We are planning a July 2009 trip to northeastern Puerto Rico. I have been doing much research on beaches as we will be 3 adults with 3 6-year olds. I am looking for a beach with a calm tide, good area to play etc.

Everything so far has pointed me to Luquillo Beach; however, now I am coming up with a few reviews that state the following:

"Luquillo used to be a beautiful beach, and the kiosks were a must-see. Not so anymore, don't waste your time there." posted on 4/15/09 on this site.

Most of the reviews I am reading are from late 2008 very early 2009. I am wondering if the beach has recently taken a turn for the worse. Perhaps there is more than one area of Luquillo beach that I should be looking for. We are not afraid to walk our way to a good section of beach.

Any help that can be offered from anyone who has been there recently would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Sheli

Hi. I'm from PR, though I married and relocated to MN 3 years ago. I was just there with family in April (and my sister who lives there was just there last week!) and I can tell you it's still a wonderful place to go. The beach itself is great for children, and there's ample parking a bathroom facilities at the beach. They do offer food and drink on the beach (though you can also bring your own), but I'd absolutely go to the kiosks. They offer great local fare - from fritters filled with all kinds of seafood, meat or chicken to wonderful seafood salads and the quintessential rice and bean dishes. It is a bit loud when they have the music blaring, but it’s really worth the experience. I'm not quite sure what the person who's review you mentioned was expecting, but I've been going to Luquillo since I was a little girl (many moons ago now) and I still tell enjoy heading out there myself and certainly tell anyone visiting to stop by and combine that trip with an excursion to the Rainforest.

Agree, Luquillo beach is still a great beach (it can get crowded especially on holiday weekends etc..) as for food, the Food Kiosks are worth a visit and some get really good reviews. 2 to consider are La Parilla for local dishes and El Jefe Burger for burgers

there are lots of articles etc... on my site http://www.visit-the-coqui.com

I was just in Puerto Rico with my family (last week)and we stopped by the kioscos at Luquillo for a late lunch after a morning visit to El Yunque (which is a MUST DO!). Some in the car were hesitant to stop - they look "sketchy" to say the least, but the food is delicious and very cheap, and they look out on a beautiful beach. We ended up going to Seven Seas beach - a few miles away nearer Fajardo. We were introduced to Seven Seas by some locals - it's not fancy, it's locals-oriented, and yet it's a charming, wonderful beach.

the food at the kioscos, are they all fried? Do they have anything grilled. I can't handle fried, my stomach will make me pay for it if I feed it fried food.

JAXJM-did you rent a car or joined a tour group to go to El Yunque?

There are several places that offer seafood and other dishes--just look around. La Parilla and Osso Bucco may be good ones to try. Maybe avoid the Mofongo, which has some fried pork in it.

I go to Luquillo every weekend, my grandparents live there and I like the beach very much. Instead of going to the public beach, go down to the next light and turn left into the town. There are a couple of streets that will lead you to the beach, this one is not as congested as the public beach and you will have several miles of sand to walk in either direction. For food you can go to La Parrilla at the Kiosks or you can go to the Brass Cactus or Guavas which are within the town. Please let me know what you expect during your visit, since Luquillo is not the type of "turist" beach were you have lots of watersports, snorkeling or other rentals.

You can also plan a trip to Vieques or Culebra, there are pristine beaches and various hotels as well. If you will be staying near the San Juan, Isla Verde or Carolina area then you should go to "Condado" beach, near Ashford Ave. There is a good selection of hotels, restaurants and things to do in that area as well. Of course, I love Luquillo and urge you to go as well.

I have been going to Luquillo for over 20 years and own a condo in Playa Azul. I would recommend Luquillo without hesitation. In the last two years this small community has grown tremendously with some fabulous restuarants and wonderful vacation activities. The Kioskos are wonderful and there are many new wonderful eateries. It close to some magnificant resorts and close enought to Fajardo for ferry to the outer islands. For those who want convenience, it is Americanized just enough for you to find whatever you might want.