Public domain (US Fish and Wildlife Service), Wikimedia CommonsWildlife· Isla Mona· Other Caribbean
Isla Mona Nature Reserve
18° 5.2′ N · 67° 53.4′ W
A 7-by-4-mile limestone tableland in the middle of the Mona Passage, ringed by 200-ft cliffs, uninhabited except for rangers and biologists, and home to the critically endangered Mona ground iguana.
Practical
Coordinates from Wikipedia. Part of Puerto Rico (Mayagüez municipality), 41 mi (66 km) west of the main island, managed as the Mona and Monito Islands Nature Reserve by Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), whose rangers manage visitors. Contact DRNA before any visit for current permit and camping rules. Mona Island Light stands 323 ft on the north side (Virgintino PR guide). Endemic wildlife includes the Mona ground iguana, the largest endemic land lizard in US territory. Treat any landing as a fair-weather day trip: the only boat harbor (Sardinera) is tiny and dangerous in northerly swell.
Best for
Wild-island nature for well-prepared crews in calm weather
Season
Calm spells only; avoid Nov–Mar northerly swell