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PUERTO RICO PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

Puerto Rico has some of the best photography locations around. We loved the Cabo Rojo lighthouse and Crash Boat the best, but look at all our spots. If you travel to the island, you can come home with award-winning photography. There are some dynamic places for photography. The island’s terrain changes as you go, and so many different atmospheres and geographics exist.

We made a 5-day trip but only covered about half of the island. We photographed several places and put together our favorite locations to photograph in Puerto Rico. 

HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

Cordillera Central Puerto Rico overlooks mountains with beautiful. Skies in the sunset.

CORDILLERA CENTRAL

cabo rojo lighthouse Puerto Rico.

CABO ROJO

wall in crash boat

CRASH BOAT

El Yuque National Park

EL YUNQUE NATIONAL FOREST

Photograph I took out the window cave.

WINDOW CAVE CUEVA VENTANA

CABO ROJO LIGHTHOUSE – OUR FAVORITE

ABOUT CABO ROJO LIGHTHOUSE

The Cabo Rojo Lighthouse is in the southwestern town of Cabo Rojo, right next to two beaches – Playa Sucia and Playuela Beach. One can soak up the sun and soak one’s feet in the sand at either beach, then stroll around the lighthouse surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery. The area when the sun sets is perfect for taking beautiful photographs or simply immersing in nature’s wonders.

HOW TO GET TO CABO ROJO LIGHTHOUSE

Heading to the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse from San Juan will take approximately three hours, depending on traffic. To begin the journey, start by exiting San Juan and getting onto the PR-52 highway. Keep driving until you reach PR-22 and turn when signs point towards it. On Road 301, you can see the lighthouse, so follow the signs! It is always a good idea to have a mobile map handy in case roads look confusing – this will help ensure that you make it to your destination without any fuss.

PHOTOGRAPHING CABO ROJO LIGHTHOUSE

Lens: There are no specific lens recommendations for this location. Take both your wide-angle and telephoto lenses because you will need the wide angle to capture the full breadth of the falls, but it can be an effective night photography spot at the right time of year, so pack your zoom lens, too. Remember, this can be a great night photography location at the right time of year, so bring your neutral density filters, too!

Gear List at a Glance: Circular polarizing filter, neutral density filters, tripod, shutter release, wide-angle and zoom lens. CPL filters will help you to create dynamic images. We recommend never shooting outdoors without one. They will make your white puffy clouds whiter, take the silver glare off of water and replace it with a beautiful reflection. You have moving waters at the location, so you will want to have your neutral density filters with you to get the long exposure and milky water effect. We used our ten-stop ND filter to create the long-exposure ghost effect of the rare picture of Pamela Goodyer. 

When to Go: Any time of year. It is a tourist location, so midweek is the best offseason. Summer can be sweltering, of course.

MORE PLACES TO PHOTOGRAPH IN PUERTO RICO

Exploring the vibrant island of Puerto Rico with a camera in hand is a delightfully pleasurable experience. The variety of stunning locations to capture is like a dream for any photographer. The verdant rainforests, the charmingly old-time streets, vibrant beaches and towering historical fortresses; every corner of this island paradise is a feast for the eyes.

EL YUNQUE NATIONAL FOREST

As seen in our article, the El Yunque National Forest, a prominent location in any serious photographer’s itinerary, is a world. Lying at the heart of El Yunque National Forest, this waterfall is one of the island’s most enchanting sights. The cascading water plunges into a fantastic, emerald pool, inviting you to swim – or, at the very least, dip your toes in.

FLAMENCO BEACH IN CULEBRA

A stop on our photographic journey would undoubtedly be Flamenco Beach in Culebra. Its pristine turquoise waters contrast sharply against the soft white sands, like stepping into a postcard. The occasional palm tree leans lazily towards the sea, a perfect location to capture the quintessential Caribbean vibe. An early morning or late afternoon visit allows for capturing the dramatic play of light and shadows on the undulating waves, providing a mesmerizing backdrop for your photos.

SAN JUAN

Venturing further, we reach the old town of San Juan, a treasure trove of centuries-old photographic opportunities. The charming cobblestone streets lined with pastel-hued houses and iron balconies overflowing with vibrant flowers offer a stunning contrast to the formidable forts of El Morro and La Fortaleza. Each corner reveals a new facet of Puerto Rico’s rich history, from the colonial era to the present. The play of light against the colorful buildings at sunrise or sunset offers stunning scenes. Try a street-level shot for an impactful image capturing not only the beauty of the place but also its vibrant, pulsating life.

RIO CANUY CAVE PARK

You can’t afford to miss the Rio Camuy Cave Park, one of the world’s largest cave networks. Step into an underworld of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, where the only light penetrating the darkness is the fleeting beam of your flashlight. Beneath your feet, the mighty Camuy River runs its course unseen. The striking rock formations’ intricate patterns are a testament to nature’s craftsmanship, offering an overwhelming sense of awe and majesty. The echoes of dripping water and the whispering wind filtering through the caverns create a hauntingly beautiful soundscape unique to this place. This is a venue where the challenge for a photographer lies in capturing the elusive luminosity in the darkness using long exposures and creative angles.

BIOLUMINESCENT MOSQUITO BAY

Fanning out from the mainland, we find ourselves at the edge of the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay in Vieques. It’s a place where each nightfall transforms into a magical spectacle of glowing water. Disturbances send ripples of light radiating outwards – every swirl, every splash ignites an otherworldly glow, producing an enchanting display that photographers yearn to capture. Expeditions led under the cover of moonless nights allow for the most authentic experiences, with the pitch-black sky amplifying the radiating glow beneath.

PUERTO RICO HISTORY, USA

Puerto Rico, briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea.

It is an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and several smaller ones, such as Mona, Culebra, and Vieques. The capital and most populous city is San Juan. Its official languages are Spanish and English, though Spanish predominates. The island’s population is approximately 3.4 million. Puerto Rico’s rich history, tropical climate, diverse natural scenery, renowned traditional cuisine, and attractive tax incentives make it a popular destination for travelers from around the world.

THE TIANO PEOPLE

Originally populated by the Indigeno, it was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for the Crown of Castile, and it later endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government have transformed the island’s ethnic, cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African captives and Canarian and Andalusian settlers. In the Spanish imperial imagination, Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategic role compared to wealthier colonies like Perú and Mexico. Such a distant administrative control continued right up until the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Natives, Africans, and Iberian people. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States appropriated Puerto Rico with most former Spanish colonies under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.

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