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Salinas, Puerto Rico

South region · Puerto Rico

Salinas

~36 mi from San JuanCoastal

  • 89° · Drizzle · 3 ft seas

Salinas is a coastal town in the southern part of Puerto Rico, south of Aibonito and Cayey, southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel, and west of Guayama, about 36 miles from San Juan. It is spread over five barrios plus Salinas Pueblo, the downtown area and administrative center, and has a population of 25,079 people.

Founded in 1841, the town’s setting along the southern coast is anchored by the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a major natural area shared with neighboring waters, giving Salinas a strong identity tied to its coastline and estuarine ecosystem.

Salinas
All 78 towns
For visitors

Visitors come for the outdoor experiences at Jobos Bay's estuarine reserve and the coastal setting, along with local nightlife spots like One Way Bar & Grill.

Hiking
Outdoors
Beaches and water
Nightlife
Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal town organized around five barrios and a central Pueblo, with easy access to the natural reserve and the surrounding southern coast towns.Living in Salinas: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
South
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~36 mi from San Juan
Population
25,079 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1841
Median rent
$530/mo
Median income
$21,901/yr
Area
69.4 sq mi (179.8 km²)
Fiestas patronales
Our Lady of Montserrat · September 8
Guide spots
4
Stories, last 30 days
4
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 Salinas

Road closures in Salinas

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

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Salinas

No rationing plan names Salinas. 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 Salinas

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

Beach water

Within limits: Playa La Ochenta. Last tested Nov 2.

Beach water quality

News from Salinas

Latest stories

Every story that names Salinas Follow Salinas by RSS

Our analysis

Every Where to Swim Every Fiesta Calendar

Things to do in Salinas

Beaches & Chill

Playa La Ochenta

Beach

Playa La Ochenta is a sandy beach on the south coast in Salinas, close to the town's balneario area. A playground sits nearby, so the shoreline works for families with young children as well as for a simple day on the sand. The only mapped facility within a short walk is that play area, which points to a lightly developed beach rather than a full resort-style setting.

Google Maps
On the Water
Salinas

Salinas

  • Kite

Salinas is an on-water kiteboarding spot on the south coast, where the harbor and its broad bay stay flat while trade winds blow from the east-southeast at roughly 15–22 knots (17–25 mph). The sheltered water makes it a setting for kiting without open-sea chop. The wind is strongest from November through May, though the harbor itself is flat all year. It is also a popular weekend stop for boaters, so expect boat traffic around the bay on weekends.

Google Maps
Nature spots

Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Tropical ecosystem and mangroves

Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects a stretch of intertidal coastline near Aguirre in Salinas, where mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs meet along Puerto Rico's southern coast. As a federally protected estuary, it functions as a research site and habitat for marine life, offering a chance to see mangrove-lined shorelines and coastal ecosystems that are otherwise uncommon in the developed southern region of the island.

Google Maps
Nightlife & Music
Bar / pub

One Way Bar & Grill

  • Lively
  • Late night

One Way Bar & Grill is an indoor bar on Calle Luis Muñoz Rivera in Salinas, on Puerto Rico's south coast. It draws a lively late-night crowd.

Reviews on Google Maps

More Nightlife & Music across the South

Outdoors and sports

On the water in Salinas

All conditions

On the water near Salinas

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

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Salinas

3 trails start in Salinas; the nearest one in other towns is within 13 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

  • Reserva Natural de Investigación Estuarina Bahía de JobosVereda Interpretativa Bosque de JagüeyesEasy 0.8 mi loop, 20 to 25 minJagüeyes forest nature trailWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • In SalinasCaminata Albergue OlímpicoModerate 0.7 mi each way, 45 min to 1 h 10 minOlympic training center walkNot confirmed: ask firstCommunity-mapped
  • In SalinasÁrbol Solitario (Cerro de los Cielos)Hard 1.4 mi each way, 1 h 40 min to 2 h 30 minThe lone tree on the Hill of the SkiesWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • In Barranquitas, 13 mi awayCañón San CristóbalModerate 1.5 mi each way, 1 h 25 min to 2 h 5 minSan Cristóbal CanyonWalk in, no booking (canyon floor: guided tour or permit)Community-mappedWaterfall, seen from above: Cascada El Ancón

See all 7 trails on the south coast

Bills and recovery money

Bills about Salinas

Every bill we follow

Recovery money in Salinas

$81.7 million committed by FEMA to 236 projects filed under Salinas since 2001: $3,259 per resident, 27th of 78 towns.

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

55% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $323 million of the $587 million committed.

55%

54.5% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $34.3 million of $63 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

54.5%
  • Salinas - Rancho Guayama RoadsRoads and bridges$8 million
  • DEBRIS ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES, Public Assistance Alternative ProceduresDebris removal$4.1 million
  • Buildings and Exterior SitePublic buildings$3.6 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Salinas, Rancho Guayama Roads$5.6M of $8M71%Roads and bridges · last paid Aug 15, 2025
  • Debris Alternative Procedures, Public Assistance Alternative Procedures$4.1M of $4.1M100%Debris removal · last paid Sep 30, 2024
  • Salinas, AA Baseball Park Manuel González$3M of $3M100%Parks and other · last paid Apr 21, 2025
  • Salinas, Majada Street$491K of $2M25%Roads and bridges · last paid Oct 11, 2024

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 Salinas

Crime in Salinas

93 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Salinas, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 25.5 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the highest fifth of towns.

Homicides
1 YTD
Violent crimes
93 YTD
All serious crimes
138 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
25.5

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Salinas

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

Phone alerts for Salinas

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

Photo credits