Things to do in  Fajardo

With its jungle-fringed lagoons, white-sand beaches, and turquoise waters, the small, uninhabited Icacos Island (Cayo Icacos) is one of Puerto Rico’s most idyllic island getaways. Just a short boat ride from Fajardo, it’s the largest island of the Cordillera Cays Nature Reserve and a popular day-trip destination, where you can escape to secluded beaches to swim, snorkel, and scuba dive.

El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest under the protection of the US Forest Service, as well as the largest nature reserve in densely populated Puerto Rico. Situated in the mist-wreathed Luquillo Mountains—where year-round precipitation ensures green landscapes and a healthy diversity of animal life—El Yunque rainforest is home to the rare Puerto Rican parrot and the coqui frog, whose distinctive croak provides El Yunque’s soundtrack.

Puerto Rico is a lush Caribbean island, but Culebra takes the term exotic paradise a step further. What this sleepy island lacks in big resorts and golf courses, it makes up for with its white-sand beaches, technicolor coral reefs, and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect day trip for beach lovers who want to explore a wild, pristine coastline. The crescent-shaped Flamenco Beach is the island’s top attraction, boasting turquoise waters and crystalline sands.

Laguna Grande is one of only three places in Puerto Rico where bioluminescent plankton is consistently found. During the day, this mangrove-lined lagoon in Fajardo looks like others along the tropical Puerto Rican coastline. But come nightfall, the bioluminescent pool glows fluorescent thanks to pyrodinium bahamense, microscopic plankton that thrive in its shallow Caribbean waters and glow when disturbed.

On the northeasternmost tip of Puerto Rico, this nature reserve protects the island’s tropical landscape, including a bioluminescent lagoon, mangroves, pretty beaches, and a lighthouse. There's also a visitor center where you can learn about the reserve's history and natural features.