Southwest region · Puerto Rico
Lajas
~69 mi from San JuanCoastal
Lajas is a coastal town in the Lajas Valley of southwestern Puerto Rico, about 69 miles from San Juan. It borders the Caribbean Sea and sits south of San Germán and Sabana Grande, east of Cabo Rojo, and west of Guánica, spread across 11 barrios plus Lajas Pueblo, and forms part of the San Germán-Cabo Rojo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Founded in 1883, the town covers 60 square miles and has 23,035 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024). Its best-known spot is La Parguera, an on-water destination within the town’s coastal territory.
- La Parguera on-water spot
- Location in the Lajas Valley
- Reserva Natural de La Parguera
- Playa Rosada
- Bahía Fosforescente (La Parguera)
For visitors
Visitors are drawn mainly to La Parguera, the on-water spot along Lajas's Caribbean coastline.
- Hiking
- Outdoors
- Beaches and water
- Eat and drink
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a valley-and-coast town made up of eleven barrios plus the town center, within the San Germán-Cabo Rojo metropolitan area of southwestern Puerto Rico.Living in Lajas: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- Southwest
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~69 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 23,035 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1883
- Median rent
- $479/mo
- Median income
- $19,695/yr
- Area
- 60.0 sq mi (155.3 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Virgin of Candelaria · February 2
- Guide spots
- 5
- Stories, last 30 days
- 3
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Lajas
Road closures in Lajas
No closures reported in Lajas as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.
Water rationing in Lajas
No rationing plan names Lajas. 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 Lajas
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. Lajas was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
Beach water
Within limits: Playa Rosada. Last tested Nov 2.
Beach water qualityNews from Lajas
Latest stories
15-Year-Old Breaks Femur in Mini Bike Crash on PR-316 in Lajas
Dead Whale Found in La Parguera After Being Struck by Vessel
Woman Charged with Domestic Violence Under Law 54
DRNA Completes Redesign to Restore Playita Rosada Natural Pool in Lajas
Parents Demand Education Secretary Reinstate Lajas Montessori School Principal
Our analysis
- Where to Swim · Last weekWhere to Swim This Weekend: Six Beaches, from Lajas to Guánica
- Weekend Watch · Last weekPuerto Rico This Weekend: Twenty Events, One Patron-Saint Fiesta and Surf at Aguadilla / Crash Boat
- Drought Watch · Earlier53 Towns in Drought, Extreme in 12 Towns
Things to do in Lajas
Beaches & Chill
Playa Rosada
Beach resort
Playa Rosada is a public balneario in Lajas, run jointly by the Departamento de Recursos Naturales and the Municipio de Lajas. As a managed bathing beach, it has a parking area, restrooms and showers close to the shore, so a day here involves less improvisation than at an undeveloped cove. The site is mapped as a beach resort, and the shared state and municipal management points to an organized, maintained setting for swimming and time on the sand in southwest Puerto Rico.
On the Water
La Parguera
La Parguera, in Lajas on Puerto Rico's southwest coast, is a diving and snorkeling area where the shelf drops off into wall dives. Visibility typically runs 60–80 ft, and the water is sheltered from the trade winds, so conditions are workable through the year. Its bioluminescent bay glows fainter than the bays at Vieques and Fajardo, though it is the only one of the three where tours have let people swim. Rules can change, so confirm with the operator. The glow is strongest on moonless nights.
Bahía Fosforescente (La Parguera)
Bahía Fosforescente is a bioluminescent bay a short boat ride east of La Parguera village in Lajas, visited after dark on tours. The glow is fainter than at the bays in Vieques and Fajardo, but La Parguera is the only one of the three where tours let swimmers get into the water, so movement in the bay can be seen up close. Moonless nights are the best time, when the darkness lets the light show up most clearly. Swimming rules can change, so confirm with your tour operator before booking.
Nature spots
Reserva Natural de La Parguera
Nature reserve
The Reserva Natural de La Parguera protects the cays and coastline off La Parguera, in Lajas.
Eat & Drink
Grampa's Place
Regional cuisine
Grampa's Place is a restaurant in Lajas serving regional cuisine, with a menu built around traditional dishes typical of the area. It's a straightforward spot for sampling local flavors while exploring the western part of the island.
Outdoors and sports
On the water in Lajas
All conditionsOn the water near Lajas
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Lajas or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Sailing5 near
- La PargueraLanding · in Lajas
- BoquerónYacht club · 8 mi away
- Puerto Real (Cabo Rojo)Anchorage, basin 6 to 15 ft · 9 mi away
- Diving8 near
- Black WallDive site, 60–200+ ft · in Lajas
- ChimneyDive site, 55–70 ft · in Lajas
- Efra's WallDive site, 0–160 ft · in Lajas
- Kite and wind
- La PargueraWorks in E, SE, S winds · in Lajas
- Paddle
- La Parguera cays and mangrove channelsMangroves · in Lajas
- Bahía FosforescenteBio bay · in Lajas
Trails in and near Lajas
1 trail starts in Lajas; the nearest three in other towns are within 8 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Laguna CartagenaLaguna Cartagena Hiking TrailEasy 1.0 mi loop, 25 to 35 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Cabo Rojo, 7 mi awayEl Conuco-Monte del OréganoModerate 1.0 mi each way, 1 h to 1 h 30 minThe farm plot to Oregano HillNot confirmed: ask firstCommunity-mapped
- In Cabo Rojo, 8 mi awayRefugio de Vida Silvestre BoquerónEasy 2.6 mi each way, 2 h 5 min to 3 h 5 minBoquerón wildlife refugeWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve, Cabo Rojo, 8 mi awayEl TrenModerate 1.1 mi each way, 50 min to 1 h 20 minThe old railwayWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Lajas
- RC 808Investigation of Irrigation System in Sabana Grande, Yauco, and LajasIn committee, Sep 24
Recovery money in Lajas
$19.9 million committed by FEMA to 148 projects filed under Lajas since 2001: $862 per resident, 69th of 78 towns.
Every project located in Lajas, the island-wide agencies’ included
24% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $13.8 million of the $56.5 million committed.
24%52.7% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $7.7 million of $14.5 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
52.7%- /RECIPIENT/FUND SHARING MLAJ012- Theater Manuel GonzalezPublic buildings$2.2 million
- DEBRIS ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES, Public Assistance Alternative ProceduresDebris removal$2 million
- FUND SHARING RECIPIENT] MLAJ011- Municipal Commercial CenterPublic buildings$1.2 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Theater Manuel Gonzalez$2.2M of $2.2M100%
- Debris Alternative Procedures, Public Assistance Alternative Procedures$2M of $2M100%+*
- Municipal Commercial Center$673K of $1.2M57%
- Joe Basora Baseball Field$797K of $995K80%
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 Lajas
Crime in Lajas
20 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Lajas, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 8.2 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the lowest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 1 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 20 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 50 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 8.2
Flood zones in Lajas
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Lajas
Phone alerts for Lajas
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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