El Combate

Introducing El Combate

Named after a 1759 colonial turf war waged for control of the lucrative salt flats to the south, El Combate (The Battle) retains its wayward and embattled image. Indeed, people from this gritty seaside settlement, wedged incongruously between Boquerón beach and the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, are still known locally as Los Mata con Hacha (Those Who Kill with Axes) for their historical penchant to wield sharp weaponry against rivals from the nearby town of Lajas.

Situated at the end of Hwy 3301, a short spur road that branches west from Hwy 301, El Combate today is an untidy sprawl of tawdry guesthouses, backyard trailer-camping sites, beach houses and restaurants. But while the down-at-heel bar scene might be a little on the rough side, the thin 3-mile-long strip of sand that affronts the Pasaje de la Mona is a perennially popular vacation spot for Puerto Rican families and high-school and college kids looking for some fun during the weekends.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009