calm water swimming beaches

Hi swimmer:

I live in the San Juan metro area and my triathlete friends do their open water work in the Condado Lagoon.  There are several triathlons that use the lagoon for the swim leg.  San Juan also has a really nice (world class, actually) natatorium that they use for pool sessions.  Hope this helps, and best of luck in your research!

I live in rincon and regularly see serious swimmers in the calmer waters. Rincon sticks out into the ocean and we have water on three sides. There's a surfing side and a swimming (calm) side. Might be worth a look. also nearby are beaches that have rather calm waters.

7 Seas in Fajardo. It's a large calm cove lined with palm trees. They have picnic, shower and restroom facilities. Look it up on the web.

A little bit closer to San Juan than 7 Seas is Balinearo Monserrate in Luquillo. The water is generally quite calm and it's a very big beach. It's a really nice for a day trip with the kioskos in front of it. Parking is just to the east of the last kiosko.

One more vote for Luquillo, one of my favorite beaches.

I also like the Balnaiero Monserrate in Luquillo.  It has really calm water and the beach is pretty clean with great parking, souvenir shop and a nice snack bar with pretty good drinks.

On weekends, it gets pretty full but there is always room for one more.  Enjoy.

Victor, I know that Rincon is known for the surfing beaches as well as Isabela but I also am looking for a calm beach near Isabela or Quebradilla, where we live.  Any thoughts. I know about Guajataca but it has tremendous waves and I would never go in that water.

We love the beaches around the southwest.  Playa Sucia, Cambate, Playa Buye.  I haven't swam these but I take my little kids there because they are all in bays and very calm.

If you come to the Mayaguez area contact me

Thank you so much for all these great replies. We are planning to visit the island soon to do some exploring. Can't wait to get in the open water for a swim!

We live on the west side and often see swimmers in the water at Crash Boat. It's usually very calm.

I would suggest Crash Boats in Aguadilla (West coast). Enjoy it!!!

Crash Boat is a nice beach, but too crowded for my taste; get there early, or you won't find parking!  Any of the public beaches are also very nice.

In the winter most of the beaches on the north side, which is the Atlantic Ocean are usually a lot rougher. The north side calms down some in the summer. Going west and south side is your best chance for more consistent year round calm waters.

I'm also looking for the best place to snorkel in calm waters.

@open water swimmer girl

Hi, recently my late friend's son showed me a video on his cellphone that the Buqueron beach -- which was safe before, on the SW area of PR-- was visited by a shark. I'm familiar with that beach, I spent 3 weeks there with my parents a couple years ago...I could see on the pictures how it checked out every corner of the beach, and spent a good long time there..

He also told me that the place he goes to surf-- near Escambron beach on the North, in San Juan -

has shark too, because they, the surfers, saw it in the water, but they did not care about it.

I would get a heart attack in that situation...You have one life...

You can swim safely in Escambron beach itself if you don't leave the beach area, because its surrounded by underwater boulders and tall rocks which keeps the big fish out.

People can swim safely at Ocean Park beach also, located in San Juan as well. These are the two places I go and can recommend. I'm not familiar with the rest of the beaches around PR.

Depends on the shark species. I scuba dive in the Caribbean and have seen divemasters actually play with nurse sharks by grabbing their fins. They are harmless and plentiful. You need a shark guide chart so you can differentiate among the species. Not all are man-eaters, except off the west coasts of Australia and South Africa. If you happen to be there, beware.

@GHUC

If I am swimming in the ocean, sharks are there. This is their world, their community, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, maternity ward.  If you are in the water so is a shark.  The only big issue we’ve had is with a stone fish. Right off María beach, but they are all along the coast line.  The spine and poison almost took off my toe.  Read caution advice for this fish. It is not aggressive, lies in wait among rocks for food. I just put my foot in the wrong place. Sunscreen, hydration, bottled water. Those are the most important things to remember. Get out of San Juan and enjoy the people, food, beauty of this island.