What La Parguera is and why you should visit
A seaside town in Lajas, southwest Puerto Rico, where life happens on the water.
Where it is
La Parguera is a coastal neighborhood in the municipality of Lajas, on Puerto Rico's southwest coast. You get there by road from Ponce or Mayagüez; from San Juan the drive crosses the island from north to south.
What sets La Parguera apart from other coastal towns on the island is that its best water isn't at the shore but offshore. A belt of mangrove cays stretches out in front of town, and that's where people go to swim, snorkel and spend the day.
The town is your base; the cays are the destination. Almost everything you'll want to do starts by getting on a boat at the waterfront.
What makes this place special
The cays
Dozens of mangrove cays and islets form a natural barrier off the coast. Some, like Cayo Caracoles or Mata La Gata, get visitors every day; others are nearly deserted. The water between them is shallow, calm and a very clear turquoise.
The bioluminescent bay
La Parguera has one of Puerto Rico's three bioluminescent bays. At night, moving water sets off blue flashes produced by microorganisms called dinoflagellates.
The waterfront
The waterfront is lined with restaurants, bars, kiosks and craft stalls. It's where almost everyone ends the day: back from the water, grab something to eat and wait for night to fall.
The nature reserve
This whole area is part of a nature reserve that protects mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds. It isn't a theme park: it's a living ecosystem, and how you visit it matters.
When to go
You can visit La Parguera year-round. The southwest is drier than the rest of the island, which works in your favor.
- On weekdays the cays are noticeably quieter than on weekends.
- For the bioluminescence, nights with little moonlight offer the best conditions.
- For snorkeling, mornings usually have better visibility, before the wind stirs up the water.
- Weekends and holidays are when town is liveliest — and busiest.
How much time you need
One day is enough to see a cay and the bay at night. Two or three days let you do it without rushing, visit several cays and eat well. We've put together ready-made itineraries for however much time you have.
La Parguera in pictures
Cays, mangroves and the town.
Coming to see La Parguera?
Make Marietta Keys your base and wake up steps from the docks.