Vast salt flats surround the rocky, dramatic narrow peninsula that heralds the approach to the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. These are truly captivating, although not without a whiff of desolation. As you head south along the dirt road toward the Los Morrillos Lighthouse, you’ll pass pools of evaporating brine and mounds of salt waiting to be shipped to market.
This can be a bizarre, picturesque and adventurous place to explore; a place where scrub forest gives way to an elevated headland surrounded by steep limestone cliffs and amazing views of the ocean.
The best place to get a handle on this salty domain is the Centro Interpretativo Las Salinas de Cabo Rojo.
There is also a small network of hiking and mountain-biking trails here (though no place to rent a bike; your nearest option is Puerto Rico Bike Adventures near Boquerón). These lead to a very long stretch of beach on the island’s west side. This is not perfect sand – much of it is dotted with mangrove forest – but it is excellent for private swimming.