Experience the best of Rincón

Rincón sits on a headland on the west coast of Puerto Rico, facing the Mona Passage, with beaches on either side that catch the winter swells. It hosted the world surfing championships in 1968, and surfing is still the town's reason for being, with breaks named Domes, Maria's, Indicators and Sandy Beach. Domes takes its name from the dome of a former nuclear reactor on the cliff above.

The lighthouse at Punta Higüera stands on the headland, and from its park whales can be watched between January and March, when humpbacks breed in the Mona Passage. Tres Palmas Marine Reserve has elkhorn coral close to shore, good for snorkelling when the waves are small. Desecheo Island, a rocky islet offshore, is a protected reserve known for diving. Mayagüez has a zoo, and Aguadilla's Crash Boat Beach lies to the north.

Beach restaurants serve mofongo, mashed plantain with garlic and pork or seafood, alcapurrias, fried fritters of plantain and meat, fresh fish, coconuts and piña coladas. The dry months from December to April coincide with the biggest surf, and tropical storms are most likely late in summer and in autumn.