Playa Tamarindo

Ponce & South Coast

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Follow Hwy 333 to its conclusion at Bahía de la Ballena and you'll find that the charming little access route to Playa Tamarindo is blocked off from vehicle access because it's a spawning ground for a rare type of Puerto Rican toad, the sapo concho. The victory of nature over humankind sets the tone nicely for the arc of sand beyond, one of the south coast's most splendidly remote beaches. It's perfect for swimming or hiking the Vereda Meseta trail.

Behind the beach rears the wild Bosque Estatal de Guánica.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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Nearby Ponce & South Coast attractions

1. Playa Ballena

0.34 MILES

The lovely Bahía de la Ballena represents the end of the road (Hwy 333) and a rare opportunity to park your car and rely on two legs rather than four…

2. Bosque Estatal de Guánica

1.69 MILES

The immense 10,000-acre expanse of the Guánica Biosphere Reserve is one of the island's great natural treasures. Located in two wonderfully untrammeled…

3. Gilligan’s Island

1.92 MILES

Gilligan’s Island and nearby Isla Ballena (Whale Island) are all part of the same set of small mangrove islands off the tip of the Caña Gorda peninsula…

4. Centro de Arte Alejandro Franceschi

5.54 MILES

Yauco’s immaculate little art museum is housed in a 1907 building chock-full of Victorian oil paintings and gilded frescoes. It's on the eastern side of…

5. Casa Museo de la Música

5.57 MILES

Musicians might find a bit of diversion in this former home of local composer Amaury Veray Torregrosa, though the wilting Creole house has little inside…

6. Plaza de Recreo

5.65 MILES

On the laid-back Plaza de Recreo, the massive Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Rosario casts a long shadow over domino players and strolling couples…

7. Bosque Estatal de Susúa

9.02 MILES

This mysterious, mist-shrouded forest strewn across hills north of Yauco is just 3300 acres and practically deserted year-round. Ambitious hikers and…

8. Lago Luchetti

9.71 MILES

This artificial lake extends its tentacled inlets deep into the surrounding hills around 5.5 miles north of Yauco at the end of Rte 128. The lake is…