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Loíza, Puerto Rico

East region · Puerto Rico

Loíza

~15 mi from San JuanCoastal

Loíza is a coastal town on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, about 15 miles from San Juan. It sits east of Carolina, west of Río Grande, and north of Canóvanas, and is an outer town within the San Juan metropolitan area. It covers 19 square miles, the 71st largest of the 78 towns, and has 22,768 residents (Census estimate, 2020–2024).

Founded in 1719, Loíza is renowned for its rich Afro-Puerto Rican culture and heritage. It is spread over 5 barrios plus the downtown and administrative center of Loíza Pueblo. In the district of Piñones, in the barrio of Torrecilla Baja, an Australian pine and mangrove state forest, unrestricted beaches, and kiosks selling Puerto Rican street food draw both domestic and foreign tourists.

Loíza
All 78 towns
Known for
For visitors

Visitors come for the Piñones street food kiosks, the beaches such as Playa de las Tres Palmitas and Playa Vacía Talega, and the area's Afro-Puerto Rican cultural heritage.

Hiking
Beaches and water
Nightlife
Fiestas patronales
For living hereLoíza is a town of about 22,800 people on the coast, roughly 15 miles from San Juan within the metropolitan area.Living in Loíza: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
East
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~15 mi from San Juan
Population
22,768 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1719
Median rent
$464/mo
Median income
$24,272/yr
Area
19.4 sq mi (50.2 km²)
Fiestas patronales
Saint Patrick · March 17
Guide spots
6
Stories, last 30 days
23
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 Loíza

Road closures in Loíza

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

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Loíza

Paused. Loíza is on the rationing plan of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) for the Sergio Cuevas plant, paused since Sep 2; the town’s sectors are in Zone 1 (2 sectors). Loíza’s sectors and schedule

The metro rotation is paused. On September 1, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced a pause for Carraízo customers (Zones 1 and 2) after the reservoir rose. On September 28, the drought committee the governor appointed decided not to restart rationing in the metro area for now, after rain lifted Carraízo, and asked everyone to keep cutting back on water. Its next meeting is set for October 23. AAA has not canceled the plan, so it can return if the reservoirs drop again.

Power outages in Loíza

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. Loíza was on that list on one of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town

Beach water

Within limits: Playa Vacía Talega. Last tested Nov 3.

Not sampled recently: Vacía Talega. Last tested Mar 15, 2024.

Beach water quality

News from Loíza

Latest stories

Every story that names Loíza Follow Loíza by RSS

Things to do in Loíza

Beaches & Chill
Playa Vacía Talega

Playa Vacía Talega

Beach

Playa Vacía Talega is a beach in Puerto Rico, located in the municipality of Loíza. It is also known as Vacía Talega Beach or simply Vacia Talega.

Google Maps
On the Water

Piñones / Loíza

  • Surf

Piñones and Loíza form a stretch of surf breaks along the coast road east of San Juan, running past the Piñones mangrove lagoon. The main season is November to April, when north and north-northeast swell of roughly 3 to 7 feet reaches the shore. Waves break close to the beach and come in fast and hollow, so the takeoff is steep and the ride short. Mornings, before the sea breeze picks up, are the best time to paddle out. Crowds are thinner here than at the city beaches nearer San Juan.

Google Maps
Nightlife & Music
Bar / pub

El Ataúd

  • Lively
  • Late night

El Ataúd is a bar on Carretera 187 in Loíza, in Puerto Rico's North region. It's known for a lively, late-night atmosphere with indoor seating.

Reviews on Google Maps
Bar / pub

Bar Aquí me Quedo

  • Lively
  • Late night

Bar Aquí me Quedo is a dive bar in Loíza, on the road known as Ruta de la Tradición Loiceña, which also carries the name Carretera Piñones. It is an indoor, no-frills spot with a lively atmosphere that stays open into the late-night hours.

Reviews on Google Maps

More Nightlife & Music across the East

Outdoors and sports

On the water in Loíza

All conditions

On the water near Loíza

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

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Loíza

No trail we list starts in Loíza. The nearest four are within 10 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

  • El Yunque, Río Grande, 10 mi awayEl Portal TrailEasy 0.3 mi loop, 10 to 15 minVereda El PortalWalk in, $8 entryListed open
  • El Yunque, Río Grande, 10 mi awayRoca El Yunque TrailModerate 0.1 mi each way, 5 to 10 minVereda Roca El YunqueWalk in, no bookingListed openLookout: El Yunque Rock
  • El Yunque, Río Grande, 10 mi awayLos Picachos TrailEasy 0.2 mi each way, 10 to 15 minVereda Los PicachosWalk in, no bookingListed openSpur off El Yunque Trail, 1.8 mi inLookout: Los Picachos platform
  • El Yunque, Río Grande, 10 mi awayEl Toro TrailHard 2.5 mi each way, 2 h 40 min to 4 hVereda El ToroWalk in, no bookingListed openEl Toro Peak

See all 13 trails in El Yunque National Forest

Bills and recovery money

Bills about Loíza

All 10 bills about Loíza

Recovery money in Loíza

$31.5 million committed by FEMA to 138 projects filed under Loíza since 2001: $1,383 per resident, 55th of 78 towns.

Every project located in Loíza, the island-wide agencies’ included

46% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $20.9 million of the $45.2 million committed.

46%

40.0% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $8.3 million of $20.7 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

40.0%
  • City HallPublic buildings$2.7 million
  • Debris Alternative Procedures - PADebris removal$2.3 million
  • Recipient Improved Project MLOI005 Finance Annex (Building and Contents)Public buildings$2.1 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Debris Alternative Procedures$2.3M of $2.3M100%Debris removal · last paid Aug 11, 2023
  • Debris Alternative Procedures$1.6M of $1.6M100%Debris removal · last paid Dec 22, 2021
  • Emergency Protective Measures$1.3M of $1.3M100%Emergency measures · last paid Sep 16, 2019
  • Project PW-03559$323K of $1.3M25%Parks and other · last paid Nov 6, 2025

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 Loíza

Crime in Loíza

92 violent crimes and 11 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Loíza, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 40 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the highest fifth of towns.

Homicides
11 YTD
Violent crimes
92 YTD
All serious crimes
211 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
40

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Loíza

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

Phone alerts for Loíza

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

Photo credits