Mona Island

Mona lies about sixty-five kilometres west of Puerto Rico in a passage of open ocean, an uninhabited plateau of limestone ringed by cliffs up to eighty metres high and undercut with caves, and it is often called the Galápagos of the Caribbean for its endemic species: an iguana found nowhere else, a ground boa, seabird colonies and hawksbill turtles nesting on its few beaches. The caves were mined for guano in the nineteenth century and hold Taíno wall markings made centuries earlier, some of the most significant indigenous cave art in the Caribbean. Nobody lives here beyond rotating rangers, there is no accommodation, and everything including water must be carried in. Access is by permit only, allocated by lottery.

History

Stone tools from a rock shelter date from around 3000 BC, and the Taíno lived on the island until the Spanish arrived. Columbus passed it on his second voyage in 1493, Nicolás de Ovando was sent here in 1502 with 2,000 settlers, more than the small island could support, and by 1515 it was an important stop on the routes between Spain and the Americas (Wikipedia, Isla de Mona).

What's there

• The Mona iguana - the large endemic lizard found only on this island.
• The cliffs and caves - eighty-metre limestone walls undercut with cave systems.
• The Taíno cave markings - indigenous drawings deep inside the caves.
• The reefs - clear water and largely unfished coral around the island.

When to go

December to April has the calmest crossing and the driest weather on the island; the passage is notoriously rough and trips are cancelled regularly in wind. Permits are limited and allocated in advance, so the season is effectively decided by when your permit lands.

Good to know

This is a genuine expedition, not a day trip: permits are limited and issued by lottery, you must travel with a licensed operator, camping is the only accommodation, and you carry in all your water and food and carry out all waste. The crossing is four to six hours of open ocean and frequently rough. Anyone wanting a beach day should go to Culebra instead.

Nearby

Cabo Rojo and Mayagüez are the departure points on the west coast.

Key facts