Snorkeling Playa Mar Chiquita

General Description:   A very unusual beach with in a small cove with an active ocean swells.  This was great snorkeling lots of fish and coral.


Degree of Difficulty:  Intermediate  

Grid Coordinates: 18.473104, -66.484604 



Maps:   USGS TPR5654820, Manati, PR

Finding the Beach:    From San Juan take costal highway 22 west; take the Manati exit go south on Highway 149.  The first intersection will be Highway 2, turn left to go west.  Take the fourth turn right to head north on PR-604.  Follow PR-604 for approximately 5 miles it will end at PR-685.  Take a right then the second left onto PR-648.  Follow PR-648 to the Mar Chiquita beach entrance.  Drive down the hill and park next to the beach.  Once parked you can either go to the surf beach to the east/right of the parking lot Punta Marchiquita or west/left to the enclosed beach cove which is Playa Mar Chiquita

Beach Overview:  Playa Mar Chiquita is a large half-moon shaped beach.  It has a lava rock outcrop to the front of the beach.  There is an inlet that allows some of the Ocean swells in the beach area.   There is small beach surf but nothing that isn't negotiable when snorkeling.   At first impressions it seemed like a small local beach.   There is one beachside kiosk that sold drinks and food.    There were groups of family’s swimming and sunbathing.  If you're there just to play in the surf and worship the sun, you can find a spot on the east side of the parking lot at Punta Marchiquita.   Either beach would be a great place to spend a day relaxing in the sun and surf.      

Snorkeling Instructions:    From the parking lot enter the water anywhere along the half-moon shaped beach.   The cove will deepen in the center and get shallow again the closer you get to the rock out crops to the front.  Avoid the entrance to the bay this is where the swell is the strongest.  While snorkeling a small alternating current could be felt from the swells and the inlet.   Exercise caution near the rock outcrop shallows.  Around the rock outcrops and toward the center of the cove there is an abundance of fish and good coral formation examples.   While snorkeling you will feel exhilarated by the Ocean Swells.  This  is the only place in  Puerto Rico or Culebra that I have had this experience.