Laguna Grande Tours and Tickets

No, unfortunately, you can’t swim in Laguna Grande during your visit or tour. Swimming is prohibited to keep the bay at its healthiest. The only bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico that you can swim in is La Parguera, which is a 2.5-hour car drive from Laguna Grande.

The bioluminescence bay of Laguna Grande glows with a blueish coloring because of the dinoflagellates in the water. A dinoflagellate is a microscopic organism that uses glowing as a defense when they notice any movement in the water. These short bursts of blue light have drawn tourists to the bays for years.

The best time of night to see the effects of the dinoflagellate’s bioluminescence on Laguna Grande is at least two hours after the sun has set when the sky is dark. One of the best times is also during the new moon phase because there won’t be moonlight reflecting onto the water.

No, you cannot visit Laguna Grande on your own. Take a kayaking or boat tour with a licensed, permitted tour operator to easily navigate the mangroves and get the best experience of the sparkling, bioluminescent waters after dark. Tours typically include kayaks, gear, and safety equipment.

To see Laguna Grande, you need to take a guided tour. Kayaking tours are popular and generally include kayaking gear, safety equipment, and a professional guide who helps you navigate the mangroves that lead to the lagoon.

Yes, you can see the Laguna Grande bioluminescent bay without kayaking, but you will need to be on the water as it’s not accessible by land. A few tour operators run tours on small boats out to the lagoon, ideal if you don’t like kayaking.

You can see bioluminescence at Laguna Grande all year, but it's best to visit in the dry season, which runs from December–April when there’s less chance of rainfall. If possible, plan your visit to coincide with the new moon, when the sky is darkest and bioluminescence is most brilliant.

Yes, you can take photos at Laguna Grande, but it's difficult to get still photographic images to match the brilliance of the live bioluminescence. Digital SLR cameras will likely work better than camera phones. Pack a dry bag if you don’t have a waterproof device.