Isla Caja de Muertos

Coffin Island lies about eight kilometres off Ponce and has been a nature reserve since 1980, uninhabited apart from rangers. The name is usually explained by its profile from the mainland, which looks like a body laid out, though the local stories run to pirates and a preserved corpse. A trail climbs through dry forest of cactus and gumbo limbo to a lighthouse of 1887 on the ridge, with the whole southern coast and the Caribbean laid out from the top. The island holds endemic lizards and is an important nesting site for turtles and seabirds. The beach at Pelícano has clear shallow water and reef within swimming distance.

History

Stone art shows that people visited the island over millennia, and Taíno fishermen came here often. The first known map with its present name was drawn in 1842, the Spanish built the lighthouse in 1880-1887, and on 2 January 1980 the island was declared a nature reserve (Wikipedia, Caja de Muertos Island).

What's there

• The 1887 lighthouse - on the ridge, with the south coast laid out below.
• Playa Pelícano - clear shallow water and reef close to shore.
• The dry forest trail - cactus and gumbo limbo across the island.
• Endemic lizards - species found only here and on nearby cays.

When to go

December to April is drier and calmer. The ferry generally runs at weekends and on holidays only, with a fixed return time, so the visit is dictated by the boat. Numbers are capped. Turtle nesting season restricts access to some beaches.

Practical notes

The ferry runs limited days and sells out, and there is no other way across without chartering. There is no shop, no shade beyond the trees and no drinking water, so everything is carried in and rubbish carried out. The lighthouse is a ruin and cannot be entered. The crossing can be rough.

Nearby

La Guancha boardwalk in Ponce is the departure point; Ponce's old town is ten minutes.

Key facts