Palomino Island, Puerto Rico
[COPY]
Book on WhatsApp
Palomino Island is a small private island just off the coast of Fajardo, on the east end of Puerto Rico. Its main beach belongs to a resort, but the water around it doesn't — private boats anchor off Palomino every day for swimming, snorkeling and floating in some of the calmest water on the east coast. Right next to it sits Palominito, a sandbar-sized cay with a handful of palm trees that looks like it was drawn for a postcard.
What Palomino Island is
Palomino is the closest of the Fajardo cays to shore. It's a resort island: there's a beach club, chairs and facilities on the sand that are reserved for the resort's guests. Boat visitors don't use those. What boat visitors get is the lee side of the island — the side sheltered from the trade winds — where the water is flat, clear and shallow enough to stand in.
If Icacos is the wild, empty beach, Palomino is the calm swimming pool.
Palominito is the tiny cay a few hundred yards off Palomino's tip. It's public, it's uninhabited, and it's small enough to walk around in a couple of minutes. On a weekday you can have it to yourself.
How to get to Palomino Island
By boat from Fajardo. Resort guests take the resort's own shuttle; everyone else comes on a private charter or a tour boat from the Fajardo marinas. Ours depart from Marina Puerto Chico.
Most private trips to Icacos stop at Palomino too — either as the calm-water swim stop on the way out, or as the backup when the Icacos side is choppy. Ask us and we'll tell you what the captain recommends for your date.
Parking, directions and drive times are on the Plan Your Day page.
What to do at Palomino
Swim and float. This is Palomino's thing. Protected water, sandy bottom, no surf. Bring a float — or use the ones on the boat.
Snorkel. Reef and rock along the island's edges hold fish and the occasional turtle. Calmer than Icacos, which makes it the better spot for first-time snorkelers and kids.
Walk Palominito. Anchor off the cay, wade in, walk the whole thing. Take the photo.
Do nothing. Music on, drink in hand, feet in the water. Most of our guests would tell you this was the best part.
When to go
Time of day. Morning water is glassiest. Afternoons can pick up wind.
Day of the week. Weekends are busy with local boats anchoring off the lee side; weekdays are quiet.
Time of year. High season is December through April. Summer is hot and calm. Hurricane season runs June through November — trips run year-round, and the captain calls it on the morning based on real conditions. If the sea says no, we reschedule first and refund if no date works.
What to bring
Our trips include lunch, beer, soft drinks, snorkel gear and a Bluetooth speaker for your own playlist.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a towel, water shoes if you like them, a dry bag for your phone, and a motion-sickness tablet if you need one (an hour before, with food). Leave the glass at home.
Palomino or Icacos?
Palomino: calmer water, closer to shore, better for kids and nervous swimmers, resort beach you can't use.
Icacos: wilder, emptier, the famous sandbar, no shade, no facilities.
Most people do both on the same trip. If you have to pick one and you're traveling with small kids, pick Palomino. If you want the photo everyone posts, pick Icacos. Read the Icacos Island guide.
Trips to Palomino Island
We're finalizing our trip lineup with our partner captains. Message us with your date and group size and we'll tell you what fits.
Book on WhatsApp
Palomino Island FAQ
Can you visit Palomino Island if you're not staying at the resort?
Yes, by boat. The resort's beach club is for its guests, but the water around the island is open. Private charters anchor off the calm side for swimming and snorkeling.
Is Palomino Island good for kids?
Yes — it's the calmest of the Fajardo cays. Shallow, protected water and no surf. Kids' life jackets are on board.
What's the difference between Palomino and Palominito?
Palomino is the resort island. Palominito is the tiny public cay next to it — a strip of sand with a few palms you can walk around in minutes.
Is there shade on Palomino?
For boat visitors, your shade is the boat. The resort's facilities on the beach aren't available to non-guests.
Can you snorkel at Palomino?
Yes. Rock and reef along the island's edges, in calmer water than Icacos. A good first snorkel spot.
What if the weather is bad?
The captain decides the morning of the trip based on real sea conditions. If it's a no, we reschedule first and refund in full if no date works.
Ready for Palomino?
Send us your date and group size on WhatsApp. We'll match you with the right boat and tell you honestly whether Palomino, Icacos or both is the better plan for your day.
Book on WhatsApp