Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Puerto Rico
Ready to check out the best sites in Puerto Rico for scuba diving, snorkeling, shore diving, free diving or other ocean activities? Zentacle has 29 dive sites, snorkel spots, beaches, and more. Discover hand-curated maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you.
No matter what you're looking for, you can find a diverse range of the best ocean activities in Puerto Rico to suit your needs.
#1 - Crash Boat Beach
Puerto Rico, Caribbean
Unrated
(10)
Crash Boat Beach is a municipal park lined with palm trees, picnic tables, white sand, a pier and a boardwalk with vendors. It is a popular site for Open water check out dives. Most of the dives is done under the abandon old Navy pier and around some of the fallen part of the pier. Around this area maximum depth is 45 feet.
From San Juan take State Hwy 22 (Toll) west. Hwy 22 merge with Hwy 2 in the town of Hatillo. Continue west on Hwy 2 until the town of Aguadilla. Take route 107 north until you see the Crash Boat hwy sign. Turn west at the big church and follow the winding road to the end to a parking lot in front of the beach.
#2 - The Natural
Puerto Rico, Caribbean
Unrated
(1)
Great shore dive with a lot of basket stars and nudibranch. The reef run parallel to the shore. Slate-pencil urchins are common to find as are anemones and eels, Peacock flounders. You will have to hike back the rocks and tress but the dive make it feel easier on the way out.
Past Crash Boat hwy entrance and make a left on the next road. Drive west till the end and park. From here you need to gear up and walk (hike) down the rocks until you get in the water.
#3 - Cayo Real
Puerto Rico, Vieques island
beginner
(1)
Gorgonians, pufferfish and many tropical fish
By boat from Culebra
#4 - Figure Eight
Puerto Rico, Caribbean
Unrated
(2)
There is an old wall with rubble that holds a lot of sea life. If you stay on the inside of the wall, visibility is only about 15'. But if you swim to the outside part of the wall, you will have much better visibility. The better part of the dive is on the outside part of the wall. Once you swim across, stay towards your right. You will come across large rocks with beautiful coral formations, including fan coral. Depth maxes out about 30'. You can find interesting things among the muck: rare seahorses, parrot fish, arrow crabs and other juvenile tropicals.
Located behind the Park Plaza Normandie hotel in San Juan. Park at the public beach, "Escambron", right past the Normandy Hotel. Parking is $3. Tell the gate attendant you are scuba diving and he will direct you to the next gate attendant. You will drive past the main parking lot and you will come to a dead end that has parking in a gravel lot. You will see a snack stand on your left. The dive site is on your right.
#5 - Escambron
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(1)
Dive site is one of the preferred locations for dive training, as it may give almost any dive situation needed for any dive class.
Many reef fish may be observed.
Near Normandy and Caribe Hilton Hotel, behind them if seen from the hotel towards the north.
#6 - Cerro Gordo
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
Cerro Gordo Beach, Car access and Parking.
Cerro Gordo is also known as Cerro Gordo Beach.
#8 - La Cueva Submarina
Puerto Rico, West coast and Mona island
intermediate
(0)
Access is easy to find but it is better to go with a professional diver or experiment diver that know well the diving site.
La Cueva Submarina is also known as Las Cuevas Submarinas.
#9 - El natural
Puerto Rico, West coast and Mona island
beginner
(0)
Aguadilla
El natural is also known as Gas chamber.
#10 - Culebrita West
Puerto Rico, Culebra island
beginner
(0)
Dead reef trying to come b ack new antler coral poping out of older dead corals. A large Barracuda in the area.
By boat from Culebra to the western side of Culebrita
#11 - San Slide
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
Depth: 15 to 70 feet
Coral, coral, everywhere! Immerse yourself in corals ranging from sheet coral to brain coral, and from clusters of thumb coral to elkhorn coral, as you surround yourself with sea life including manatee, dolphins, green and hawksbill turtles, barracudas, groupers, lobsters, conches, large hermit crabs, moray eels, cowfish, boxfish, small tuna, jacks, octopus, blowfish, and more.
