North region · Puerto Rico
Barceloneta
~28 mi from San JuanCoastal
Barceloneta is a coastal town in Puerto Rico’s north region, situated along the Atlantic Ocean about 28 miles from San Juan. It lies east of Arecibo and west of Manatí, and is organized into three barrios plus Barceloneta Pueblo, covering an area of 18.7 square miles with 22,494 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024).
For visitors
- Hiking
- Beaches and water
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town that is formally part of the San Juan metropolitan area, offering proximity to the capital region while remaining a smaller, historic town founded in 1881.Living in Barceloneta: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- North
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~28 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 22,494 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1881
- Median rent
- $582/mo
- Median income
- $24,508/yr
- Area
- 18.7 sq mi (48.4 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel · July 16
- Guide spots
- 5
- Stories, last 30 days
- 9
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Barceloneta
Road closures in Barceloneta
No closures reported in Barceloneta as of 4:02 AM AST on Fri, Nov 13.
Water rationing in Barceloneta
No rationing plan names Barceloneta. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 12. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector
Power outages in Barceloneta
Not among the 7 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 12, when 0.5% of customers island-wide were without power. Barceloneta was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
News from Barceloneta
Town of the Week
Latest stories
Barceloneta Hit by KFC, Taco Bell Closures as IHOP Cuts Hours
Police Report Thefts in San Juan, Gurabo, San Lorenzo and Barceloneta, from Wallets to Stolen Four-Tracks
Cyclist Robbed at Gunpoint While Exercising on PR-140 in Barceloneta
Government Hands Over 38 Emergency-Ready Homes in Barceloneta’s Palmeras Development
Barceloneta Hosts Traditional Agroferia with Music and Cultural Activities
Every story that names Barceloneta Follow Barceloneta by RSS
Our analysis
- Town of the Week · EarlierArecibo, Where Rent Matches the Median Town
Things to do in Barceloneta
Beaches & Chill
La Poza de las Mujeres
Natural pool
La Poza de las Mujeres is a beach in Barceloneta on the north coast, centered on a natural pool. A cove and a limestone breakwater shield the pool from the Atlantic waves, so the water inside is calmer than the open sea along this shore. Outside the protected pool the conditions are considered dangerous, and the surf can be rough. It is an undeveloped spot: a single parking area nearby is the only mapped facility, with no other services listed.
Playa La Esperanza
Secluded beach
Swimming not advised in rough weather
Playa La Esperanza is a secluded beach in Barceloneta on Puerto Rico's north coast. A natural seawall shelters part of the shoreline, creating a protected area along the water's edge. Swimming is discouraged during high tides or rough weather, when conditions on this stretch of coast become less safe, so the calmer, sheltered section is best judged on the day by checking the sea.
Culture & Events
Antigua Trapiche de la Central Plazuela
Sugar Mill History
Antigua Trapiche de la Central Plazuela is the former sugar mill of Central Plazuela in Barceloneta, a structure tied to the area's history of sugarcane processing. The trapiche stands as a physical remnant of the sugar industry that once shaped the region's economy and landscape, offering visitors a tangible link to that agricultural past.
Monumento a Benito de Jesús Negrón
Cultural Monument
This monument in Barceloneta commemorates Benito de Jesús Negrón, honoring his legacy within the local community. It stands as a public marker of cultural memory in the North region, offering visitors a point of reference for understanding the town's history and the figures it chooses to memorialize.
Hacienda La Esperanza
Historic sugarcane plantation
Hacienda La Esperanza is a former 19th-century sugar plantation, now the largest nature reserve on the north coast, cared for by Para la Naturaleza. It protects limestone hills (mogotes), grassland, wetlands, beaches and the mouth of the Río Grande de Manatí. The restored historic compound keeps the only steam-powered sugar mill engine of its kind in the world. Visitors can walk the reserve's trails on their own; Para la Naturaleza's guided walks are optional and booked by phone.
Outdoors and sports
On the water near Barceloneta
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Barceloneta or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
Trails in and near Barceloneta
No trail we list starts in Barceloneta. The nearest four are within 13 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Reserva Natural Hacienda La Esperanza, Manatí, 2 mi awayLa EsperanzaModerate 7.9 mi loop, 3 h 15 min to 4 h 50 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Reserva Natural Hacienda La Esperanza, Manatí, 2 mi awayVereda del Río Grande de ManatíModerate 3.4 mi each way, 2 h 45 min to 4 h 10 minRío Grande de Manatí river trailWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Reserva Natural Laguna Tortuguero, Vega Baja, 7 mi awayCaminata por TortugueroEasy 1.1 mi each way, 50 min to 1 h 15 minWalk through TortugueroWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Arecibo, 13 mi awayRecorrido Costa AreciboEasy 1.5 mi each way, 1 h 15 min to 1 h 50 minArecibo coast walkNot confirmed: ask firstCommunity-mapped
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Barceloneta
- RC 474Order Investigation Into Traffic Signal Issues in Legislative District 13Passed a chamber, Oct 6
- RC 615Investigation into Water and Energy Crisis in BarcelonetaPassed a chamber, Aug 21
- RC 727Investigate PR-2 Road Lighting IssuesPassed a chamber, Aug 21
Recovery money in Barceloneta
$39.6 million committed by FEMA to 71 projects filed under Barceloneta since 2001: $1,759 per resident, 43rd of 78 towns.
Every project located in Barceloneta, the island-wide agencies’ included
27% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $14.2 million of the $52.5 million committed.
27%12.9% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $3.8 million of $29.7 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
12.9%- Auditorio Gimnasio Sixto Escobar (Sixto Escobar Gym Auditorium)Public buildings$4.4 million
- Debris Alternative Procedures- PAAGDebris removal$4 million
- DR4339PR - Barceloneta - Centro Cientifico Multifabril - Pista 400 Mts Complejo Deportivo – Pista Patinaje Complejo Deportivo – Pista Skate Park.Public buildings$3.6 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Auditorio Gimnasio Sixto Escobar (Sixto Escobar Gym Auditorium)$3.5M of $4.4M78%
- Debris Alternative Procedures$4M of $4M100%+*
- Project PW-05016$52K of $1.5M3.5%
- Project PW-06046$131K of $1.5M9%
Every town and the island-wide agencies
FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.
Living in Barceloneta
Crime in Barceloneta
17 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Barceloneta, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 18.2 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the middle fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 1 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 17 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 141 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 18.2
Flood zones in Barceloneta
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Barceloneta
Phone alerts for Barceloneta
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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