Luquillo Beach — Attraction in Puerto Rico

Playa Luquillo, also known as Balneario La Monserrate, is one of the most beautiful and family-friendly beaches in Puerto Rico. The water is calm and clear, thanks to an offshore reef that keeps waves small—perfect for swimming, especially with kids. The sand is soft and golden, and the views of the nearby El Yunque rainforest in the background make it feel like a tropical paradise.

The beach is well maintained, with clean restrooms, showers, picnic areas, and lifeguards on duty. There’s also a large parking area for a small fee. It feels safe and relaxed, with a laid-back atmosphere that makes it easy to spend the whole day there.

One of the highlights is the nearby Luquillo Kiosks—a row of local food stands offering everything from fresh seafood to traditional Puerto Rican street food like mofongo and alcapurrias. It’s the perfect spot to grab lunch or a snack between swims.

The only downside is that it can get crowded on weekends and holidays, and the facilities (especially the bathrooms) could use a bit of updating. But overall, Playa Luquillo offers a great combination of natural beauty, convenience, and local flavor.

Tip: Arrive early to get a good spot and enjoy the peaceful side of the beach before it gets busy. Perfect for families, couples, and anyone...

My husband and I came here last week on a Monday when the beach is technically closed. There were still plenty of people on the beach, chair and umbrella rentals and locals making items out of palm leaves. Just the parking lot was closed and no lifeguards on duty. However, there was a gentleman helping people find parking, lining them up safely and keeping an eye on the vehicles until 3pm. We tipped him for his help. The sand is hard packed but clean. The water was super clean and breathtakingly beautiful. We ended up buying a palm leaf bowl from a local and received two free roses as well. Unfortunately we didn't know that you need to spray the palm leaves with a special spray to kill the bugs or else you can't fly home to the states with it. We had ours taken away from us at the airport. I was so sad because the bowl was my favorite thing I was taking home with us. Please keep this in mind when buying from these friendly gentlemen. I'm not sure if they even know about this. Umbrellas are $10 to rent. Worth it because the sun gets HOTTTT. Don't get burned. Can't...

We started our last day from Fajardo, first stop was Luquillo beach, Only a 30-minute drive from San Juan and a 10-15 minute drive from Fajardo (which is where we stayed)

it is located just off of Route 3 behind the food Kiosks. The beach is wide with plenty of space to spread out and tons of large palm trees and evergreen trees for shade. there are restrooms, showers, and lots of picnic spots. If you need beach chairs or umbrellas there’s usually a vendor set up that will rent them out for the day.

There are also a few food kiosks (which you must check out for local food and gift items). on the grounds and vendors walking the beach with ice cream if you get hungry or need a snack.

As you drive along PR-3, keep an eye out for Los Kioskos de Luquillo, a roadside strip of restaurants, bars, and gift shops set along Luquillo beach.

TIP: it is close to the El Yunque rainforest, about a 20-30 minute drive up to the rainforest. So you could start with an early morning hike and then spend the afternoon...