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Outside Magazine December 2003

DESTINATIONS: Puerto Rico
It's All Bueno
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

By Robert Walzer


	Flippering out near La Parguera (Rob Howard)

THE FAMED 20-MILE-LONG Parguera Wall, five miles offshore from La Parguera, is one of the best dive sites in Puerto Rico. The Wall, which is 500 feet deep in places, sprouts with black coral and is a hangout for moray eels, barracuda, stingrays, and sharks.

Not crazy about the idea of becoming shark bait, I decided to snorkel instead. I set out with Captain Angel Rovira, owner of Parguera Divers (787-899-4171, www.pargueradivers.com), for a three-hour tour to Enrique and Media Luna reefs. We sped about 15 minutes out in his 30-foot Island Hopper. The water was choppy, but visibility was at least 30 feet, enough to catch glimpses of blue tangs, grunts, and damselfish.

The most magical underwater experience near La Parguera,

Access & Resources

GETTING THERE: American Airlines (800-433-7300, www.aa.com) offers six direct flights a day from Miami and New York to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. The island's public transportation isn't always reliable, so consider renting a car. Budget (800-472-3325, www.budget.com) has an office at the San Juan airport. A midsize will run you $47 per day, $242 per week.

however, is swimming in its bioluminescent bay at night as millions of single-cell organisms called dinoflagellates cause the water to shimmer and glow when agitated. Do your part and head down to La Parguera's docks before the sun sets and find a driver who will take you out in his skiff (about $5 per person) so you can take a swim and turn on the glitter.

Parguera Divers charges $33 per person for a three-hour snorkeling tour and $70 for a half-day scuba trip (two-tank dive), $85 with equipment.