Rincón and the West Coast

Rincón sits at the northwestern corner of Puerto Rico where the Atlantic meets the Mona Passage, and from about November the north swell arrives and turns a string of reef breaks into the best surf in the Caribbean, a reputation established when the world championships were held here in 1968. Domes, Maria's, Tres Palmas and Sandy Beach each break differently, from beginner-friendly to serious. Because the coast faces west, the sunsets are the island's finest, watched from the lighthouse park where humpback whales are regularly spotted passing offshore between January and March. Outside the swell season the same beaches go flat and turn into swimming and snorkelling water, and the reef at Tres Palmas is a protected marine reserve with elkhorn coral.

The landscape

• The winter surf - reef breaks from beginner to expert along the coast.
• Whale watching - humpbacks passing offshore from January to March.
• The lighthouse park - the sunset and whale-spotting point above the town.
• Tres Palmas reserve - protected elkhorn coral, snorkelled when the sea is flat.

When to go

November to April brings the swell, the whales and the season; summer is flat, hot and quiet, which suits swimmers and snorkellers rather than surfers. Hurricane season runs from June into November. Sunset is the daily event whatever the month.

What to expect

The good surf and the good swimming are opposite seasons, so decide which you came for. Reef breaks mean shallow coral and urchins, and beginners should take a lesson at a sand-bottom break rather than paddling out at Tres Palmas. It is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from San Juan and a car is essential. Infrastructure is low-key and scattered.

Nearby

Cabo Rojo's cliffs are south; Aguadilla and the northwest beaches are north.