With all the great things to do in Luquillo, it isn’t surprising that locals tend to prefer it over other destinations in Puerto Rico.
Located in the northeast of Puerto Rico, Luquillo boasts beautiful beaches and mountains, with some of the top sites in Puerto Rico that locals just can’t get enough of.
I’m a Puerto Rico local and, in this post, I’ll list some of the best activities to do in Luquillo for first-time visitors.
13 Best Things to Do in Luquillo
El Yunque National Forest
Discover the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 888-1880 | Website | Hours: 7:30 am – 6 pm daily | Entrance: $2 per car to El Yunque | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator
El Yunque National Forest extends through multiple cities in the east of Puerto Rico, including Luquillo. El Yunque is the sole tropical rainforest in the United States forest system and is home to four different types of forest, as well as waterfalls and rivers.
El Yunque also boasts some of the top Puerto Rico hiking trails with great views of the coast of Luquillo.
La Monserrate Beach
Swim in the turquoise waters of an award-winning beach
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 889-5871 | Hours: 9 am – 6 pm high season, 9 am – 5 pm low season | Parking: $4-5 | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator
La Monserrate Beach is one of Puerto Rico’s top beaches. Located a short ride from El Yunque, La Monserrate Beach is a long half-moon beach with soft sand, turquoise waters, and lots of palm trees.
It’s been recognized as a Blue Flag Beach multiple times for its facilities and for being an inclusive beach with a ramp for wheelchair users. La Monserrate Beach is a popular beach for doing watersports, swimming, and sunbathing.
👉 Pro Tip: The parking at La Monserrate Beach is closed temporarily and so are the facilities of the beach. You can still access the beach from behind the Public Luquillo Beach behind Luquillo Food Kiosks and walk east until reaching La Monserrate Beach.
Las Pailas
Slide through natural water slides in the mountains of Luquillo
📍 Google Maps | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily | Entrance: $5 per car for parking + .50¢ per person to access the trail to the river
Las Pailas is one of the best waterfalls in Puerto Rico to visit on a short day trip from San Juan. Las Pailas is a natural waterslide formed by the Pithaya River running over rock formations.
The hike to the river is fairly easy and short, but it can get muddy and slippery when it rains. Down the river, there is a smaller slide, a natural pond for swimming, and a rope for adventure lovers.
Luquillo Food Kiosks
Hop from kiosk to kiosk enjoying Puerto Rican delicacies
If you’re a foodie, then you’ll find plenty of places to eat in Luquillo, including the infamous Luquillo Food Kiosks. The Luquillo Kiosks are more than 60 kiosks aligned next to each other right across Luquillo Beach.
In this beachfront location, customers can enjoy everything from Puerto Rican food to Italian pasta. There are also multiple shops where you can buy souvenirs to take home.
Carabali Rainforest Park
Experience El Yunque while horseback riding
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 889-4954 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily
Carabali Rainforest Park is one of the most popular haciendas in Puerto Rico. This place promises a fun-filled day for the whole family. It has everything from ATV countryside adventures to horseback riding tours (through the forest and the beach at Rio Grande).
Hacienda Carabalí also boasts a restaurant with some of Puerto Rico’s top dishes.
Playa La Pared
Catch waves in this surfer’s heaven in Luquillo
📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free
La Pared Beach is a famous surfing beach in the east of Puerto Rico. With strong waves coming from the Atlantic Ocean, La Pared attracts surfing enthusiasts from all around the island.
On Saturdays, the atmosphere turns lively with food trucks, music, and crowds of locals. Even if you’re not into surfing, La Pared is great for trekking along the beach and taking beautiful photos.
Corredor Ecológico del Noreste
Wander through almost 3,000 acres of virgin nature
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 534-3222 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily, Closed Sat-Sun | Entrance: Free
The nature reserve hosts beaches, forests, wetlands, and coral reefs. The nature reserve is home to the astonishing Playa La Selva, which is also a nesting site for sea turtles.
