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Guánica, Puerto Rico

Southwest region · Puerto Rico

Guánica

~63 mi from San JuanCoastal

Guánica is a coastal town in southwestern Puerto Rico, bordering the Caribbean Sea and sitting south of Sabana Grande, east of Lajas, and west of Yauco. It is part of the Yauco metropolitan statistical area and lies about 63 miles from San Juan, with 12,855 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024).

Founded in 1508, Guánica is one of the earliest-established towns in Puerto Rico. Its character is shaped by the sea and the dry forest that surrounds it, with cays and natural reserves such as Cayo Don Luis, Isla Gilligan, Isla Ballena, Bosque Estatal de Guánica and Reserva Natural Bahía Ballena nearby, alongside spots like Bodegas Andreu Solé and on-water excursions to Gilligan’s Island.

Guánica
All 78 towns
Known for
For visitors

Visitors come for boat trips to cays like Gilligan's Island and Isla Ballena, hiking in the Bosque Estatal de Guánica dry forest, and exploring nearby natural reserves along the coast.

Hiking
Outdoors
Beaches and water
Culture
Nightlife
Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town within the Yauco metropolitan area, close to protected forest and marine reserves rather than large urban development.Living in Guánica: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
Southwest
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~63 mi from San Juan
Population
12,855 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1508
Median rent
$349/mo
Median income
$17,633/yr
Area
37.1 sq mi (96.0 km²)
Fiestas patronales
James the Apostle · July 25
Guide spots
13
Stories, last 30 days
7
Water & power
Water by sector · Power outages
Living here
Rent, commute, schools & safety

Nearby towns

Browse the full guide →See on the news map →All 78 towns →

Right now in Guánica

Road closures in Guánica

No closures reported in Guánica as of 3:09 PM AST on Fri, Nov 13.

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Guánica

No rationing plan names Guánica. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 13. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector

Power outages in Guánica

Not among the 10 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 13, when 0.22% of customers island-wide were without power. Guánica was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town

Beach water

Within limits: Balneario Caña Gorda and Playa Santa. Last tested Nov 2.

Beach water quality

News from Guánica

Latest stories

Every story that names Guánica Follow Guánica by RSS

Our analysis

Every Weekend Watch Every Where to Swim Every Drought Watch

Things to do in Guánica

Beaches & Chill

Cayo Don Luis

Nature reserve

Cayo Don Luis is a nature reserve located in Guánica, Puerto Rico, featuring a coastline.

Google Maps

Isla Ballena

Nature reserve

Isla Ballena is a nature reserve located in Guánica, Puerto Rico, featuring a coastline.

Google Maps

Cayo Corral

Nature reserve

Cayo Corral is a nature reserve located in Guánica, Puerto Rico, featuring a coastline.

Google Maps
Balneario Caña Gorda

Balneario Caña Gorda

Public beach resort

Balneario Caña Gorda, also called Playa Caña Gorda, is a public bathing beach in Guánica run by the Departamento de Recreación y Deportes through its Parques Nacionales program. It is a managed balneario but is mapped as unsupervised, so there are no lifeguards on duty. Six parking areas and restrooms are mapped nearby, which makes it a drive-up beach with basic services rather than an undeveloped cove.

Google Maps

Playa Santa

Beach resort

Playa Santa is a public balneario in Guánica, offering a beach resort experience with nearby parking facilities. It is a natural beach and leisure destination in southwest Puerto Rico.

Google Maps
On the Water
Guánica / Gilligan's Island

Guánica / Gilligan's Island

  • Dive
  • Snorkel

Calm, clear snorkeling around the mangrove cays of Guánica's protected bay. Gilligan's Island (Cayo Aurora) has shallow reefs; travel guides report its public ferry has not run since the 2020 earthquakes, so people reach it by kayak rented along PR-333. Check before you go.

Google Maps
Nature spots
Nightlife & Music
Culture & Events

Fuerte Caprón

Viewpoint

Fuerte Caprón is an outdoor viewpoint site in Guánica, in Puerto Rico's Southwest region. Its elevated position gives visitors a spot to look out over the surrounding landscape.

Google Maps

Faro de Guánica

Historic lighthouse

Also known as Guánica Lighthouse, this historic structure stands within the Guánica State Forest and once marked the entrance to Guánica Bay. First lit in 1893 and deactivated in 1950, it filled a navigational gap between Los Morrillos Light and Caja de Muertos Light. Today it stands as a decommissioned landmark within the forest's coastal setting, of interest to those exploring the area's maritime history.

Google Maps

Outdoors and sports

On the water in Guánica

All conditions

On the water near Guánica

Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Guánica or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Guánica

1 trail starts in Guánica; the nearest three in other towns are within 13 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

  • In GuánicaBallena trail (Guánica Dry Forest)Moderate 1.2 mi each way, 1 h 10 min to 1 h 45 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • In Guayanilla, 4 mi awayCueva trail (Guánica Dry Forest)Easy 0.8 mi each way, 45 min to 1 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • In Guayanilla, 5 mi awayLluberas TrailModerate 3.8 mi each way, 3 h 20 min to 5 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Laguna Cartagena, Lajas, 13 mi awayLaguna Cartagena Hiking TrailEasy 1.0 mi loop, 25 to 35 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped

See all 20 trails in the west and Rincón

Bills and recovery money

Recovery money in Guánica

$47.2 million committed by FEMA to 121 projects filed under Guánica since 2001: $3,673 per resident, 22nd of 78 towns.

Every project located in Guánica, 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 $30.2 million of the $165 million committed.

18%

17.4% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $6.4 million of $36.9 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

17.4%
  • Town HallPublic buildings$15.9 million
  • Improve Recipient Fund sharing MGUM105 - Downtown Recreational FacilitiesParks and other$2.9 million
  • Roberto Alberdeston Baseball ParkParks and other$2.6 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Demolition of Private Property$0 of $1.9M0%Emergency measures
  • Debris Alternative Procedures, Public Assistance Alternative Procedures$1.7M of $1.7M100%Debris removal · last paid Sep 20, 2018
  • Emergency Protective Measures$971K of $971K100%Emergency measures · last paid Sep 3, 2026
  • Debris Removal$909K of $909K100%Debris removal · last paid May 5, 2023

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 Guánica

Crime in Guánica

16 violent crimes and 2 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Guánica, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 31.9 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the highest fifth of towns.

Homicides
2 YTD
Violent crimes
16 YTD
All serious crimes
31 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
31.9

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Guánica

FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Guánica

Phone alerts for Guánica

Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch

Photo credits