Overview

Hype:

Laguna Grande is located to the east of San Juan in the town of Fajardo, and it's one of three bio-bays found in Puerto Rico. The blueish glowing effect in the waters is caused by dinoflagellates— microscopic organisms that react to any movement in the water by activating their glowing defense mechanism. When planning your visit to this natural wonder, keep in mind that the glowing effect is better appreciated on moonless nights, the darker the better! To visit the Laguna Grande, coordinate a boat or kayak tour with a local tour provider.

Time: 2-3 hours

Length: 2.5 miles round trip from Las Croabas

Fees: Optional kayak rental

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-exploring-puerto-ricos-bioluminescent-bays

Getting There

Navigate to 18.365299, -65.625445.

You can rent a kayak from one of the outfitters at Kayak Village.

You can also launch from the nearby public park Parque Pasivo Las Croabas.

Alternatively, if you want to skip the paddle up the canal, you can launch from the side of the road at 18.378024°, -65.626505°.

Route

From Kayak Village or Parque Pasivo Las Croabas, padde up the canal through a Mangrove forest for approximately 0.8 miles to Laguna Grande.

Location

Closest City or Region: Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Coordinates: 18.375750, -65.623517

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March 29, 2024 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Madilyn Dye,

Logistics

Start: 6:10

Bio Bay: 6:40-7:45

Finish: 8:05

Story

At 4:30, we picked up our kayak and strapped it on top of our rental car, which was quite a feat since they only provided the non-ratcheting part of two tie-down straps. We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Then we drove down to a city park in Las Croabas and launched our kayak. We paddled up the river/canal through the Mangroves. Then we paddled around Laguna Grande (Biobay) until it got dark. We were surprised that the freshwater lagoon and the ocean were only separated by about 20 feet of land on the northern end. We beached the kayak and walked over to the ocean to watch the sunset and take some pictures. Then we went back to Biobay. Once it got dark, we experienced the most magical thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It was like being in a movie like Avatar or Life of Pi. Biobay is full of bioluminescent plankton that emit light when disturbed. We spent an hour paddling around and marveling at this natural wonder. It was so amazing. We especially loved that the fish swimming around agitated the water so you could see glowing fish trails. We paddled and splashed and really enjoyed it. It was the highlight of the trip.

Pictures