Caribbean · Puerto Rico
La Parguera & Guánica
A 34 km shelf-edge wall a short boat ride from two south-coast towns
Photo: Les & Omy · CC BY-SA 3.0
La Parguera and Guánica share the shelf-edge wall off southwest Puerto Rico, a reef system about 34 km (21 miles) long reached by day boat in 12 to 30 minutes. At Blackwall the face drops from 20 m (65 ft) at the shelf to a first landing at 49 m (160 ft), with Hole in the Wall, Efra's Wall and Old Buoy along the same wall. Ocean reefs such as Estrella and Chimney make shallower dives, and Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks are regulars.
About diving in La Parguera & Guánica
All three shops dive by boat. From La Parguera the wall lies 6 to 10 km (4 to 6 miles) out, 25 to 30 minutes from the dock; the first 20 minutes of the ride run through a calm channel, then the boat meets open sea and the waves pick up. From Guánica, Island Scuba reaches the wall in about 12 minutes and runs trips seven days a week with no minimum numbers, and Scuba Dogs runs a four-hour, two-site trip from the Copamarina resort. Island Scuba's usual day is the wall on the first tank and a shallower reef at 14 to 15 m (45 to 50 ft) on the second.
The wall runs for about 34 km (21 miles) and carries the diving. At Blackwall it falls from the shelf at 20 m (65 ft) to a first landing at 49 m (160 ft), black coral lines parts of the face, and barjacks, schooling Atlantic spadefish, great barracuda and Caribbean reef sharks work along it. Efra's Wall breaks the edge into large canyons and overhanging rock, while Old Buoy slopes more gently and is thick with spiny lobster. On the ocean reefs, Estrella holds Nassau grouper, southern stingrays and resting nurse sharks, and the inland Enrique Reef has spotted eagle rays.
The ordinary wall dive runs 18 to 37 m (60 to 120 ft) and needs a certification card. Current is mild, and the Copamarina trips from Guánica typically drift the wall. Newer divers still have options: a dedicated offshore reef stays within 18 m (60 ft), and Enrique Reef is used for courses and first dives. June to November is hurricane season, with showers most days.
Best time to dive La Parguera & Guánica
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
No month is reported as best; June to November is hurricane season with near-daily showers, and winter calls for a 3–5 mm suit.
Dive types & marine life
Caribbean reef sharks, great barracuda, barjacks and schooling Atlantic spadefish work the wall at Blackwall, nurse sharks rest in the sandy channels at Hole in The Wall, and spiny lobster crowd Old Buoy. Nassau grouper and southern stingrays live on the ocean reef at Estrella; dolphins and manatees reach Enrique Reef only rarely. No month is reported as better for any of them.
- Wall
- Reef
- Drift
- Reef sharks
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Stingrays
- Eagle rays
Best dive sites in La Parguera & Guánica
- 1
Blackwall
Wall lined in places with black coral, dropping from 20 m (65 ft) at the shelf to a first landing at 49 m (160 ft).
- 2
Hole in The Wall
Sheer drop-off with sandy channels of resting nurse sharks; its swim-through at 37 m (120 ft) is no longer entered.
- 3
Efra's Wall
One of the farther wall sites from La Parguera, with large canyons and rock formations hanging on the edge.
- 4
Old Buoy
A tamer, sloping section of the wall where spiny and Spanish lobster crowd the bottom.
- 5
Estrella
Very flat, sandy-bottomed ocean reef split into channels by tall outcrops of reef rock and soft coral.
- 6
Chimney
Ocean reef named for a small cavern and swim-through, with green morays patrolling the reef.
Site guides
Wall
Black coral on a face that drops from 20 m to a first landing at 49 m
Wall
Current-carved canyons whose floors pass 40 m
Reef
A fireplace-shaped cavern and swim-through on an ocean reef
A sloping inland reef from 2 m, used for courses and first dives
Reef
A friendly resident pufferfish among mixed coral and sponge
Wall
Sandy channels of resting nurse sharks beside a sheer drop-off
Wall
A sloping wall section crowded with spiny and Spanish lobster
How to get to La Parguera & Guánica
Most visitors fly into Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) near San Juan and rent a car, by far the easiest way to get around outside the capital. La Parguera lies on the Caribbean side of the island just south of Mayagüez; the dive shops are in La Parguera and in Guánica.
Photos from La Parguera & Guánica
Elviajedejen · CC BY-SA 4.0
ritirene · CC BY 4.0
Questions divers ask
What certification do the La Parguera and Guánica dives need?+
The wall needs a certification card, and the ordinary wall dive runs 18 to 37 m (60 to 120 ft). Beginners get an offshore reef capped at 18 m (60 ft), and Enrique Reef is used for courses and first dives.
How far is the wall from La Parguera and Guánica?+
From La Parguera the wall lies 6 to 10 km (4 to 6 miles) out, 25 to 30 minutes from the dock; the first 20 minutes run through a calm channel, then the waves pick up. From Guánica the wall is about 12 minutes away.
Which sharks are seen at La Parguera and Guánica?+
Caribbean reef sharks work the wall at Blackwall, and nurse sharks rest in the sandy channels at Hole in The Wall and on Estrella.
Is a wetsuit needed at La Parguera and Guánica in winter?+
Winter calls for a 3–5 mm suit. Water runs from 26 to 30 °C through the year, and June to November is hurricane season with near-daily showers.
Sources
- Dive Sites In La Parguera — Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center
- Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling | Snorkeling & Scuba Diving Puerto Rico — Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center
- Wall Dive La Parguera — Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center
- Daily Tours & Trainings (Copamarina, Guánica) — Scuba Dogs
- Scuba Trips Puerto Rico by Island Scuba in Guanica — Island Scuba
- Great Diving at the Wall in La Parguera — Puerto Rico Day Trips
- La Parguera — Wikivoyage
- Puerto Rico — Wikivoyage
- La Parguera Water Temperature — Sea Temperatures
Photo credits
- Mangrove cays scattered across calm water beyond a marina of white boats, seen from a hillside above La Parguera by Les & Omy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Drone view of turquoise shallows and a pale reef crest with brown Sargassum rafts drifting on the surface by Elviajedejen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A great barracuda with dark bars cruising over pale sand beside a rock ledge by ritirene, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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