offers 6 simple rooms, all with 2 queen beds, A/C, and small TVs. Check-in 2pm. Check-out noon. Rooms $95. Tax included. Cash only.

Food

La Parguera is the place to come for seafood, but also offers visitors the choice of American, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine. Wander along the waterfront and you’ll find several small cafeterías, empanada stands, ice cream stands, and even a kebab stand, perfect for grabbing refreshments or a cheap bite. The Centroahorras supermarket in El Muelle carries a full stock of groceries. (☎899-6065. Open M-Sa 7am-10pm, Su 7am-8pm. AmEx/MC/V.)

• El Manglar (☎899-4742), in El Muelle. With a large outdoor patio and Bob Marley playing, this is where locals and tourists come for a good meal and good music (see Nightlife). Serving an “international” menu, Manglar offers typical fried Puerto Rican food, as well as burgers, pizza, and several linguine and alfredo pasta dishes. All-you-can-eat comida criolla lunch buffet ($6; daily 11am-2pm) and weekend breakfast buffet ($7). Open M-Th and Su 11am-10pm, F-Sa 11am-1pm. MC/V.
• La Casita (☎899-1681), on Rte. 304 at the western edge of town. This big family-friendly restaurant fills up on weekend nights with Puerto Ricans who know that they don’t have to go to a 5-star restaurant to get the freshest seafood in town. House wine $5.50. Entrees $10-25. Seafood monfongo $18-25. Open July daily 11am-10pm; Aug.-June Tu-Sa 11am-10pm, Su 11am-9pm. AmEx/MC/V.
• Panadería Lucerna Bakery (☎899-7637), at the intersection of Rte. 304 and C. 2. This tiny bakery is a good place to go for a hearty island breakfast or simply to grab sandwiches or comida criolla for lunch. If it’s not on the menu, just ask nicely and the friendly staff will whip up just about anything. Everything under $5. Open M-Th 7am-9pm, F-Sa 7am-10pm, Su 7am-7pm. MC/V; min. $5.
• Golden City Restaurant (☎899-5644), in El Muelle, has the ambience of a strip mall eatery, but it’s hard to argue with standard Chinese-American favorites in large portions at affordable prices. Combos $4-6. Open M-W 11am-10pm, Th and Su 11am-10:30pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm. Cash only.

Outdoor Activities

La Parguera is one of the most popular boating destinations in Puerto Rico; during school vacations, the area becomes packed. Boating companies offer motorboat rentals as well as tours of the mangrove channels, nearby mangrove islands and the bioluminescent bay at night. The calm waters of this area provide excellent opportunities for beginners to try a hand at windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, or kayaking (see Equipment rental). Dense mangrove forests lining the coast mean that there is not much sandy beach, but plenty of marine life exists for snorkelers and divers; the huge offshore reefs are home to fascinating sea creatures.

Boating

Most Puerto Rican boaters head to the mangrove canals (los canales manglares) just west of the main docks, where they anchor their boats and jump into the shallow water. On busy days, the wharf is full of fishermen and families heading to the islands. To get away from the hubbub, it’s possible to hire a boat and visit the relatively isolated and very pretty Cayo Enrique. Farther south, Isla Mata Gatas is the most distant island accessible by small motorboat, and supposedly the best area for snorkeling. The small island has a dock, bathrooms, picnic tables, and trash cans, but as a result it is quite over-visited; you might be happier parking your boat offshore and exploring the shallow waters. (Open June-Sept. Tu-Su 9am-5pm; Oct.-May Th-Su 9am-5pm. If M is a holiday, open M and closed Tu. $1.) Caracoles Tierra has a bit of land in the middle where people have been known to camp, but none of the boating services or kayak rentals provide dropoff and pickup service or allow overnight rental. On the way out to any of the islands, you’ll pass Isla Magueyes, an island managed by the University of Puerto Rico Marine Sciences Department. You have to get special permission from the Mayagüez campus to visit, but if you take one of the smaller boat tours, the guide may hop out and open the gate so that the huge iguanas (used for research) can come out on the dock.

