It's no secret that rip-roaring surf is Rincon's trump card. Beaches where the rollers are the prime attraction are everywhere. You could start by standing on the whitewash of Domes Beach, or crank up the challenge factor with a trip to the spraying barrels of Dogman's. There's another medley of easy and hard reef sections to ride at Playa Tres Palmas, which spills into the gorgeous Tres Palmas Marine Reserve and its underwater coral reefs and turtle-spotted shell gardens _ it's also a scuba mecca. You might just need a Rincon vacation rental with room to stash the surfboard, you know.
January to March sees surfing comps and wave riding tournaments erupt between the shacks of Rincon. Some of the world's best pros come to conquer the swells that roll in off the sea. You can grab your tickets, crack a beer and just watch the masters at work. Fancy a go? Wax at the ready and surf instructor hired, be sure to hit the wealth of spots where beginners can find their water feet. They say the frothy beers in the local microbreweries or beach shacks taste far better after you've caught that first wave.
With such world-famous waves on the doorstep of those Rincon vacation rentals, you're never going to find this salt-washed corner of Puerto Rico totally empty. You can reduce the number of people in the line-up by hitting the swells in the months of November and April, which sit between the proper peak times. The best weather for splashing in the sea and sunbathing comes with the winter, from December to March. That's when snowbirds flock down to ride the water without a wetsuit in sight.
Rincon commands such a revered place in the minds of surfers and beach lovers because of its location on the western end of Puerto Rico. It's a unique spot, where the power of the Atlantic Ocean mixes with the warm currents of the Caribbean Sea, churning up the water to create those legendary swells for riding. The beaches have a rugged edge to them, spotted with boulders, ringed by reefs, inhabited by sea turtles and flaunting some of the most photogenic sunsets this side of California.
Fly into Mayaguez (MAZ-Eugenio Maria de Hostos), the closest airport, located 8.9 mi (14.4 km) from the city center. If you can't find a flight that's convenient for your trip, you could also fly into Aguadilla (BQN-Rafael Hernandez), which is 13.2 mi (21.2 km) away.