Puerto Rico dive travel guide

Entry, money and phones

Puerto Rico is a US territory. US citizens flying from the mainland do not need a passport; flights are domestic and a government photo ID is enough. Visitors from other countries follow the same rules as for entering the United States. The currency is the US dollar, US mobile plans generally work without roaming charges, and US plugs and voltage are standard. Spanish and English are both official languages.

Which airport to fly into

Choose your airport by the coast you plan to dive, because driving across the island takes time.

• San Juan, Luis Muñoz Marín International (SJU). The main gateway, with the most flights. Best for San Juan, Fajardo and the ferries to Culebra and Vieques.
• Aguadilla, Rafael Hernández (BQN). On the northwest corner, with some direct flights from the US mainland. Best for Rincón and trips to Desecheo and Mona.
• Ponce, Mercedita (PSE). On the south coast, with a smaller number of flights. A practical choice for La Parguera and the southwest.

When to go

Puerto Rico can be dived all year. Water temperature stays warm, about 78 °F in late winter and rising to the mid-80s °F in late summer and early fall. What changes is the weather and the sea.

• Winter (December to April) is the dry, busy season. Northern swells reach the north and west coasts, which brings surfers to Rincón and can cancel offshore trips to Desecheo and Mona. The south coast and the eastern islands are often calmer. Humpback whales pass the west coast in winter.
• Late spring and early summer often bring settled seas and fewer visitors, a good time for the Mona Passage.
• Hurricane season (June to November) peaks from August to October. Diving goes on between systems, but watch forecasts, buy travel insurance and keep plans flexible.

Getting around the island

A rental car is the easiest way to reach dive ports outside San Juan. Puerto Rico drives on the right. Road signs give distances in kilometers while speed limits are in miles per hour, and fuel is sold by the liter. San Juan to Fajardo or Ceiba is roughly an hour; San Juan to Rincón or La Parguera takes a few hours. Traffic around San Juan can add time at rush hour.

Ferries to Culebra and Vieques

Public ferries to Culebra and Vieques leave from the terminal in Ceiba, on the east coast. They carry passengers and some vehicles, but rental companies often don’t allow their cars on the islands, so most visitors rent a jeep or golf cart on arrival. Ferries fill up at weekends and on holidays: buy tickets ahead and get to the terminal early. Small planes from San Juan and Ceiba are a quicker, if more expensive, alternative.

Where to stay

Base yourself near the diving. Rincón and Aguadilla suit west-coast trips; La Parguera suits the wall; Culebra and Vieques have guesthouses and rentals close to their reefs; Fajardo and San Juan suit short trips. Many divers split a week between two regions, for example the southwest and the west coast, which are close to each other.

Flying after diving

Plan your last dive around your flight home. Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidance is a minimum surface interval of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, and 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving; longer is better. That applies to the small planes to and from Culebra and Vieques as well as to your flight home. Many divers keep their last day for snorkeling, the bioluminescent bays or exploring Old San Juan.

Safety and insurance

Carry dive accident insurance, such as DAN membership, and ask each operator about their emergency plan and oxygen on board. Remote sites like Mona are far from medical help, so dive conservatively there. Choosing a well-run operator matters most: our guide to Puerto Rico dive shops lists the questions to ask, and the gear checklist covers safety equipment.