Forget Hawaii, Visit Puerto Rico's Lesser-Known Island With Crystalline Caribbean Waters

For many Americans, Hawaii represents the absolute epitome of a tropical paradise vacation destination. Whether it's glorious golden beaches and perfect surf conditions or stunning waterfalls and majestic jungle trails, there's loads to love about the Hawaiian islands. Around 10 million people visit Hawaii every year, with nearly 7 million of those visitors coming from the mainland U.S., making it one of the most popular places to visit for American citizens.

But this popularity comes at a cost, and Hawaii's beautiful beaches and stunning tourist attractions can be immensely crowded. Luckily for Americans who want a tropical island vacation where they don't need their passport, there are plenty of alternatives available. One of the most intriguing and relatively undiscovered is the Isla Caja de Muertos, just off the coast of Puerto Rico. This tiny island paradise boasts crystal-clear waters, white-sand beaches, and an atmosphere of total peace and tranquility, and is the perfect alternative to more famous spots like Maui, Oahu, or Kauai.

Isla Caja de Muertos, which translates roughly as "Coffin Island," sits just off the coast of Ponce on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. It is uninhabited and a protected nature reserve, which means the beaches remain pristine and free of crowds, and there are no resorts or hotels on the island. Isla Caja de Muertos is accessible only by boat, with a ferry service and local tour operators or private charters offering day trips. The nearest airport is Mercedita International Airport (PSE) in Ponce, which serves a number of domestic routes, including New York and Orlando. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan is an hour and a half away by car and serves destinations across the U.S. and around the world.

The best thing about Isla Caja de Muertos is the sense of remote seclusion it offers. With no inhabitants and no hotels, restaurants, or cafes, it has the feeling of an authentic desert island or a secret tropical escape and lets you live out your castaway fantasies to the soundtrack of nothing more than the waves breaking on the beach and the wind in the palm trees.

What Isla Caja de Muertos does offer in spades is fantastic snorkeling, and anyone with an interest in the fascinating world under the waves will be delighted with the opportunities here. The water is calm and exceptionally clear, with visibility of up to 50 feet on a good day, which means that even the least experienced snorkelers will get a chance to see exciting marine life. The coral reefs that surround the island are beautiful in their own right and are brimming with sea creatures, including parrotfish, angelfish, sea turtles, nurse sharks, starfish, and a variety of crabs.

Beyond the beach, the protected reserve offers excellent opportunities for hiking and birdwatching. The best trail takes you up to the highest point of the island to the ruins of an old lighthouse and takes around half an hour each way. Other interesting sites that can be found while walking this small island are a Madonna shrine and a hidden pirates' cave. Wildlife lovers will love the chance to discover the wonderful variety of bird species on the island, including pelicans, frigate birds, kestrels, and ospreys.

The most important thing to remember about a visit to Isla Caja de Muertos is that it truly is a deserted tropical island. There's a small pier where the boats dock, a few palapas to offer shade, and a building with restrooms and trash cans, but beyond that, you won't find much of anything at all. So bringing everything you need for your day out is a must. Food supplies and plenty of water are obviously the most important, but sunscreen, a hat, towels, and any beach equipment you want will also make the day much more enjoyable. It is also worth bringing comfortable shoes so you can explore beyond the beach.

If you are taking the ferry from Ponce, make sure to arrive with plenty of time, as it leaves on schedule and will not wait for stragglers. If you are visiting on a local tour boat or a private charter, be sure to discuss with the captain and crew what you want to do beforehand so you can maximize your time at this beautiful spot. For some, a day lounging on an empty beach is the most attractive proposition imaginable, but others might want to explore the deserted forest trails in depth or spend more time snorkeling over colourful corals. So agreeing on the structure of your day in advance is recommended.