The Ultimate Cabo Rojo Travel Guide

beaches

Jul 13

Written By Brik

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Located about a two hour drive away from San Juan, Cabo Rojo is a large municipality in the south west side of Puerto Rico. The quickest way of getting to Cabo Rojo is driving through the south side of the island along Route 52 and Route 2. Once you pass the municipality of San German, you'll know you're getting close to Cabo Rojo. Once you take the exit to Route 100, you've essentially arrived!

Cabo Rojo is such an amazing municipality because of its history and unique natural landscape that cannot be experienced in any other municipality of Puerto Rico. This is why I suggest that if you want to come visit, consider staying for at least one night so that you can take your time to experience everything it has to offer.

During our visit to Cabo Rojo, we stayed two extremely peaceful nights at Pitahaya Glamping, an Eco-Retreat that prides itself in offering a sustainable, relaxing and peaceful experience surrounded by the beautiful landscape of Cabo Rojo without compromising on comfort and all the amenities one would need to feel at home. At Pitahaya Glamping you'll be staying in very roomy canvas tents that include a comfortable bed with fresh bed sheets, electricity to charge all your electronics and fans that will keep you cool throughout the night.

Glamping Tents at Pitahaya Glamping in Cabo Rojo

Each camping area also has its own private bathroom, mini kitchen which includes essential dishes and also a BBQ. The common areas at Pitahaya include a pool to cool off after a sunny day at the beach, a fireplace to share memories and a large telescope to clearly observe the stars and planets thanks to the campsite's secluded location. Birdwatching enthusiasts will also be able to observe many species of rare and extremely beautiful birds that live or migrate through Cabo Rojo every year to different locations. Based on our experience, we can assure you that the Pitahaya experience is definitely the pinnacle of serenity and peacefulness. Visit the Pitahaya Glamping to reserve your stay.

We begin our first day of adventure visiting las Salinas de Cabo Rojo, a large area of many beautiful pink colored salt flats. The history of these salt flats dates back to the indigenous people of Puerto Rico called the taínos who would extract salt from this area.

Later on, in the 1500 the Spanish settlers commercialized the salt flats, creating Puerto Rico's very first industry, which lives on today, more than 500 years later. In the present day, most of the salt produced in the flats is sold to pharmaceutical companies for different purposes.

Salt mounts from the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats

Visitors to the area can park their car right next to the road, go past the gate and walk in between the salt flats to admire the bright pink color that is produced by a concentration of bacteria. Around these salt flats you will also find long trails for hiking and mountain biking that lead to different areas around the flats and to hidden beaches.

After taking the perfect vacation photo at the salt flats, your next stop should be the famous Faro los Morrillos, a lighthouse that is characterized by its beautiful simplicity. To get to the lighthouse from the salt flats you'll need to keep driving down the street which eventually turns into a dirt road that can be somewhat challenging for smaller cars. This road goes by historic structures and otherworldly mangrove landscapes.

After driving for a few minutes you will see a parking area and the beginning of the trail up to the lighthouse. I suggest visitors use sunblock, sunglasses and a hat to protect themselves from the harsh Caribbean sun during their hike up to the lighthouse since shade is scarce in this area.

Trail leading to the Cabo Rojo lighthouse

At the end of the trail you'll be welcomed by the beautiful lighthouse which rests almost at the edge of impressive white limestone cliffs which can drop up to 200 feet down. From this area you'll have a breathtaking view of the beautifully blue Caribbean Sea and of Playuela Beach, or as locals call it Playa Sucia. While this area is undoubtedly beautiful, please be careful with every step you take! A fall from these limestone cliffs can be extremely dangerous or even deadly so avoid taking unnecessary risks and make sure to stand a good distance away from the edges of the cliff at all times.

Now that you've marveled at this spot, it's time to head back down to the parking area. But, before getting down there, you might want to keep an eye out for a trail to your left that'll lead you to a hidden gem of this area, the Puente de Piedra. This interesting rock formation is shaped like a bridge that connects the mainland with a little rock island in the middle of the sea. If you're adventurous, you could carefully climb down the rocks to view this bridge from the little beach that surrounds it and explore a hidden cave carved into the limestone cliff. If you want your breath taken away, you cannot miss this beautiful work of art created by mother nature.

