The Cabo Rojo lighthouse is in the far south west corner of Puerto Rico and it was approximately a 90 minute drive from my apartment in Aguadilla.  I had been told it was worth the drive and I was not disappointed.

Upon arriving I found that the parking areas near the lighthouse were full and they had actually closed the road leading there so I had to park at the Caracol De Cana restaurant lot.  This lead to a decision point as I asked the attendant how long a walk it was to the lighthouse and he said “Oh, about 45 minutes”.  I’ve never let a long walk get in the way of anything, but since it was very hot with a burning sun, I asked him “is it worth it?” and his immediate response was “no”.  For a minute there I thought about not going but that’s just not me – I put on some more sunscreen, grabbed my two bottles of water, and headed out.

Sure enough, it was a long walk (fairly close to 45 minutes) along a road that lead to a pretty nice protected cove beach (La Playuela) that had a pretty good crowd.  Cabo Rojo Lighthouse, Puerto RicoFrom there, I took a path up the way that took me up the cliff and toward the lighthouse.  This is where it got really beautiful.  The view of the stark cliff against the beautiful Caribbean waters was beyond beautiful.  At that point, I didn’t care how hot or how sunny it was – I simply applied more sunscreen and drank a bit more water and enjoyed it.
I probably spent about an hour or more just walking along the edge – within reason, I’m not what you’d call and “adventure traveler” – taking it all in, listening to the ocean, the silence, and taking some photographs.  As I walked along the way, I approached the lighthouse and several others that were also enjoying the magnificent views.  Seems as though most were at the beach.

Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico

Cabo Rojo, Puerto RicoWalking further along the coast, you come up to a natural bridge that’s been formed over the years from the water erosion.  The color of the water really shows at this spot.

The lighthouse itself is very simple and there was an art display inside.  It also provided same shade for a little time.  I walked around enjoying the art on display, drank a bit more water, and headed back out to take in the view one more time before heading back out toward my car.  Upon arriving at the restaurant, I ordered some of their large tostones and a beer and enjoyed it.

Unlike the visit to Cabo Rojo, the visit to Rincon was not as hot – after all, it was near sunset.  I arrived, walked around to the lighthouse and then headed to view the ocean.  The view from that area is somewhat limited and not as pretty (yes, you see the ocean but nothing much else) but I saw the beach down below (Playa Domes) and headed that way.

The beach is located by a decommissioned nuclear facility (no – it didn’t scare me) and I got there as the sun was starting to set.  I just stood back and enjoyed nature’s light show.

After the sun had fully set, I left for dinner and mojitos at Mahi Mahi which turned out to be great (see my restaurant list here) and back to my apartment for the night and to prepare for the next day.

Rincon, Puerto Rico

For other experiences in Puerto Rico, take a look at these other articles.

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