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Luquillo, Puerto Rico

East region · Puerto Rico

Luquillo

~26 mi from San JuanCoastal

  • 88° · Drizzle · 3.3 ft seas

Luquillo is a coastal town on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico, about 26 miles from San Juan, situated northwest of Fajardo and east of Río Grande. It is spread over five barrios plus Luquillo Pueblo, covers 25.8 square miles, has a population of 17,532, and is part of the Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Founded in 1797, Luquillo lends its name to the Sierra de Luquillo, the mountain range that is home to El Yunque National Forest. Its outdoor stops are tied to that forest, including La Coca Falls and Yokahú Tower, and it has a cluster of nightlife spots such as El Pulpo Negro, La Esquina, and Coco Bar.

Luquillo
All 78 towns
Known for
For visitors

Visitors come for outdoor stops connected to El Yunque National Forest, such as La Coca Falls and Yokahú Tower, along with a small coastal nightlife scene at spots like El Pulpo Negro, La Esquina, and Coco Bar.

Hiking
Outdoors
Beaches and water
Eat and drink
Nightlife
Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town within the Fajardo metro area, spread across several barrios, with the Sierra de Luquillo and El Yunque National Forest close by.Living in Luquillo: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
East
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~26 mi from San Juan
Population
17,532 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1797
Median rent
$504/mo
Median income
$24,225/yr
Area
25.8 sq mi (66.9 km²)
Fiestas patronales
Saint Joseph · March 19
Guide spots
7
Stories, last 30 days
6
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 Luquillo

Road closures in Luquillo

No closures reported in Luquillo as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Luquillo

No rationing plan names Luquillo. 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 Luquillo

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. Luquillo was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town

Beach water

Within limits: Playa de Luquillo and Playa Azul. Last tested Nov 3.

Not sampled recently: Balneario La Monserrate and Playa Azul. Last tested Mar 15, 2024.

Beach water quality

News from Luquillo

Latest stories

Every story that names Luquillo Follow Luquillo by RSS

Our analysis

Every Where to Swim

Things to do in Luquillo

Beaches & Chill

Playa Azul

Natural beach

Playa Azul is a beach in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, with a nearby parking area for convenience.

Google Maps
Playa de Luquillo

Playa de Luquillo

Beach

Playa de Luquillo is a public beach on the east coast, in the town of Luquillo. The immediate shoreline is lightly developed, with a single parking area and restrooms close by, so it works as a straightforward place to arrive, park and head to the sand. The beach sits beside Balneario La Monserrate, which gives the area a managed-beach setting nearby.

Google Maps
Nature spots
Yokahú Tower
El Yunque National Forest · East

Yokahú Tower

A roadside lookout tower over the rainforest

  • Lookout
  • Scenic
  • Family

The Yokahú Tower is a stone observation tower located just inside the entrance of El Yunque National Forest. It offers a short climb up a spiral staircase to reach the top. From the tower, visitors can enjoy panoramic views over the rainforest canopy and out toward the northeast coast.

Google Maps
Eat & Drink
Restaurant

La Fonda Gourmet

Criolla and Caribbean cuisine

La Fonda Gourmet is a high-rated restaurant serving criolla, Caribbean, and international cuisine with vegetarian options, offering both dine-in and outdoor seating. The restaurant is located in Luquillo. It provides a range of dining options.

Reviews on Google Maps

More Eat & Drink across the East

Nightlife & Music
Bar / pub

La Esquina

  • Lively
  • Late night

La Esquina is a gay bar on Calle Esperanza in Luquillo, drawing a lively late-night crowd for indoor drinks and socializing. It's a nightlife spot within the town's North region setting, geared toward evening and after-dark visits rather than daytime stops.

Reviews on Google Maps
Bar / pub

Coco Bar

  • Lively
  • Late night

Coco Bar is a bar on Calle Florida in Luquillo, known for a lively, late-night atmosphere. It's an indoor spot suited to evenings out, drawing a crowd looking for drinks and nightlife energy in Luquillo.

Reviews on Google Maps

More Nightlife & Music across the East

Outdoors and sports

On the water near Luquillo

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

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Luquillo

4 trails start in Luquillo.

  • El YunqueAngelito TrailEasy 0.4 mi each way, 25 to 35 minVereda El AngelitoWalk in, no bookingListed openSwimming hole: Río Mameyes pools
  • Corredor Ecológico del NoresteCamino San MiguelEasy 0.5 mi each way, 25 to 35 minSan Miguel pathWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • In LuquilloBisley TrailModerate 1.4 mi each way, 1 h 30 min to 2 h 10 minWalk inListed by USDA Forest Service
  • Corredor Ecológico del NoresteCaminos Corredor Ecológico del NoresteModerate 2.4 mi loop, 1 h 5 min to 1 h 40 minNortheast Ecological Corridor pathsWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped

See all 12 trails on the east coast

Bills and recovery money

Recovery money in Luquillo

$32.7 million committed by FEMA to 94 projects filed under Luquillo since 2001: $1,865 per resident, 42nd of 78 towns.

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

14% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $12 million of the $82.5 million committed.

14%

12.7% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $3.4 million of $26.5 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

12.7%
  • Calle Amadeus - Hacienda CarabalíRoads and bridges$5.9 million
  • Obras PublicasPublic buildings$3.1 million
  • Centro de arte y CulturaPublic buildings$2.5 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Project PW-00137$1.9M of $1.9M100%Debris removal · last paid Nov 4, 2020
  • Repair Cancha ismael Benabe & Complejo Deportivo Alamar$1.2M of $1.2M97%Parks and other · last paid May 30, 2025
  • Plaza del Mercado, Jardin de envejecientes & Monumento indio Facilities$242K of $860K28%Parks and other · last paid Dec 11, 2025
  • Emergency protective measures$697K of $697K100%+Emergency measures · last paid May 8, 2026

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 Luquillo

Crime in Luquillo

38 violent crimes and 4 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Luquillo, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 30.2 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the highest fifth of towns.

Homicides
4 YTD
Violent crimes
38 YTD
All serious crimes
162 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
30.2

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Luquillo

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

Phone alerts for Luquillo

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

Photo credits