Snorkel· Guánica· Other Caribbean
Cayo Aurora Reef Snorkel (Gilligan's Island)
17° 56.5′ N · 66° 52.4′ W
Coral formations and mangrove edges ring Cayo Aurora, the westernmost Caña Gorda cay, giving easy shallow snorkeling straight off the anchorage among the cays.
Practical
Position: Isla Guilligan (Cayo Aurora) as mapped on OpenStreetMap; the cay lies about 600 m off Punta Jacinto. Wikipedia notes the area is good for snorkeling and pictures coral formations behind the island; Wikivoyage describes white sand, snorkeling and mangroves, with the ferry leaving from San Jacinto on Road 333, just past Copamarina. Snorkel the reef edges and the shallow channels between the cays; Isla Ballena, the eastern cay, is separated from the mainland by a channel only 66 ft (20 m) wide. Seaward lies the extensive Arrecife Coral Breakers, partly bare at low water (Virgintino PR guide), so keep dinghy trips inside the reef. Weekends bring ferry crowds; weekday mornings are quietest. This is a state-forest beach under park rangers: no anchoring or standing on coral.
Best for
Easy snorkeling from the Caña Gorda anchorage
Season
Year-round; best on calm weekday mornings
Nearby
- Guánica Bay & Gilligan's Island (Cayo Aurora)0.1 NM away
- Caña Gorda Cays Anchorage (Guánica)0.3 NM away
- Guánica Dry Forest1.5 NM away
- Guayanilla Bay Anchorage (west side)6.1 NM away
- Bahía Fosforescente (La Parguera)8.2 NM away
- La Parguera Mangrove Cays (Caracoles, Mata la Gata, Enrique)9.3 NM away
- La Parguera Wall9.5 NM away
- La Parguera Anchorage9.8 NM away