Angelito Trail
Hike and swim in one of the rivers of El Yunque National Forest
📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free
Angelito Trail is part of El Yunque Rainforest hiking trails, and you can visit it from Luquillo. The trail is easy to access and, after a 10-minute hike, you will come across the Mameyes River.
There aren’t any facilities in the area, so you’ll need to pack all the hiking essentials for a day trip adventure. Angelito Trail is also one of the areas of El Yunque you can explore without a reservation.
Puente Roto
Have a family picnic in this riverside area
📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free
There aren’t any facilities in the area, so make sure to go prepared with everything you might need, including purified water. Hiking enthusiasts can hike up or down the river but should wear water shoes, as rocks are often slippery.
Finca de Cacao La PruVite
Taste freshly made hot chocolate with local cacao
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 710-5619 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 8 pm Thurs-Sat by reservation
You can also enjoy drinks and deserts made with the farm’s cacao. When you make your reservation, you can choose to visit early to enjoy a fresh breakfast that includes drinks and dishes with cacao.
Costa Azul Beach
Watch the sunrise on this beautiful beach
📍 Google Maps | Entrance: Free
Costa Azul Beach is also surrounded by restaurants, watersports rentals, and awesome places to stay. A short walk away you’ll find Playa Azul where you can find amazing street art during your beach tour.
Parroquia San José de Luquillo
Visit this peculiar church across the town center
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 889-2590 | Hours: 9 am – 3 pm Tues-Fri for visits, Sat-Sun for masses
For those looking for activities outside of the beach, a stop at Parroquia San José in downtown Luquillo is a must. This historical church, founded in 1797 and remodeled in 1931, boasts unique wood carvings on its altar.
Unlike other catholic religious images, the wood carvings in Parroquia San José de Luquillo combine both religious and natural images. People can find paintings of landscapes and carvings of animals throughout the altar.
This church is also one of the few in Puerto Rico that has English mass every Sunday at 7:30 am.
Laguna Grande
Kayak in one of Puerto Rico’s bio bays
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Book a Laguna Grande Tour on Viator
A short ride from Luquillo, in the city of Fajardo, you’ll find one of the three bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico.
Known as Laguna Grande, this lagoon offers visitors a chance to appreciate the rare phenomenon of bioluminescence. Travelers can visit on kayak, boat, or by taking a walking tour with Para La Naturaleza.
FAQs About Activities to Do in Luquillo
Is Luquillo worth visiting?
Luquillo is one of the best Puerto Rico cities to visit for beach and outdoor lovers. Luquillo is home to El Yunque, nature reserves, and beautiful beaches for surfing or swimming. Luquillo is also centrally located, close to Rio Grande and Fajardo.
What is Luquillo known for?
Luquillo is known for hosting part of El Yunque National Rainforest, and for being home to Luquillo Food Kiosks. Luquillo also boasts beautiful beaches for swimming, surfing, and doing watersports like Luquillo Beach and La Pared.
Is Luquillo beach free?
Access to Luquillo Beach, also known as La Monseratte Beach, is free. Although it’s temporarily closed, the official parking lot of the beach costs $5. Visitors that don’t want to pay for the parking lot in front of Luquillo Food Kiosks and Luquillo Beach for free.
Can you swim in Luquillo Puerto Rico?
Travelers can swim on multiple beaches in Luquillo, including Luquillo Beach. But, tourists visiting Luquillo’s beaches should check the weather and ocean conditions before swimming.
Luquillo beaches are prone to high tides and rip currents, particularly during the autumn and winter seasons.
Thanks for reading about the top things to do in Luquillo!
Have fun discovering the things to do in Luquillo!
About the Author
Ricky Díaz
Aventura, Florida and Dorado, Puerto Rico.
Hollywood Real Estate Investments LLC founded in Florida in 2004.
Commercial real estate broker in New York City for 6 years.
Financial Advisor - 15 years (1989 - 2004) Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney.
Education- BA- University of Georgia -MBA- Inter- American University of Puerto Rico-Metropolitan Campus.
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