Playa María

Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

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Playa María, also called Maria’s Beach, is a world-famous surfing beach located in Rincón on Puerto Rico’s western coast, widely considered the center of surfing activity in Puerto Rico and hosting several pro-circuit surfing events during the winter.

The beach got its name from a woman named Maria and her son Ramon who lived there for over 50 years and became beloved residents of Rincón; Maria was actually a surrogate host of the 1968 World Surfing Championships held at this beach, which is how it earned its current name. During winter, the waves kick up to provide some of the most exciting rides on the island, making it ideal for experienced surfers, while summer transforms the beach into a more relaxed spot for enjoying sand and sun.

The wave features a beautiful offshore reef with numerous takeoff zones spread over a fairly flat reef, nestled under lush green hills with trade winds, and works for all ability levels depending on swell size. The beach is known for having large coral outcrops in the water to the right and epic sunset views, and it sits just south of the El Faro lighthouse and park on the road leading to the lighthouse.

However, it can be extremely crowded during surf season with bodyboarders, longboarders, local surfers, visiting surfers, and tourists all competing for waves, making it one of the most crowded waves in Rincón.