Crash Boat

The beach takes its name from the crash rescue boats stationed here when the nearby airfield was in military use, and what remains of their pier is the reason divers and snorkellers come: rows of concrete and timber pilings standing in clear water, painted in bright colours above the surface and grown over with sponge and coral below, with schools of fish moving between them. The sand is a broad strip backed by kiosks selling fried fish, empanadillas and coconut water, and on a weekend the whole thing turns into a party. The water is generally calm in summer and can be big in winter, when the northwest coast picks up Atlantic swell.

The landscape

• The pilings - painted above water, grown over with coral below.
• Snorkelling and diving - fish among the pier structure in clear water.
• The kiosks - fried fish and empanadillas along the back of the beach.
• Sunset - straight into the sea off the northwest coast.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, though that is also when Atlantic swell is largest here; visibility for snorkelling is best on calm days from late spring to autumn. Weekends are loud and crowded, weekdays quiet.

What to expect

The pier remains include broken concrete and rebar; water shoes help. Currents around the pilings pick up in swell. Weekend crowds bring heavy music and the car park overflows onto the road. The beach is not especially scenic compared with the south coast; the draw is the water.

Nearby

Rincón and the surf coast are half an hour south; Aguadilla town is nearby.

Key facts