Poza del Obispo

The Bishop's Pool sits at the foot of the headland below the Arecibo lighthouse, where a natural wall of beachrock runs parallel to the shore and takes the force of the Atlantic, leaving a shallow lagoon of calm clear water behind it. On a moderate day the waves break along the outer wall in a line of white while children stand in flat water a few metres inside, which is the whole appeal. Beyond the pool the coast is a stretch of eroded limestone with pools, arches and small caves to explore at low tide. Above it stands the 1898 lighthouse, one of the last the Spanish built here, now part of a small park.

What you actually see

• The natural pool - calm water behind a wall of beachrock.
• The breaking wall - Atlantic surf along the outer reef line.
• The rock pools - eroded limestone and small caves at low tide.
• The 1898 lighthouse - on the headland directly above.

When to go

December to April is drier, though this is when Atlantic swell is largest and the pool can be overtopped. Calm days from late spring through autumn are safest for swimming with children. Go at low tide for the rock pools.

Honest expectations

In big swell the pool fills and drains hard and stops being safe; local knowledge matters and there is no lifeguard. The rock is sharp beachrock that cuts feet, so water shoes help. The beach section is small and fills at weekends. The lighthouse park attached to it is a modest paid attraction rather than a historic site visit.

Nearby

Cueva del Indio is ten minutes east; the Camuy caves are inland.