“You will get tired of cleaning sand, soon you won't even want to look at the shoreline, just give it some time”. That is what I was told time and time again after moving to Puerto Rico. You see, when I moved here we lived in an apartment practically on the beach. I would walk out, and about 30 steps behind the house was a small staircase leading to the beach. The kids and I were on the beach every day. It was amazing, we had a wonderful time. The neighbors would laugh and say “Soon, you will forget it’s there”
It’s been more than 5 years now. It still hasn’t happened.
I hope it never does.
We don’t live by the beach anymore, but I am still amazed at the sight of the ocean. We go every chance we get. Let’s face it, it's a small island, 100x35 miles, we have a lot of beaches. Some are very well known, others hidden gems the locals try to keep to themselves. Even if we are just going shopping, we take a little detour to take in the view and walk on the sand, maybe just sit for a while. The ocean is ever changing. The waves, the colors, the sand. It still amazes me.
One of the beaches we go to frequently is Guajataca Tunnel Beach. Driving to the beach, you see the most amazing view from the road, it is breathtaking, probably my favorite view, it never fails to impress. There are a few things to do here. We like to start off with a picnic at Merendero, Guajataca. This is a picnic area with some hiking trails that lead to beautiful lookouts. Here you can get a great view of the Guajataca Tunnel Beach.
This a really nice area to have a bite to eat and use the restroom since there are no facilities at the beach. It has paved hiking trails, and the picnic tables are scattered throughout so you can usually find a private area to enjoy with your group. It is kept clean which is another plus.
After eating and hiking a little, you can jump back in the car and head to the beach. It is a short ride, less than 5 minutes from here. You just have to drive down to get there. Guajataca Tunnel was a sugarcane transport tunnel that was used at the beginning of the 20th century. It connects the towns of Isabela and Quebradillas.
When you arrive there is a parking area. This area is open, no security or services available here. Just something to keep in mind. We have never had a problem here, but we are always cautious nonetheless and travel in groups. Come during the day and leave before dark, as there are no lights in the area.
This area gets many visitors. The area is not very well maintained, but for some, the graffiti and rustic nature have great appeal. I have to admit, I enjoy it too, I even took my anniversary pictures here a few years ago and I love how they turned out. I am not saying that it doesn’t need work. It would be really nice if a little love was given to the area. It would benefit greatly from some regular upkeep.
There are many palm trees, and we like to set up a volleyball net and play for a while. This beach is not a safe beach to swim at. Some like to do a little surfing here, but in general, it is not a good swimming spot. The area on the right of the beach is where the Guajataca River connects to the beach. This is where we usually jump in. It forms a little bit of a lake, and some people kayak down the river to this spot.
If you would like to do a little more walking, head on over to the tunnel. The tunnel is dark, but it is very short, so you don’t need any flashlights to get through. Once you pass the tunnel, there are 2 pathways you can take. They run parallel to each other. One is through some trees and the other is right by the shoreline. We were there this weekend and this pathway still has not been repaired since hurricane Maria. Part of the pathway is broken off and there is a rather large hole, so you need to be careful crossing here, or just go through the trees.
At the end of this path, there is a little section between the rocks that leads to a beautiful beach In Isabela. There are many large rocks people climb, and the beach extends for a bit, so it is a nice place to walk and explore. The kids love picking up sea glass and seashells here since not many people go here they usually find a lot of nice pieces.
In conclusion, Guajataca Tunnel Beach is a nice place to spend the day. It is not a beach to go to if you are in the mood for swimming and snorkeling, but if you want to hike, play around, and enjoy an afternoon taking in some beautiful sights, it just might be on your list of places to visit.
I hope you enjoyed this post inspired by #BeachWednesday - led by @lizanomadsoul and initiated by @uwelang
All of the pictures where taken by me using both a Nikon D5200 and a Samsung Galaxy J7
