# Laguna Grande

Laguna Grande, Fajardo

## The Basics

Visitors can set the water aglow and create a trail of light with every stroke of their paddles during guided nighttime kayaking tours. Trips are usually offered around the cycles of the moon, timed to the darkest nights. Some tours also combine kayaking with an afternoon nature walk to La Mina Falls in the nearby El Yunque National Forest.

There are only a handful of places in the world where bioluminescent plankton is consistently found, three of which are in Puerto Rico. In addition to Lagunda Grande, this natural phenomenon exists in Mosquito Bay on Vieques Island and the bay at La Parguera. Laguna Grande in Fajardo is surrounded by red mangrove trees, which are native to the surrounding El Yunque rain forest and provide vitamin B12 to the marine plankton.

Bioluminescent Bay Night Kayaking Tour in Laguna Grande Fajardo

$55.00 per adult

Traveler Favorite

Fun way to spend an evening

The crew did an excellent job organizing everyone, explaining everything, and safety. They were friendly and made the experience fun! Paddling through the mangrove was particularly peaceful.we didn't see a lot of bioluminescence because of the moonlight, but they covered us with a tarp so we could see it better. Would totally do it again!

## Recent reviews from experiences in Fajardo

Great organization and tour guide. Convenient pick up and drop off in San Juan. Pretty cool experience overall.

Great experience. I highly recommend it! Plenty of guides, efficient organization, great job discussing & showing us the bioluminescence

The tour guides were very helpful and a lot of fun. Would definitely do it again. Great time had by all.

Magical! We had a group of 10. The whole experience was top notch from beginning to end from the sounds of nature to the natural bioluminescent beauty! It was extremely well run, the guides were knowledgeable and fun! A must see if you are visiting Puerto Rico as there are only two other places in the world to see this natural phenomenon!

This experience was phenomenal. A trust walk type exercise while kayaking. The guides were friendly & excellent at handling stress. Very much appear to Like their jobs and each other. Rafael, Mike, Neitzche,(sp?), Big Cal and 2 more were wonderful. Lester was our driver. Punctual and kind. His vehicle is far from fancy. It works. Once in a lifetime opportunity Thank you

Soothing lake and the water with the combination of the gazing stars. The feeling if the warm,wet, water and the smell of the river

Great trip! Worth the paddling in and out, the bioluminescent bay was beautiful. Staff was very friendly and patient. Bring bug spray!!!

the bioluminescence is incredible is you understand the biology underlying the phenomenon . The paddle in the dark is a good adventure

Thanks to you guys for making our experience totally awesome! The tour guides loves nature They are vey knowledgeable in their job and their surroundings. They are friendly and made us feel comfortable. The bioluminescent bay is mesmerizing.

Amazing experience and excellent staff!! So glad my girlfriend and I went. We also got a much needed little workout lol

Very cool kayaking through the jungle in the dark …the bioluminescence part was just ok you couldn’t really see it glow like the pictures but you saw something

Might seem a tad odd to give the tour a 4 star rating but not endorse. Perhaps an explanation . For those expecting car headlights coming from the lagoon , you will be disappointed. The Bio illuminations are faint at best. Having said that it’s nature. Faint or barely at all , pretty damn amazing . The kayaking through the mangroves to the lagoon is pretty cool , though it is not for the faint of heart ( it’s dark and you are in a kayak oaring through mangroves to a lagoon…and did I mention it is really, really dark ) and bio or not floating around the bay under the stars is certainly inspiring and will give you several moments of genuine reflection. Booking through Viator could not have been easier with communication spot on . Thought the tour operator, Caribbean Breeze Adventures, did a nice job with pick up and drop off. Think there were 10 kayaks in our group with at least four guides , certainly enough coverage. I think I would have explained things to the group a tad differently but other than that, unless you are expecting the aforementioned headlights , certainly 4+ stars . The issue is a couple of fold. One is just the task that is being asked. In our group at least 14 people ( two people to a kayak) had never kayaked before . So having never kayaked we want you to oar in the dark through a winding mangrove forest that at times narrows to 10 or 15 feet , as an aside there will be a couple of other tour operators leading their groups around the same time …. I mean what could possibly go wrong ? The other issue is just the nature of tour groups in general. You just never know who is going to be in your group. In our case a simple instruction of stay in a single file was ignored by several. With many opting for a nascar , it ain’t rubbin you ain’t racing approach. Candidly not a great deal the guides can do. After getting clipped or rubbed by more than a few without apology or acknowledgement , my pacifist wife was instructing me to oar up to ramming speed. Not sure kayak rage is a real thing but have to imagine someone has or will get slapped with an oar. So to sum up , have modest expectations of the bio and/or can revel in nature’s splendor …have some kayaking experience or if not a modicum of coordination and finally are blessed with 18 others in your group that share the above then you will enjoy this outing and highly endorse Viator and Caribbean Breeze Adventure. Short of that , forewarned is forearmed

## Things to Know Before You Go

  * Kayak tours typically navigate through a tunnel of mangrove trees before reaching the glowing waters.

  * Swimming in the bay is not allowed; you can swim and snorkel in the bay at La Parguera.

  * Guides will sometimes bring a cover so that the tour group can observe the bioluminescence in complete darkness without starlight.




## How to Get There

Laguna Grande is located in the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve, just off the shores of Fajardo, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) or an hour’s drive east of Old San Juan. Tours typically depart from San Juan or Luquillo, which is 9 miles (15 kilometers) away.

## When to Get There

Kayaking trips frequently set out in the early evening around sunset, launching from Las Cabezas with a tour guide or instructor. The best time to experience the bioluminescent bay is when the sky is especially dark due to little or no moonlight, so try to book your tour around a new moon and avoid days surrounding a full moon.

## El Yunque Rain Forest

Sometimes coupled with a tour of the bioluminescent bay, a visit to El Yunque Rain Forest is a must-do for nature lovers visiting Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rain forest in the United States Forest Service and features well-defined walking trails, lush landscapes, and plenty of wildlife such as the Puerto Rican parrot and the Coqui frog.