The Bahía Fosforescente (Phosphorescent Bay) is the attraction that draws most visitors to the water off La Parguera. This all-natural water light show is produced by bioluminescent dinoflagellates, which light up like small sparks in the water when stirred. The nighttime trip to the bay takes about 20min. each way, and the best time to go is on a cloudy night or when there is no moon at all. While most companies only stay for 5-10min., smaller boats allow more flexibility and sometimes a chance to swim in the bay. The best option might be to find enough people to charter a small (6- to 8-person) boat and ask the boatman to take you to a bioluminescent spot away from the main bay, which is crowded and not necessarily any better than some of the closer mangrove canals. Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center offers a sunset snorkeling trip in the bay.

Theoretically, most of the boat companies at La Parguera’s main dock are open every day. On busy weekends in the summer, this may be true, but on slower weekdays it may be difficult to find anyone at all; ask around at any of the shops on the dock, and someone should be able to track down a boatman. At least one company opens every night for trips to the phosphorescent bay from 7:30pm until people stop arriving. All companies operate from the wharf and charge $5-6 per person for the 1hr. trip, but there are slight variations in the service. Trips only leave if and when enough customers arrive.

• Cancel Boats (☎899-5891 or 899-5494). By far the biggest operation in town. The 150-passenger glass-bottom Cristal Fondo III takes daytrips through the mangrove channels to see Isla Mata Gata and the coral reefs (Sa 2:30pm, Su 2 and 5pm) and night trips to the phosphorescent bay for only $6 per person (Sept. to late Dec. and early Jan. to Mar. Sa-Su 7:30pm; Mar.-Sept. and late Dec. to early Jan. daily 7:30pm). Smaller motorboats lead private tours throughout the day ($25 for 1-5 people or $5 per person for up to 10 people). MC/V.
• Johnny Boats (☎299-2212). The only company that lets you swim in the phosphorescent bay. Daytime tours of the mangroves in small motorboats are $5 per person with at least 5 people. $5 trip to Isla Gata and $6 night trip to the phosphorescent bay. Motorboat rental for licensed boaters or those over 35 ($25 for the 1st hr., $20 for the 2nd hr.). Cash only.
• Alelí Kayak Rental (☎899-6086 or 390-6086), across the street from El Muelle. The retired Coast Guard captain rents kayaks (singles $10 per hr., $30 per -day, $50 per day; doubles $15/40/60) and leads 2-4hr. guided ecotours through the mangrove channels ($50 per person, min. 4 people). Open daily 10am-5pm. Call ahead, as owner also occasionally operates a chartered catamaran tour ($700 per day) and the shop may not be open during posted hours.
• Torres Boat Service (☎396-2089). Rents small motor boats ($25 per hr. for 4 people, min. 2hr.) and offers 40min. guided tours of the bay on a larger boat ($5 per person). Also runs frequent trips to Isla Gatas for $5. Open June-Aug. daily 9am-6pm and 7:30pm-last customer; Sept.-May Sa-Su 9am-6pm and 7:30pm-last customer.

Diving And Snorkeling

Many of the dive operators in San Juan actually head to La Parguera when they want to do some serious diving—that’s how good it is here. The big attraction is The Wall (La Pared), a 20 mi. coral reef cliff that starts at 60 ft. and drops down to over 150 ft. Visibility tends to be 40-80 ft. and divers have reported seeing sea turtles, manatees, and even dolphins. But beware; The Wall is 6 mi. offshore in open sea, and the voyage tends to be rough. Even those who don’t normally get seasick may consider taking anti-nausea medication. Snorkelers can hire a boat (see Boating) or guide to take them out to one of the nearby, fertile mangrove islands for shallow-water snorkeling.

• Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center (☎899-7611; paradisescubapr@yahoo.com), next to Hostal Casa Blanca. Although all trips have a min. number of people required, during the summer it is easy for 1 or 2 people to jump into an existing group. Opportunities include: daytime snorkeling trips to 3 areas (3hr., 10am, $35); a sunset snorkeling trip that includes a swim in the phosphorescent bay, dinner cooked by the owner’s wife, and all the beer you can drink (4hr., 4pm, $50); a 2-tank dive to The Wall ($70, with equipment rental $80); a 1-tank night dive ($60); and a Discover Scuba package with 1 pool lesson and 2 open-water dives ($125). Private PADI certification course $350, 3-week group course $200 per person. Snorkeling trips include all equipment and a snack. Also rents kayaks (singles $10 per hr., doubles $15 per hr.). Open daily 9am-9pm. 7% tax for all prices. AmEx/MC/V.
• Parguera Divers (☎899-4171; www.pargueradivers.com). The main office is in el Muelle; a stand in the Parador Posada Porlamar parking lot is open upon return from dives. Daily trips to The Wall on a 30 ft. Island Hopper. 2-tank dive $70, equipment rental $15; wet suit not included. 1-tank night dive $45, equipment $10. 4-day PADI & NAUI open-water certification courses $350, plus $50 for books. 3hr. snorkeling trips $30. Open M-Th and Su 10am-5pm, F-Sa 9am-6pm. MC/V.
• West Divers (☎899-3223), on Rte. 304, next to the police station. Offers 3hr. snorkeling trips ($35, min. 3 people) as well as 2-tank dives out to The Wall ($80). Also has a variety of certification courses ($200-300). Rents equipment, but check availability. Open daily 9am-6pm. MC/V.

Flying

Experiencing the southwestern corner of the island and the Caribbean’s clear, shallow waters from the air provides a new perspective on the coastal environment. Several local aircraft owners give aerial tours of the coastline. Call Micky Rivera, who is a certificated pilot, for more information. (☎448-7629. $70 per 30min., $120 per hr.) The private airfield is halfway between Boquerón and La Parguera.

Nightlife

La Parguera knows how to party. On summer weekends and holidays, the many bars along the main street are packed until 1am, when local law requires them to shut down. On Saturday nights, the restaurant at Parador Villa Parguera hosts an elaborate live music and dance comedy show that attracts a fair number of older visitors ($35 includes dinner and show).

• El Karacol (☎899-5582), in front of the docks. For over 36 years, this classy bar and cafetería serves up the house specialty, Coño Sangría ($4.50) alongside Spanish and Puerto Rican cooking ($5-15) for the hungry dockside crowds. Arcade room with a Mrs. Pacman/Galaga machine. Open June-Aug. M-Th and Su 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-1am; Sept.-May M-Th and Su 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-midnight. MC/V.
• El Manglar (☎899-4742), in El Muelle. With its large patio and full schedule of live music, this is the place to mix it up with locals while enjoying live bomba y plena. Since it’s a few blocks away from the wharf, you can avoid the large tourist crowds and enjoy some table space as you kick back and relax. Don’t get too comfy in your seat, though—the music will have you dancing in no time. Beer $2-3. Mixed drinks $4. Open M-Th and Su until 10, F-Sa until 1pm. Kitchen closes at 10pm. MC/V.
• Yolanda’s Bar and Grill, Rte. 304 across from the police station. This little wooden cabin draws a regular crowd during the evening for grilled entrees ($5-13) and later in the night for cheap drinks. Sa night karaoke fills up the patio, with people sitting on the railings and spilling into the street. Beer $2-3. Mixed drinks $4. Open M-Th and Su 7pm-11pm, F-Sa 7pm-1am. Cash only.
• Los Balcones (☎899-2145), across from the plaza. Attracts a college crowd, especially on certain Sa nights when live music packs the place. Pool tables ($0.50) and the dance floor draw a loyal crowd. Beer $2-2.50. F-Sa live Spanish rock 10pm. 18+. Happy hour Sa 7pm-midnight. Open June-Aug. M-W 5pm-midnight, F-Sa 5pm-1am; Sept.-May M-W and F-Sa 5pm-midnight. MC/V.
• Mar y Tierra (☎899-4627), on Rte. 304. Young male Puerto Ricans practice their game at the 4 pool tables ($0.50) at this popular sports bar. In the back, the cafetería attracts an entirely different crowd—families who enjoy hot empanadillas with their beer ($1-2.25). Piña colada $4. Open June-Aug. M-Th 5pm-midnight, F-Sa 6pm-1am; Sept.-May M-Th 5pm-midnight, F-Sa 6pm-midnight. MC/V.