Puerto Rico serves up around the dial fun for everyone. Soaking up the sun at a gleaming resort, stepping back in time for a stroll through history or sampling the scintillating nightlife are all within easy reach. In short, there’s no shortage of places to see and be seen across the Island of Enchantment.
But there’s also plenty to be said for getting away from it all.
So, chart a course for Isla Cardona, a tiny gem peeking out of the crystalline blue waters of the Caribbean Sea at the entrance to the harbor of Ponce, also referred as the Pearl of the South and the region’s cultural hub justly celebrated for its charming colonial downtown and world-class art museum.
Although it sits just a quick boat ride off Puerto Rico’s southern coast, the uninhabited Isla Cardona is a world apart from the relative hustle-and-bustle of the big island.
The best bet is to book a day-trip with WaterLand Adventure, which will shuttle you from Ponce’s La Guancha to Isla Cardona in style in a 10-minute boat ride with awe-inspiring vistas that will last a lifetime from the deck of the company’s 40-foot catamaran. Be sure to pack walking shoes with your flip-flops, beach towels, sunscreen, camera and a taste for adventure.
Isla Cardona is a tiny gem peeking out of the crystalline blue waters of the Caribbean Sea at the entrance to the harbor of Ponce.
Isla Cardona covers roughly six acres of dry forest ringed by sandy beaches and crowned by the 1889-Spanish colonial lighthouse that caps this idyllic offshore hideaway. The Cardona Island Light, which is accessible and still in operation, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The islet — part of a pristine archipelago that includes Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes — is overseen by the commonwealth’s Department of Environmental Natural Resources, which can issue overnight camping permits upon prior request.
And while the short trails on Isla Cardona are well worth exploring by foot, the real star of the show is the clear waters that surround it. The views out over the gleaming saltwater expanse are simply stunning. But don’t stop there. Strap on snorkeling gear and slip below the surface where a vibrant underwater wonderland awaits. The liquid lair is calm but replete with a kaleidoscope of marine life cruising around a maze of shore reefs and over sand-bottom stretches. Scuba diving excursions can also be arranged in advance.
With both briny and terrestrial adventures on tap around this untouched refuge, Isla Cardona awaits as the ultimate getaway. An easy escape from the everyday world along the route less traveled.
Although it sits just a jaunt from one of Puerto Rico’s busiest cities the secret is not yet out about this unspoiled paradise.
WaterLand Adventure offers day trip packages to Isla Cardona, with the catamaran leaving Ponce at 9 a.m. and returning at 4 p.m. Regardless of which tour package you choose there is no extra charge to bring coolers and other gear.