San Slide is also known as Sanslide.
#13 - Cayo Icacos
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Cayo Icacos is also known as Icacos.
#14 - Sardines Reef
Puerto Rico, Culebra island
beginner
(0)
Gorgonians, puffer fish, needlefish and more
By boat from Culebrita in the Bahia de Sardinas
#15 - Punta Tamarindo Grande
Puerto Rico, Culebra island
beginner
(0)
Beautiful reef but vis not great. Many fish in the rocks
by boat from Culebra
#16 - Punta del Soldadto
Puerto Rico, Culebra island
beginner
(0)
Beautiful gorgolnians and many tropical fish. Turtles in the area
By boat from Culebra
#17 - Culebrita South Reef
Puerto Rico, Culebra island
beginner
(0)
Beautiful colors, large gorgonians many anglefish
From Culebra
#18 - Mar Chiquita
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
Park in Mar Chiquita Beach and walk to shore.
Sea conditions have to be real calm to proceed with the dive.
#19 - La Cueva del Indio
Puerto Rico, North and East
intermediate
(0)
To make this dive it is important that the surf is really calm.
#20 - Roosevelt roads
Puerto Rico, South East
beginner
(0)
A little something for everyone..
Closed Navy base open to the public should be now at least, lots of good allaround diving activities.
#21 - Palomino's Wall
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
Palomino's Wall is also known as Palomino.
#22 - Punta Maldonado
Puerto Rico, North and East
intermediate
(0)
Punta Maldonado is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Puerto Rico, North and East which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.
#23 - El imperio
Puerto Rico, South East
advanced
(0)
El imperio is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Puerto Rico, South East which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.
#24 - Rompe Olas
Puerto Rico, Vieques island
beginner
(0)
A lot of hawksbill sea turtles and fishes. Calm water, not so clear sometimes. 40 ft max deep. Easy dive.
#26 - La trampa de Buzo
Puerto Rico, North and East
intermediate
(0)
This dive site is NOT for Open Water divers or beginners. There is a lot of current in this dive site, but it's a nice place to dive...
Breñas
La trampa de Buzo is also known as Carlos Playground.
#27 - Luquillo Town Beach
Puerto Rico, North and East
beginner
(0)
South shore of the great Puerto Rican trench. I have been snorkelling and diving this site for years... before and after Hugo and Georges. North south lay allows even for winter Atlantic facing diving and snorkelling, but naturally better during summer and calmer seas. Lots of crevasses and coral heads top at 1 foot under water makes it incredible for snorkelling or surface intervals. You can see it on the satellite map, that's all reef starting 50 feet out.
Wide beach entry with ample free parking. Surfers stay to the east of the bay. National beach is quarter mile away with loads of native foods and kiosks. Quarter mile north of town square, 10 miles to rain forest and 35 miles to San Juan. Jitneys and buses from San Juan. Dive shops in Fajardo 6 miles away.
#28 - Crash Boat Piers
Puerto Rico, West coast and Mona island
beginner
(0)
From the beach you can follow the main pier out on eihter side. Facing out on the left are two square free standing piers. The pillars on all of the piers are covered in sealife and many fish hang around underneath. On the right of the main pier there is one self standing pier same as on the left, but if you go to the right of the self standing pier there is one that has collapsed and is completly submerged. Every day you can find sergeants, tangs, angelfishes, filefishes, trunkfishes, goatfishes, butterflyfishes, damselfishes, flounders, snappers, wrasses, moray eels, rockfishes, sand divers; occasionally you can find sea turtles, porkfishes, flying gurnards, squids, octopus, trumpetfish; and if you are lucky enough you can even find seahorses. IF you go straight out past the piers the water will drop to 80 feet but there is nothing to see.
Access to the beach is located on Rt 107 in Aguadilla. There is a small road sign pointing towards Crash Boat Beach. You can park at either parking lot for access to the dive site. Parking during the summer weekends are hectic. If you want a parking spot you may arrive early in the morning (around 8:00 am).
Crash Boat Piers is also known as crash Boat Beach.