Permit· Cayo Icacos· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
La Cordillera Nature Reserve
18° 22.2′ N · 65° 33.3′ W
The Reserva Natural Arrecifes de la Cordillera protects the chain of cays, reefs and rocks running 15 miles east from Cabo San Juan toward Culebra: Las Cucarachas, Los Farallones, Icacos, Ratones, Lobos, Palominos and Palominitos, La Blanquilla, Diablo and the Hermanos and Barriles reefs.
Practical
Coordinates from Wikipedia (reserve centroid). About 30,000 acres, designated in 1980 and managed since 1991 by Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA). All cays and reefs in the chain are protected except Palominos and Cayo Lobos, which are privately owned; the near-shore cays off Fajardo and Ceiba (Obispo, Ahogado, Ramos, Largo, Piñeros, Cabeza de Perro, Cabras) are not strictly within the reserve. It protects some of Puerto Rico's highest live-coral cover, seagrass beds used by green turtles and one of the largest manatee populations in the archipelago, and bird-nesting cays. Rules for boaters: use the DRNA moorings where provided (Sail Caribe reports free DRNA moorings at Palomino), never anchor on coral or seagrass, no-touch reef etiquette, observe Commonwealth fishing rules. No reserve fee is charged to recreational boaters (Sail Caribe FAQ). Weekends and holidays bring heavy local boat traffic and loud music at Icacos and Palominito.
Best for
Understanding the rules for the Fajardo cays