Travel to Rincon, Puerto Rico for Spring Break

Spring break is a great time for any college student, and there are many cheap and easy options for making each break memorable and fun. However, a diamond in the rough that usually goes unnoticed is the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Although it doesn’t have the same appeal places like Cancun or Daytona Beach, Puerto Rico offers many of the same options as well as few that are unique to the island.

The first good thing about Puerto Rico is how accessible it is. The town of Rincon, located in the northwest corner of the island is home to some of the best beaches, bars, and surf breaks one has ever seen. Jetblue flies from JFK to Aguadilla, a nearby city for less than 200 dollars and taxi’s can be taken for less than 20. Continental flies from Newark for around 300, and also offers service to Aguadilla. From there, it’s only a short car ride to sleepy surfer towns like Isabela and Rincon.

If Rincon is your final destination, then there are many options for housing and lodging. Places like the Sandy Beach Inn, and the Rincon Surf and Board offer cheap places to stay as well as locations within walking distance of the beach. If your are a surfer, then the odds that the surf will be up and Maria’s beach and Step’s beach have some of the best surf spots in all of the Atlantic ocean.

However, many of us don’t go on spring break just for surfing, and one can’t guarantee that there are going to be waves. This is what makes the town of Rincon so unique. In the neighboring town of San Sebastian lies one of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll ever see. Only a 20 minute car ride away, a short hike brings you to a beautiful lagoon with a powerful cascade of water complimented by an underwater cave that is the perfect place to bring that special someone.

If there is no surf in Rincon, than some of the best snorkeling in the world can be viewed down at the beach at Tres Palmas. In just a short swim, you can see octopi, sea turtles, and the most amazing array of reef and coral you could ever lay eyes on. There are plenty of beaches to relax on, and diving gear can be rented at places like the Desecheo Dive Shop, or Taino Divers. Both of these places have day boat charters that will take you to nearby Desecheo Island where howler monkey’s give you a warm welcoming and the visibility pushes well past 100 feet.

Some days are cloudy, and the snorkeling can be mediocre, so Mayaguez, the next town over has multiple places to gamble and squander your money away if the weather somehow becomes inclement. The best place to lay your money down is the Holiday Inn Tropical on route 2 in Mayaguez which offers 5-dollar blackjack as well as some high stake roulette and hundreds of slot machines. The staff is friendly and courteous and will help you with any game if you don’t know the rules.

If you are looking for a good place to spend spring break, than Puerto Rico could be that low-key destination that you are looking for. With an array of activities available, it’s a great place to show that wild side without going overboard.