East region · Puerto Rico
Fajardo
Marinas & gateway to Vieques and Culebra~31 mi from San JuanCoastal
Fajardo is a coastal town in eastern Puerto Rico, about 31 miles from San Juan, and part of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Founded in 1772, it covers 29.9 square miles and has 31,489 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024).
The town’s identity is tied to the sea, with its coastline and offshore waters forming the base for much of local life and visitor activity. Its outdoor draws include the Las Croabas area, the bioluminescent Laguna Grande, and boat access to Cayo Icacos and La Cordillera, while Puerto del Rey Marina anchors its on-water and boating economy. Palomino offers a nearby beach destination, and Tasca OleLelolai represents its local eat-and-drink scene.
For visitors
Visitors come for water-based experiences, from kayaking the bioluminescent Laguna Grande to boating out to Cayo Icacos, La Cordillera, and Palomino beach.
- Hiking
- Beaches and water
- Eat and drink
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town built around marine and boating activity, with Puerto del Rey Marina and nearby beaches and cays shaping day-to-day life.Living in Fajardo: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- East
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~31 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 31,489 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1772
- Median rent
- $625/mo
- Median income
- $25,563/yr
- Area
- 29.9 sq mi (77.5 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- James the Apostle · July 25
- Guide spots
- 8
- Stories, last 30 days
- 5
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Fajardo
Road closures in Fajardo
No closures reported in Fajardo as of 12:02 AM AST on Sun, Nov 15.
Water rationing in Fajardo
No rationing plan names Fajardo. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 14. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector
Power outages in Fajardo
Not among the 10 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 14, when 3.47% of customers island-wide were without power. Fajardo was on that list on one of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
Beach water
Within limits: Balneario Seven Seas. Last tested Nov 3.
Not sampled recently: Balneario Seven Seas. Last tested Mar 15, 2024.
Beach water qualityNews from Fajardo
Latest stories
Sound Equipment Stolen from Fajardo Church, Police Say
AAA Begins Pipe Repair at Fajardo Plant, Service Back in 36 to 48 Hours
AAA to Halt Fajardo Filter Plant for Pipe Inspection, Risking Water Cuts in Three Towns
Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Appliances from Fajardo Home
US, Puerto Rico Authorities Seize 69 Blocks of Apparent Cocaine, Arrest Four in Fajardo
Our analysis
- Weekend Watch · Last weekPuerto Rico This Weekend: Twenty Events, One Patron-Saint Fiesta and Surf at Aguadilla / Crash Boat
Things to do in Fajardo
Beaches & Chill
Palomino
Beach resort
Palomino is a beach resort located in Fajardo, on the east coast of Puerto Rico. It features a natural beach.
Balneario Seven Seas
Public beach resort
Balneario Seven Seas, also called Playa Seven Seas, is a public bathing beach in Fajardo run by the Departamento de Recreación y Deportes through its Parques Nacionales program. As a managed balneario, it has lifeguards on duty, restrooms and two parking areas close to the shore. Two campsites nearby make it possible to stay overnight, so the beach works for a full day out or a camping trip as well as a short swim.
On the Water
Fajardo / Las Croabas
Las Croabas, on Fajardo's northeast shore, is an on-water spot used for kiteboarding and is also the starting point for kayak tours to the Laguna Grande bioluminescent lagoon. Kiting is best from November to April, when the trade winds are steadiest, typically blowing from the east-northeast at 18–28 knots (21–32 mph). The tide moves less than a foot, so water conditions change little through the day. Ferries to Vieques and Culebra do not leave from here but from Ceiba, to the south.
Cayo Icacos / La Cordillera
Cayo Icacos and the surrounding La Cordillera cays sit off Fajardo and are reached only by boat. The chain includes Icacos, Diablo, Lobos and Palomino, and it is protected as La Cordillera Nature Reserve. Divers and snorkelers come for the shallow coral reefs, where depths run roughly 10 to 50 feet, and for the clear water and sea turtles. The cays can be visited year-round, and conditions tend to be calmest under light easterly trades.
Sea Ventures Pro Dive Center
Sea Ventures Pro Dive Center is a PADI 5-star dive operation based at Villa Marina in Fajardo. Boats head to the Cordillera reef system and to reefs off Culebra and Vieques, with two-tank dive trips as the core offering. Night dives and snorkel tours are also on the schedule, so non-divers can get on the water too. The center also teaches, with courses that start at Discover Scuba for first-timers and continue up through the Divemaster level for those pursuing a professional certification.
