Celebrating in Puerto Rico: Boqueron and La Parguera

Boqueron

We were back on US soil after surviving an electrifying Mona Passage and it was time to celebrate. Many cruisers stop in Mayaguez to provision after the Mona, but it was Saturday and we heard that Boqueron was the place to be on the weekends. Although we were sleep deprived and exhausted, we quickly perked up when we went to shore. The streets were full of artists, food vendors, and musicians. We spent the day sampling everything Boqueron had to offer. Oysters, meat on a stick, empanadas, tacos, chicken wings—no street food went undevoured.

The next day we spent some time with the crowds on the beach. Because the beaches in the Bahamas are so isolated, it was the first time we’ve shared a beach with more than a handful of people. However, we didn’t mind. Ice cream vendors, Latin music, and domino tournaments at each picnic table made for a very lively scene. As we were cooling off in the water, we saw a sailboat pull into anchor. It was our friends on s/v Delancey.

That evening we went back into town with Deb and Pete. Again we bounced around between bars and street vendors, filling up on fried foods and cheap beer. The highlight of the night was watching people salsa to a lively street band.

The following day, Boqueron looked like a different town. Most of the stores and restaurants were closed and there wasn’t a soul on the beach. This town certainly lives for the weekend.

Cabo Rojo

We left Boqueron on Tuesday, May 3^rd. We refilled our fuel and water tanks at the marina in Puerto Real and set off for La Parguera. As we were rounding the southwest cape, the wind and waves picked up, making our ride very uncomfortable. By now we were used to motoring into the wind and waves. But we decided to spare ourselves from 4 hours of hull bangers and upset puppies. We anchored in Cabo Rojo near Faro Los Morrillos lighthouse.

Built in 1882, the lighthouse marks the southwest cape of Puerto Rico. It is built on red cliffs with a drastic vertical drop of over 200 ft. The lighthouse and surrounding grounds are breathtaking and made for a lovely evening walk with the pups.

La Parguera

We were up early the next morning headed towards La Parguera for a second time. The winds had calmed down, but as we rounded the cape, we found the seas to be pretty choppy. We weren’t traveling far, so we powered through it and dropped our anchor before lunch time.

La Parguera is a cute place. Many homes are built directly on the water and the town is more developed than Boqueron. However, like Boqueron, the town is quiet during the week and comes alive on the weekends. It was Wednesday and we were the only boat in the anchorage.

The next evening, two more boats joined us. It was Imagine Squared and Westwind, who we first met in Luperon. We had read about a nearby bioluminescent bay. The last bioluminescent bay we saw was in Luperon and the water was much too filthy to touch, so we were excited to go play. Lori and Paul from Imagine Squared joined us and we zipped over to the bay in our dinghies at dusk.

As we entered the bay, we wondered what all the fuss was over. We sat in the dark, waiting for the light show to begin. We were feeling disappointed and about to call it quits when I dangled my feet over the side of the dinghy. Gold fakes lit up the water all around my toes. I felt like Tinkerbell. A few minutes later, all four of us were wiggling our hands in the water and watching in awe as fairy dust left our fingers. Rob jumped in and swam a few laps around the dinghy with the water lighting up as he agitated it. We continued to zip around the bay in our dinghy, mesmerized by a blue glow in our wake. We honestly can’t get enough of the bioluminescent waters.

The water in La Parguera was very nice. It wasn’t as pristine as in the Bahamas, but much better than the Dominican Republic. All four of us were excited to swim. We tossed the pups right off the boat so they could cool down in the afternoons. Rob and I went snorkeling and lobster hunting. While our hunt came up short, we had fun exploring the mangrove islands and snorkeling the nearby coral heads.

Once Friday arrived, the town came alive. I get the feeling that this town celebrates something almost every weekend. This weekend it was the Pineapple Festival. The streets filled with vendors and there was a stage, where live music was played late into the night. We roamed the streets, window shopping and listening to music. Puerto Ricans know how to throw a party and we were happy to join along.