Luquillo is a town in Puerto Rico located on the north-east coast.
There are many fun things to do in Luquillo, such as Luquillo Beach and El Yunque National Forest.
I’ve lived in Puerto Rico for the last 14 years and Luquillo is one of my go-to places to enjoy a sunny adventure.
In this article, I will cover the 23 best things to do in Luquillo, Puerto Rico:
Luquillo has a strip of more than 60 food kiosks with a beachfront view.
You’ll find a variety of cuisine options from local cuisine, seafood, and even Italian food!
There are also souvenir shops for you to take home for memorabilia.
I love coming here to enjoy a nice drink and walk along the beach in the evening to watch the sunset.
I personally recommend checking out Mojito Lab for the best mojito you’ll ever have.
Below is a video of the street food found at the Kiosks:
To learn more about what to order, read our article 30 Best Puerto Rican Street Foods.
Monserrate Beach, also known as Luquillo Beach, is a blue flag beach and is one of the top beaches in Puerto Rico.
This government-run beach offers turquoise waters, soft sand, and palm tree vibes located near El Yunque and includes restrooms, showers, and food nearby.
You can visit this beach to enjoy a relaxing afternoon after hiking the El Yunque trails.
This beach is also an inclusive beach with a ramp for wheelchair users.
Below is a video of La Monserrate Beach:
Learn more about Monserrate Beach (Luquillo Beach) in our article Luquillo Beach – All You Need To Know.
There’s so much to do at Carabali Rainforest Park!
Carabali is one of the most famous ranches in Puerto Rico full of fun for the whole family.
You can go on horseback riding tours, and ATV adventures through the forest, and they even have go-karts!
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Photo Credit: @carabalirainforestpark
After spending an adventurous day at this ranch, you can enjoy fine dining food at their Carabali Bar & Grill Restaurant.
Check out Carabali Rainforest Park in the following video:
Learn more about things to do in nature in our article 15 Best Outdoor Activities In Puerto Rico.
El Yunque National Forest is a trip you’ll definitely enjoy!
This rainforest is the only tropical rainforest in the United States. It’s home to famous hiking trails, waterfalls, and rivers you can explore.
El Yunque is so big, it covers multiple cities in the east of Puerto Rico.
Below is a video of the El Yunque National Rainforest:
Learn more by reading our article El Yunque National Forest – All You Need To Know.
Puerto Rico has three different bioluminescent bays.
Laguna Grande Bio Bay is the closest to Luquillo, only a 25-minute drive.
Some bio bays allow you to swim with the bioluminescence, others only allow you to kayak.
Learn more by reading our article Bioluminescent Bays Puerto Rico – All You Need To Know.
Angelito Trail is a beautiful trail surrounded by the lovely nature of the woods.
At the end of this 6.8-mile trail, you’ll find the Mameyes River where you can swim and cool down.
Below is a video showing the Angelito Trail in El Yunque:
You can find this trail in El Yunque Rainforest and explore without reservation.
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of Angelito Trail Head:
La Selva Beach is a gorgeous and peaceful beach far from traffic.
It’s part of the nature reserve, which has a nesting site for sea turtles. La Selva is private and pristine, there are no facilities or food kiosks around.
I also recommend packing a lunch, a cooler full of your favorite drinks, and spending the entire day under the sun.
Check out La Selva Beach in the following video:
To get here, you’ll have to do a 40-minute walk east from La Pared Beach, so pack lightly when going on this hike.
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of La Selva Beach:
La Parrilla is one of the highest-rated restaurants found in Luquillo.
It’s a great place to enjoy a tasty meal and has a variety of Puerto Rican dishes, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options!
This restaurant is also known for its tremendous customer service and for the atmosphere, since it’s a beachfront location, it elevates any restaurant experience you’ve had in the past.
Check out La Parrilla in the following video:
After enjoying a delicious meal from La Parrilla, you’ll love visiting Fortuna Beach.
Just steps away from La Parrilla, it’s a popular beach for many visitors and locals.
It’s a calm and quiet beach and you’ll even see jet ski and kayak rentals there.
You’ll feel like you’re on a postcard when visiting Fortuna Beach.
Below is a video of a family visiting Fortuna Beach:
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of Fortuna Beach:
Experience the beautiful natural water slides from the mountains of Luquillo from Las Paylas waterfalls.
This waterfall is featured in the 15 Best Waterfalls In Puerto Rico, and for good reason.
Please take into consideration that it can be muddy and slippery, I highly recommend going in hiking shoes and not in slippers and flip-flops.
At the end of the river, you’ll find a lovely natural pond and a water slide for you to enjoy after your hike.
Check out Las Paylas in the following video:
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of Las Paylas:
Did you know that, besides hiking, you can also zipline in El Yunque?
Ziplining is one of the most thrilling ways to experience the El Yunque Rainforest. The rainforest is full of lush vegetation, gushing waterfalls, and vibrant flowers.
If hiking is not thrilling enough for you, you’ll enjoy one of the five ziplines you can ride in this forest.
Ziplining is the perfect way to take in all the sights and sounds of the rainforest while getting a little adrenaline rush.
Below is a video of a zipline experience in El Yunque:
If you want to check out more ziplining opportunities in Puerto Rico, be sure to read up on them in our article 12 Best Zipline Adventures In Puerto Rico.
A little shopping never hurt anybody!
Luquillo Plaza is a strip mall with tons of options to shop from including souvenirs and handmade products from local vendors.
Check out Luquillo Plaza in the following video:
It’s also near popular restaurants so you can shop till you drop and enjoy a nice meal afterward.
