Boquerón Bay Anchorage

18° 1.4′ N · 67° 10.8′ W · approximate

A big, easy-to-enter bay at Puerto Rico's southwest corner, and the most popular west-coast stop for cruisers coming across the Mona Passage. Anchor off the beach and walk into a lively little town of bars and seafood stands.

Belize Barrier Reef

Practical

Position approx: off the village waterfront near the NOAA Boquerón tide gauge, checked to be in water on OpenStreetMap; the Virgintino PR guide's waypoint 18°00.75N 67°13.48W is 1 nm W of the green entrance buoy. The bay is more than 1.5 nm across. Leave the green can to port; the large Bajo Enmedio shoal blocks the middle of the entrance and breaks in heavy weather. Avoid Roca Velásquez, a visible rock just off the town docks. A stake-marked 10-ft dredged channel leads into a mangrove backwater in the SE corner that looks secure in almost any storm. Not a port of entry: crews usually travel by land to Mayagüez to clear in, and may be told to bring the boat there (tell the truth about where you are anchored). On departure, do not cut the SW corner of the bay (Bajo Palo shoal): leave the way you came.

Best for

First Puerto Rico anchorage after the Mona Passage

Practical

Best for

Nearby