13 Puerto Rico Islands You Must Visit (By a Local)

Puerto Rico is not just one island, it’s a few! And if you’ve never been to any of the Puerto Rico islands outside the mainland, you’re missing out big time.

Puerto Rico is an archipelago, composed of the main island and other 143 smaller islands and cays that hide some of the best things to do in Puerto Rico. 

Puerto Ricans (like myself) love taking trips to these hidden tropical paradises. From an island with a bioluminescent bay to the “Galapagos of the Caribbean”, these are the Puerto Rico islands you should visit.

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13 Best Puerto Rico Islands

Vieques

An island with a bio bay, a black sand beach, and horses roaming about.

📍 Google Maps

Located on the east coast just off mainland Puerto Rico, getting from San Juan to Vieques is easy.

There are many popular things to do in Vieques, from hiking in Vieques National Wildlife Refuge to doing water sports on the beautiful Vieques beaches. 

But the most popular attraction in Vieques is kayaking Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world. Families can also enjoy horseback riding and cycling in this small Caribbean paradise.

Culebra

A Caribbean paradise home to a few of the best beaches in Puerto Rico.

📍 Google Maps | Best Places to Stay in Culebra

Culebra is perfect to escape the rush of the modern world. Culebra’s attractions lack shopping malls, brand stores, or mega-hotels but, you’ll get in exchange a laid-back relaxing atmosphere for true beach lovers. 

Culebra’s beaches sum up to 111 beaches praised for their visibility and breathtaking vistas. Plus, they offer the chance to swim side by side with sea turtles.

Scuba diving enthusiasts shouldn’t miss it, as Culebra’s coasts hide shipwrecks, underwater caves, and coral reefs with colorful marine life.

Gilligan’s Island

Snorkel in the clearest waters of the Caribbean.

📍 Google Maps

Gilligan’s Island, also known as Cayo Aurora, is the most popular Puerto Rico island after Vieques and Culebra.

It’s is one of the best places to visit in Guánica, and it’s a local’s favorite for its excellent snorkeling and kayaking opportunities. 

Gilligan’s Island is a mangrove island with crystal clear waters that let you see pools of fish swimming with the naked eye in shallow waters safe for all the family.

Adventure seekers can choose to kayak from Guánica or take a water taxi from the city.

Palomino Island

Sunbath on a private hotel island next to Fajardo.

📍 Google Maps

Palomino is a private island located outside Fajardo that belongs to El Conquistador Hotel Resort.

Popular for its turquoise beach, the Palomino also features bathrooms, food kiosks, and beach umbrella rentals.

If you’re not staying at El Conquistador, you can reach Palomino through a private boat tour. Palomino is a great alternative to Icacos if you want to visit a cay, without having to carry everything for a beach day trip.

Icacos

Party on the shore of this popular cay.

📍 Google Maps

Icacos is, without a doubt, one of the most popular Puerto Rico islands and one of the most fun things to do in Fajardo for its lively and party atmosphere.

During the weekend, multiple catamarans anchor on Icacos shore simultaneously and party lovers meet up in the water to swim, talk, and dance to the music. 

Also uninhabited, Icacos offers a beach with crystalline waters shallow enough to snorkel close to reefs, and a sandy beach perfect to lie on and sunbathe on a day trip from San Juan.

Desecheo Island

Discover the underwater world of a forbidden island.

📍 Google Maps

While Desecheo Island is one of the best Puerto Rico islands to visit, you can’t exactly step on the island itself.

Desecheo officially belongs to Mayagüez, and like many other Puerto Rico islands, it was once used as a bombing range by the United States Armed Forces. 

As a result, the island itself is forbidden territory, as it’s believed dangerous ammunitions are everywhere. Its coasts, however, house great diving spots, with underwater caves and healthy reefs.

Considered one of the best things to do in Rincón and Mayagüez, you can only visit Desecheo through boat tours.

Culebrita

Swim with turtles on the secluded beaches of Culebrita.

📍 Google Maps

When it comes to pristine beaches in Puerto Rico, there is no doubt that Culebrita has some of the best.

Culebrita is a small uninhabited island that belongs to the municipality of Culebra and it’s only reachable by private boat. 

Playa Tortuga, also known as Culebrita Beach, is a nesting site of endangered sea turtles. If you’d like to step away from the beach, hike to the Culebrita lighthouse, a 19th-century Puerto Rico landmark.

Isla de Mona

Camp in the Galapagos Islands of the Caribbean.

📍 Google Maps

Isla de Mona is located off the west coast, right between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. This unoccupied nature reserve hosts stunning beaches, coral reefs, and caves with pre-Columbian petroglyphs.

But, visiting Mona Island is not for the faint of heart. The island doesn’t have facilities, and the boat ride from Puerto Rico through the Mona Passage takes about 4 hours.

There isn’t potable water, there are venomous plants around the island, and the arid dry weather could dehydrate you quickly. It’s an adventure for outdoor experts only.

Since it’s a nature reserve, you can only visit by soliciting permission from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA). 

Isla Mata La Gata

A beautiful cay with a man-made pool.

📍 Google Maps

Mata La Gata is one of the enchanting islands that form La Parguera Nature Reserve. It has picnic tables, where you can spend a nice afternoon with your family. 

Mata La Gata also has a dock with underwater nets that form a man-made pool, creating a safe environment for a day trip with your family. Contrary to Cayo Caracoles, Cayo Mata La Gata is also quieter and less crowded.

Caja de Muertos

A coffin-shaped small island with blue flag beaches.

📍 Google Maps

Reaching Caja de Muertos takes a short boat ride from the southern coast of Ponce. While its name means coffin island, Caja de Muertos is everything but scary!

Caja de Muertos is home to white-sand beaches that often earn the blue flag and are considered among Puerto Rico’s top beaches. 

Playa Pelicano is the most popular beach on it with calm turquoise waters that make every visitor want to stay there for the rest of the day.

Outdoor lovers can also adventure through the island’s hiking trails to reach Caja de Muertos’ lighthouse ruins.

Cayo de Tierra

A small cay easily accessible from Vieques.

📍 Google Maps

While you’re spending a vacation in Vieques, don’t miss the chance to visit Cayo de Tierra.

You can reach this cay hiking from La Esperanza or Sun Bay Beach, as it’s connected by a path of sand to Vieques.

This cay offers relaxing views for nature lovers and rises on a small cliff that’s perfect for taking pictures and birdwatching.

Cayo Caracoles

A tiny island on the south coast.

📍 Google Maps

Cayo Caracoles is a small mangrove cay that is part of La Parguera Nature Reserve in Lajas.

It doesn’t have any shore, beach, or dock but it’s still a popular destination among Puerto Ricans for its shallow crystal clear surroundings. 

Visiting the cay means always being inside the water, whether you’re sitting, sunbathing, or snorkeling. 

It’s also one of the most crowded -and loud- cays in La Parguera, as many catamarans and boats visit it.

Cardona Island

An island with a historical lighthouse and a beautiful beach.

📍 Google Maps

Isla Cardona is often outshined by its neighbor, Caja de Muertos.

But, this Ponce attraction has a historical lighthouse, clear beaches, a green landscape, and a pebbly shore where visitors like to build rock towers. 

Cardona Island has picnic areas, but no facilities, so beach buffs need to bring everything for a day trip.

You can only reach it by kayak, or by booking a tour through Waterland Adventure Puerto Rico.

FAQs About Islands in Puerto Rico

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There you have it! The complete list of islands and cays you can’t miss during your visit to Puerto Rico. If you’re staying on the mainland, check out these popular Puerto Rico destinations.

Have fun visiting all the Puerto Rico islands!