Playa La Jungla — Attraction in Guánica

Garbage from beach goers welcomed us back to this remote, southern beach, including dirty diapers and used tampon dispensers, fishing line, styrofoam plates, plastic bags, cups, and bottles that blanket the mangroves and the grasses behind the parking area.

The wind blows trash back from the beach where people leave their garbage everywhere from family picnics. Feral dogs survive on discarded food and may be aggressive to some pets. Someone put up a handmade sign in Spanish in the parking area reminding people to throw away their garbage, but no garbage cans can be found at this protected reserve.

This is a favorite local beach with enough people visiting every day to fund proper cleanup and care. Sadly, charging people and a reservation system may be required to mitigate human impact at this beach park and marine ecosystem. Because these beach goers here don’t seem to care about preserving this natural...

Visited Santa Beach and Playa La Jungle which is totally worth $2/person (free under 12). We hiked a trail marked by orange flagging ribbons to a secluded beach rich with shore life. The 10-15min walk through the jungle and mangroves was easy but takes and adventurous spirit to keep going past midway where the sandy path has up to 2"of clear water for a short stretch. Right at the end the flagged path was also overgrown a bit. My teen boys liked the adventure of this spot but our group was a mix of adventurous and hesitant. I'm so glad the adventurous voted us onward when we almost stopped at the watery section. (I highly recommend wearing water shoes if you plan to attempt the hike to Almendro the "hidden beach"). The sandy cove is gorgeous and provides an opportunity for wildlife observation since the shore is mostly bits of coral and shells with many hermit grabs...

We were expecting some waves. If you are looking for a remote place, that the ocean looks like a giant swimming pool then this is your place. Safe for kids. The parking is $5. You pay in the main gate and drive 5 minutes south. We arrived at 3 pm and we were able to get parking. It should not be a problem. The gate closes a 5 pm, so plan to start driving out at 4:30. There are not shops or restaurants in this area so plan to bring your own refreshments. Water is clean and the sand is not bad. Overall it was a nice place to spend time with family and get the experience of local recreation. 45 minutes...