The farmers market is an awesome place to visit and great to get gifts for loved ones back home!
You’ll find handmade jewelry, art, sweets, and treats you’ll even take back home to eat in your room to enjoy later!
Below is a walkthrough video of Luquillo’s Farmers Market:
They are only open on certain Saturdays of the month in the mornings.
I recommend planning accordingly so you don’t miss it!
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of Luquillo’s Farmers Market:
Trade the crazy city vibes of San Juan for a relaxing, outdoor vibe of Luquillo’s Puente Roto.
Hikers love visiting Puente Roto as you can hike down to the Mameyes River in El Yunque.
Be sure to bring your own necessities like water, and snacks, and don’t forget to wear hiking/water shoes as the rocks are famous for being slippery.
Overall, you can also enjoy a nice picnic with the family and swim all day.
Below is a video showing Puente Roto in Luquillo:
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of Puente Roto:
You’ve heard of paddle boarding, but have you tried flyboarding?
Flyboarding is a water sport that involves riding a water jetpack connected with a watercraft (PWC) that allows you to fly in the water.
In order to propel the rider up to 15 meters in the air or to plunge headfirst into the water, water is pumped under pressure into a pair of boots with jet nozzles beneath.
This type of activity can be found on the public beach of Luquillo. It’s a great experience for those who love the adrenaline and excitement of doing water sports.
Below is a video of people flyboarding in Luquillo:
Costa Azul is a beach located on the coast of Luquillo with turquoise waters and sands with a red hue.
It’s perfect for seeing the sunset and even the sunrise! It’s why Luquillo is famous for being the sun capital.
Check out Costa Azul Beach in the following video:
Street art is found steps away from this beach, and you’ll even find great restaurants and water sports rentals to enjoy.
San Jose’s Parish is a historical church founded in 1797 and offers interesting wood cravings on its altar.
The wood cravings mix natural and religious images, which is rare to see in other Catholic churches.
This church was remodeled back in 1931 but still preserves its interesting history when visiting.
If you’re staying in Luquillo and don’t want to miss church, you can visit their 7:30 am mass every Sunday for an English mass.
La PruVite Farm is a divine place to visit for chocolate lovers.
You can take a tour of the farm, learn the process from start to end of how cacao is cultivated into chocolate, and even enjoy desserts and drinks made from this farm!
This is a tour like no other, if you visit in the morning, you’ll get the chance to enjoy a cacao-based breakfast.
Below is a video of the La PruVite Cacao Farm tour:
Below is a Google Map that shows the location of La PruVite Farm:
This one is for my coffee lovers.
There’s a popular café called Cafecito Rustico in Luquillo that offers a unique rustic experience.
Since it’s a café, you can pair your cup of coffee with a variety of wraps, sandwiches, brunch, and desserts.
This café is praised by locals and visitors who visit Luquillo. You must take a visit when visiting Luquillo!
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Photo Credit: @missjillianchelsea
Enjoying the sunset alone is a fantastic experience, and at the beach, it’s even better.
There are plenty of beaches where you can enjoy the sunset in Luquillo.
As I mentioned previously, Luquillo is known for being the capital sun (El Capital Del Sol) so seeing the sunset in Luquillo is an experience you’ll want to enjoy.
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Photo Credit: @enfoqs
Beaches like Costa Azul is perfect to enjoy this beach, and you can even have dinner at one of the beachside restaurants in the Luquillo Kiosk strip and see the sunset as well.
Below is a video of the sunrise in Luquillo:
A Fuego Bar & Restaurant is a favorite restaurant among tourists and locals in Luquillo.
It has a range of delicious food like fresh lobster, Colombian food, seafood, and local cuisine.
You can count on great food and fantastic service for a marvelous time.
Below is a video of A Fuego Bar & Restaurant:
Have you considered learning to surf? If not, Luquillo is a great place to start.
There are many surfer-focused beaches in Puerto Rico, which you can learn more about by checking the 10 Best Surfing Beaches in Puerto Rico, but often very aggressive and hard to learn as a beginner.
In Luquillo, you’ll find professional surf lessons that will get you riding the waves in no time.
Luquillo’s beaches are a perfect place to kayak.
Kayaking allows you to get up close and personal with the natural wonders of the ocean. It’s also a great workout!
It’s a relaxing experience and there are tons of kayak rental tents when visiting the beach for you to enjoy.
So if you’re looking for an elevated way to enjoy the beach, be sure to give kayaking a try.
Below is a video of kayaking and jet skiing at Luquillo Beach:
Carabali Rainforest Park is a fun activity to do with the kids. El Yunque Rainforest is another great activity to do with the kids and go to Balneario Luquillo as well.
Visiting the many beaches Luquillo offers like Playa Luquillo, Monserrate and Costa Azul are free things to do. You can also visit Las Paylas waterfalls as a free activity.
I recommend that you take the whole day to explore Luquillo.
There is so much to do, that anything less than a full day wouldn’t do it justice.
My favorite things to do in Luquillo are to visit El Yunque National Park, the bioluminescent bay and Luquillo Beach.
You can visit El Yunque National Park in the morning, then visit Luquillo Beach in the afternoon, and then finish your day at the Food Kiosk strip before visiting the bioluminescent bay at night.
If you’re looking for more things to do in Puerto Rico, check out our article 45 Best Things to Do in Puerto Rico.
Writer at PuertoRico.com. I’ve lived in Puerto Rico for 14 years and have experienced every inch of this stunning island. Growing up in Puerto Rico has helped me truly learn about the rich culture and extensive history this island has to offer. I share my local knowledge in all of the articles that I write.
