Shimmering Bahía La Parguera is anything but easy to find. A series of narrow roads wind around mountain corners through Puerto Rico’s wild southwest, where jungle houses hang from cliffs and none of the streets have names. Despite my reasonably proficient navigational skills, I’m pretty sure we’ve passed the same intersection three times. We stopped. I check my map again, “I think it’s that way.”
I’m not lost. I just don’t know if it’s possible to get where I want to go. Maybe the glow-in-the-dark bay just doesn’t want to be found. But I am determined. I abandon my misleading directions and follow my instincts. With the orange wash of afternoon in the sky to the right, we head south and finally, as the sun sinks towards the sea, we descend from the hills to a town that hugs the coast.
Most stores are closed. It’s not tourist season yet. We park in a muddy parking lot and wander along the sidewalk looking through dusty windows at custom-made cotton clothing and pharmaceutical items as we keep an eye on the dock. Twilight has fallen. I think we are going in the wrong direction. Incandescence spills out onto the street from the open door of a restaurant. We stopped and ordered dumplings stuffed with pulp and onion. The owner, a gentleman, refills our rum and coke himself and gives us the inside scoop on where to find a pot.
An hour later, we’re standing in the dark at the end of a pier. Bungalows on stilts stretch along the shore and warm light from the living rooms dances on the water. A handful of intrepid travelers join us as we board a fiberglass tour boat. Soon we slip through twisted mangroves and islets where ghostly white herons nest in the trees.
We pass under a leafy archway and into a secluded cove. The captain turns off the engine and then turns off the light. My eyes begin to adjust. Clouds drift over the stars in a moonless sky. The water is black.
We’re here to see a bioluminescent bay. I’m not sure what to expect. Perhaps the entire surface of the deep will begin to glow at any moment, illuminated by a billion microscopic dinoflagellates. I wait, almost holding my breath. Then, to my surprise, our young first officer, Alejandro, takes off his shirt and slides into the sea.
A brilliant blue, swirling watery stardust follows his every stroke. I am paralyzed. I understand why the United States Marine Protected Areas list includes this bay. It is a treasure, a rare brilliant gem. As I watch the spiderweb show, I reflect on the splendid diversity of our bright blue planet. I am also aware that the overuse of waterways has already reduced the scintillation phenomenon and I hope that solutions will be found and bioluminescence will survive for generations to come. Perhaps, in the long run, it is a good thing that it is not easy to find La Parguera. I thought there was something wrong with my map. Maybe it works fine.
Information please
GET THERE
Fly into Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) in Aguadilla. It is on the west side of Puerto Rico and offers easier access to La Parguera. Prices are comparable to San Juan.
Directions to La Parguera: Follow Interstate PR 2E along the coast for 18 miles. Turn right onto CII Los Vélez and immediately turn left onto PR 114 and continue for 13.6 km. Turn… Oh, just check the Google Maps link. I know that sounds complicated and it seems like it would be easier to stay on the interstate a bit longer and then go through town. it is not. The streets are not marked and you will wander in circles. Trust Google and you will get there. Trust me. It’s worth the trip.
THE BIOLUMINESCENT BAY
Like most places in Puerto Rico, if you want to get out on the bay, just walk down to the pier at sunset and look for Johnny’s Boats. Things are pretty casual and you should expect to wait. But don’t worry, you’re on island time!
WHEN TO GO
It’s definitely best to go early in the afternoon on a moonless night. As long as it doesn’t rain, the boats run all year round.
WHERE TO STAY
Villa Parguera is right on the water and features live Latin bands on Saturday nights.
The affordable La Jamaca guesthouse is located just steps from the water.
WHERE TO EAT
Best advice…look out for the crowds. Wherever you see a group of locals, you know it’s a good place.
MORE FUN STUFF
Scuba dive or snorkel with West Divers. Diving in the Wall of La Parguera. Drop a thousand feet to the bottom of the sea!
Go deep sea fishing and catch blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, grouper, dorado, jacks, barracuda. Again, just head to the dock. Ask for Captain Mickey, a marine biologist who really knows what he’s doing.
