Shacks Beach
Shacks Beach
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
This beach with its underwater cathedral-like caverns make for a great dive.
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4.5
64 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
13
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Sonja S
Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN120 contributions
Jan 2020
We went because it was suggested as the best swimming beach in the area. The waves aren't bad, but the rocks right past the shoreline made swimming difficult for my kids. They mostly just played in the sand. There is free parking on a lot right at the entrance, which was really nice. No facilities of any kind - bathrooms, restaurants etc. Jobos beach is better unless you want to snorkel (we didn't have snorkel gear).
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pinchetravels
San Juan, Puerto Rico543 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
We went during the 4th of July weekend and it was not that busy. The beach is big enough to accomodate loads of people and we saw roughly 50 people in total. There is very little shade, so make sure to bring an umbrella and food/drinks for the time there. There is one restaurant towards the left, but the place is known for being expensive. They have outdoor beds at this restaurant.
Most of the locals will bring their food/drinks in a cooler, so I recommend you do the same.
The currents can be very strong here and windy, so be careful. Never go in the water alone. There are small patches of water areas that are safe to go in. You will see most people hanging out in there.
Make sure to take your sandals, since the sand can get very hot!
For parking, there is a place about 200 meters away from the main entrance where you can park your car. You will not face any problems parking your car there or don't have to worry about robbery.
Enjoy the beach!
To read more about my travels, check out pinchetravels.com.
Most of the locals will bring their food/drinks in a cooler, so I recommend you do the same.
The currents can be very strong here and windy, so be careful. Never go in the water alone. There are small patches of water areas that are safe to go in. You will see most people hanging out in there.
Make sure to take your sandals, since the sand can get very hot!
For parking, there is a place about 200 meters away from the main entrance where you can park your car. You will not face any problems parking your car there or don't have to worry about robbery.
Enjoy the beach!
To read more about my travels, check out pinchetravels.com.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aaron M
Louisville, KY33 contributions
Mar 2017 • Couples
The west side of the island is COMPLETELY different and HIGHLY recommended. PLEASE get out of San Juan and come see this great beach in Isabla. The locals are very friendly and outgoing. Its quieter, peaceful, and there is wildlife here you can't see anywhere else.
Written 20 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina M
San Juan, Puerto Rico7 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
Shacks beach is located in Isabela, very close to Aguadilla. My husband and I first visited Shacks beach this year in Early October. We took a weekend trip to Rincon to try snorkeling at Steps Beach only to find murky water conditions. Rather than head home to San Juan area we did a quick internet search of good snorkeling in Puerto Rico and found a recommendation for Shacks Beach. The given gps coordinates are: 18.516532,-67.100984
To get to Shacks beach you take a road back to a sandy path. There isn't any formal parking but there is an area off the road that has space for a handful of cars to park. A set of steps leads down to the beach from the sandy path. When we walked out on to the beach we felt like we discovered a hidden treasure! There was only a handful of others at the beach and we were able to claim a spot with plenty of space.
There are definitely areas here that are good to swim and wade in and others that aren't. The aeras that aren't great for swimming have flats rocks and coral so while this isn't a good area to hang out it in you can swim over it to the best part of this beach which is the snorkeling area! once you get beyond the first flat rocks there is a sandy bottom. Keep swimming and you will reach the Coral, big rocks and the marine life! If you stick your head above the water you'll see the waves breaking as they hit the big rocks. Until you reach that everything before you is great to snorkel in. The topography is pretty neat with various types of coral and sea plants. We saw numerous fish and schools of fish, a group of squid, and barracudas. If you find some squid stop and watch them it is somewhat hypnotic to watch.
If you swim to the edge of the rocks they have a steep drop. There is a little space that lets you swim through it and as you emerge over the rocks into open ocean for the first time you have a feeling of falling off a cliff! It certainly got both mine and my husbands hear beating, but of course we didn't actually fall off a cliff!
We came back to Shacks for a second trip in late October with friends and made a day of it. We packed a cooler with lunch and beverages and spent the entire afternoon there. There aren't any bathrooms, restaurants or shops around so bring everything you need for the day. The snorkeling again was great and again there weren't many people here. The current was stronger this day so it moved us around a bit more in the water but it was still manageable.
this beach is also great to enjoy a leisurely walk down the coast, it is very pretty!
If you want a great place to snorkel and spend the day AND feel like it's your very own beach visit Shacks beach.
To get to Shacks beach you take a road back to a sandy path. There isn't any formal parking but there is an area off the road that has space for a handful of cars to park. A set of steps leads down to the beach from the sandy path. When we walked out on to the beach we felt like we discovered a hidden treasure! There was only a handful of others at the beach and we were able to claim a spot with plenty of space.