Laguna Grande
Kayaking a glowing bioluminescent lagoon
Laguna Grande is a lagoon ringed by red mangroves and fed by a channel from the sea, where the same light-producing organisms that glow in Vieques' Mosquito Bay light up the water at night. The glow is best on moonless nights, well away from city light. Sunscreen and bug spray are discouraged in the water.
Puerto del Rey Marina
Day sails and charters
Most visitors come for a catamaran day sail or a private charter: snorkeling over a reef, time on a cay beach and lunch on the water. The marina is on Route 3 at km 51.4, south of Fajardo.
Eat & Drink
Tasca OleLelolai
Tapas Spanish Puerto Rican cuisine
Tasca OleLelolai is a restaurant in Fajardo serving a mix of tapas, Spanish, and Puerto Rican dishes, bringing together small-plate sharing fare with island flavors. The combination reflects both Spanish tasca tradition and local Puerto Rican cooking, giving diners in the East region a menu that spans two culinary traditions in one sitting.
Events coming up in Fajardo
Food & Drink
La Ruta del Este, December 13
Outdoors and sports
On the water in Fajardo
All conditionsOpen-Meteo marine forecast for 12:00 AM AST
On the water near Fajardo
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Fajardo or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Sailing12 near
- Isleta Marina~240 slips · in Fajardo
- Sunbay282 slips · in Fajardo
- El Conquistador22 slips · in Fajardo
- Surf
- La ParedReef break · 5 mi away
- Diving4 near
- Fajardo reefsDive site, 15–80 ft · in Fajardo
- Cayo DiabloDive site, to 50 ft · in Fajardo
- Cayo IcacosSnorkel spot · in Fajardo
- Kite and wind
- Luquillo flat waterWorks in N, E winds · 7 mi away
- Las PicuasWorks in any but SW winds · 10 mi away
- Paddle
- Laguna GrandeBio bay · in Fajardo
Trails in and near Fajardo
4 trails start in Fajardo.
- Corredor Ecológico del NoresteSeven Seas to Playa Colorá and Playa EscondidaEasy 0.8 mi each way, 40 to 55 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mappedBeach
- Reserva Natural Cabezas de San JuanLos AlmácigosEasy 1.0 mi tour route, 2 h to 2 h 30 minThe gumbo-limbo treesGuided tour only, book aheadCommunity-mapped
- Reserva Natural Cabezas de San JuanBosque Seco de Las CabezasEasy 2.9 mi tour route, 2 h to 2 h 30 minLas Cabezas dry forestGuided tour only, book aheadCommunity-mapped
- Reserva Natural Cabezas de San JuanLaguna GrandeEasy 3.1 mi loop, 2 h to 2 h 30 minThe big lagoonGuided tour only, book aheadCommunity-mapped
Sports in Fajardo
Local results
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Fajardo
- RC 599House Committee on Natural Resources to Investigate Abandoned Boats in Isleta MarinaPassed a chamber, Oct 21
- RS 116Investigate Luxury Resort ProposalIn committee, Jun 30
Recovery money in Fajardo
$41.7 million committed by FEMA to 143 projects filed under Fajardo since 2001: $1,324 per resident, 58th of 78 towns.
Every project located in Fajardo, the island-wide agencies’ included
18% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $16.6 million of the $93.2 million committed.
18%26.9% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $4.4 million of $16.4 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
26.9%- Colegio Diocesano Santiago Apostol (FH023)Public buildings$4.4 million
- Parishes and Chapels (FH- 034, 037, 038, 046, 049, 050, 056, 070, 079, 092, 103, 106 & 107)Public buildings$3.1 million
- Church Building & Exterior SitePublic buildings$2.2 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Debris Alternative Procedures, Public Assistance Alternative Procedures$2.1M of $2.1M100%
- Municipal Priority List 3$408K of $1.9M22%
- Recreational Facilities$292K of $1.4M20%
- Municipal Priority List 2$335K of $1.4M25%
- Project PW-00596$1.1M of $1.1M100%
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 Fajardo
Crime in Fajardo
83 violent crimes and 8 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Fajardo, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 32.4 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the highest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 8 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 83 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 228 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 32.4
Flood zones in Fajardo
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Fajardo
Phone alerts for Fajardo
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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