Alright, you've walked for about an hour in the blazing sun and you're ready to take a dip in the refreshing waters of the Caribbean Sea. So where do you go now? You might want to head over to the aforementioned beach called Playuela or Playa Sucia which is located right next to the Faro los Morillos. This beach is beautiful and secluded, but it can get crowded by locals on holidays. However, it is unique because it is created by a strip of land that divides saltwater marshes and the sea. This beach is also known to have algae in its waters almost year round so if you don't like the feeling of algae while you swim at a beach you might want to consider other beaches.

And for that, you'll need to head back out through the dirt road, pass the salt flats and head over to one of the most popular areas in all of Cabo Rojo called Combate, which is home to Combate Beach. In this area you'll not only find miles of crystal clear water, but also a community thriving with local criollo and street food as well as seafood. During our visit we ate some delicious empanadillas and other local food at Annie's Place, one of the most famous spots in Combate that has a unique view of the beautiful Combate Beach. But, we can assure you that wherever you eat, your taste buds will be delighted with Puerto Rico's savory cuisine.

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Before heading out to our second day of adventure in Cabo Rojo we decided to replenish our energy with a delicious breakfast at one of my favorite breakfast spots in Cabo Rojo called Green Bowls. Green Bowls is conveniently located right on Cabo Rojo's main street and it's menu ranges from sweet and salty breakfast options to a wide range of delicious pizzas. Personally I love pairing their french toasts covered in crushed almonds, honey and fruits with their amazing coffee.

After this mouth watering breakfast it's time to head over to one of the most iconic beaches not only in Cabo Rojo but in all of Puerto Rico, Buyé Beach. Buyé is unique because of its clear and calm water that lines a beautiful white sand beach. Similar to all the other beaches in Cabo Rojo, Buye can get pretty crowded during the weekend, so I suggest that if you want to experience Buye in all of its peaceful and serene glory, visit it during a weekday very early in the morning.

The crystal clear water of Buyé Beach in Cabo Rojo — Crystal clear water of Buyé Beach in Cabo Rojo

I assure you that you'll have the beach all to yourself to take a deep breath, relax and meditate. If you want to get away from the crowds during the weekend, I suggest walking for a couple of minutes down the beach towards the right side where you won't see as many people crowded in one area. But, regardless of the day, if you're visiting Cabo Rojo, Buye is a total must on your list of places to experience!

Next up we get ready to visit one of the most lively areas in all of Cabo Rojo, el Poblado de Boquerón. Boqueron is not only popular because of its beautiful beach that seems to stretch out as far as the eyes can see, but also because of its nightlife, unique gastronomical offerings and for its distinct carts that line the streets with different food options and souvenirs.

If you want to get to the beach from the main street, just walk all the way down the street, passing the carts to your right till eventually you'll find a retracting bridge that allows visitors to go between the beach and the community.

If you want to have the complete Boqueron experience, you need to head over to one of the carts that sells freshly caught oysters by the local fishermen and pair it with a splash of the hot sauce of your choice.

Fresh oysters in el Poblado de Boquerón in Cabo Rojo

Or, you could walk over to the small pier decorated with the puertorrican flag and take the perfect Instagram worthy photo. Without a doubt, Boqueron is the perfect place to grab a drink with your friends, have a fun night out dancing and create some lifelong memories.

Kiosks and carts in the Poblado de Boquerón in Cabo Rojo

And, just like that it's almost time to leave Cabo Rojo, but before you say goodbye, I highly suggest you pass by Cabo Rojo's center plaza. Like I mentioned in the travel guide where I visit the amazing municipality of Adjuntas, every municipality in Puerto Rico has a center plaza which acts as the heart of the municipality, but unfortunately in many cases these city centers are not welcoming or well kept.

However, this is not the case for Cabo Rojo's center plaza which is lively at night, well illuminated and oftentimes hosts cultural events. We also suggest that when you're here, you need to visit one of the two kiosks that sells the famous limbers de tetita, which is essentially a sweetened frozen dessert similar to a popsicle in a distinctive little plastic bag.

Kiosks selling limber de tetita in the Cabo Rojo center plaza

And that concludes two very exciting days at one of Puerto Rico's most beautiful, historic and naturally diverse municipalities. But, even though these two days were completely jam packed, we still missed a lot of Cabo Rojo's attractions like the gastronomical community of Joyuda, the otherworldly Guaniquilla lagoon and the mysterious cave of the infamous pirate named Roberto Cofresí. So, make sure to drop a comment below if you want me to make a Part 2 of this ultimate Cabo Rojo travel guide.

And that’s it! I hope you found this travel guide helpful. Make sure to check out my YouTube channel, Brik’s Travel Guides, to see the full video of this and other Puerto Rico travel guides.

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