There are definitely areas here that are good to swim and wade in and others that aren't. The aeras that aren't great for swimming have flats rocks and coral so while this isn't a good area to hang out it in you can swim over it to the best part of this beach which is the snorkeling area! once you get beyond the first flat rocks there is a sandy bottom. Keep swimming and you will reach the Coral, big rocks and the marine life! If you stick your head above the water you'll see the waves breaking as they hit the big rocks. Until you reach that everything before you is great to snorkel in. The topography is pretty neat with various types of coral and sea plants. We saw numerous fish and schools of fish, a group of squid, and barracudas. If you find some squid stop and watch them it is somewhat hypnotic to watch.
If you swim to the edge of the rocks they have a steep drop. There is a little space that lets you swim through it and as you emerge over the rocks into open ocean for the first time you have a feeling of falling off a cliff! It certainly got both mine and my husbands hear beating, but of course we didn't actually fall off a cliff!
We came back to Shacks for a second trip in late October with friends and made a day of it. We packed a cooler with lunch and beverages and spent the entire afternoon there. There aren't any bathrooms, restaurants or shops around so bring everything you need for the day. The snorkeling again was great and again there weren't many people here. The current was stronger this day so it moved us around a bit more in the water but it was still manageable.
this beach is also great to enjoy a leisurely walk down the coast, it is very pretty!
If you want a great place to snorkel and spend the day AND feel like it's your very own beach visit Shacks beach.
Written 10 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jamesdean29
Atlanta, GA1,766 contributions
Feb 2016
Let me start off by saying WOW! This is such a great hidden gem and the nicest Caribbean water on the island. Parking is scarce then it's a short walk to the beach. Once in the water this is the most amazing snorkeling I've ever done. The water is so clear and the visibility is no less than 60'. There were so many different types of colorful fish and reefs. This place is absolutely amazing and it's sort of a secluded private place. I will always come back here when in PR.
Written 18 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
harpsm
Rockville, MD4 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
Shacks Beach is part of a very long stretch of beach expanding for miles in both directions. It seems to be very private, especially if you walk just a bit away from the vacation home areas. We parked on Route 4466 (probably legally, but we weren't certain) and walked down the very narrow road toward Villa Tropical, which leads directly to beach access. From this spot on the beach, it was easy to swim out to what I assume is the Blue Hole area for some very nice snorkeling with lots of rock structures, fish, and coral. If you swim out toward the breaking waves, you will reach a cliff where the sea floor suddenly is too deep to see - I'm guessing at least 30-40 feet (I was a bit freaked out to suddenly find myself in open water, so I didn't stick around to explore the cliff). Even though it was winter, visibility was good and snorkeling was easy.
Written 28 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nottoohappy2016
Isabela, Puerto Rico142 contributions
Sept 2019
This is by far the best place to snorkel on the west coast. The blue hole is filled with amazing marine life and everything about this place is just beautiful!
Written 7 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luis m
Isabela, Puerto Rico41 contributions
Sept 2018 • Friends
the best place to snorkel around if its gorgeous on the outside just imagine underwater alot of fishes sea turtles blowfishes grouper fishes and much more i personally love this place and highly recomend it !
Written 15 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ABlecha31
Lancaster, OH20 contributions
July 2017 • Family
Shacks is one of my favorite spots in Puerto Rico! We have been to many of the beaches in Northwest PR and Shacks is awesome. The Blue Hole offers a beautiful place in which to snorkel and swim. The long coastline makes for lovely walks with gorgeous views.
Written 17 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan D
Cincinnati, OH7 contributions
July 2016
Beautiful beach. Beautiful warm water. Went out 100 yards from the beach and was still able to stand up. There are several crevasses in the ocean floor with tons of ocean life. This place seemed more of a local hangout which was great because it was not crowded in the slightest.
Written 18 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How large is the water area that is for quiet swimming ,wading?
Written 9 January 2019
See answer below. Also note that both east and west of Villa Tropical the ocean tends to populate into little pools - bathing piscinas us mom’s frequent with little ones. It’s all about the weather.
Written 22 August 2019
Can i get into the blue hole without encountering strong currents snd winds. I am not a strong swimmer. How much of the eater is calm?
Written 9 January 2019
Hi Sami - It’s more about when and Mother Nature can be temperamental but it’s a small triangle right out front that is almost always fine, the inner reef area that serves as a lap pool even when choppy but it’s always weather and wind dependent. For example yesterday and today we swam effortlessly across the blue hole to the outer reef and descended and hung out for 50 minutes at 50 feet below with very little current. It’s about timing. Happy to offer more information as to the trends during your target stay dates. Call Villa Tropical at 787-872-7172. Hope you can stay and visit and snorkel and dive Shacks Beach. If it’s too windy - enjoy watching the kite boarders from around the world (that’s around January-March). :)) Cheers JT
Written 22 August 2019
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