A Great Hidden Gem, Playa Old W is a Great Private Beach

This beach is really a pair of two half moon beaches. They rest in front of the W resort, or what remains of it… damaged beyond repair by hurricane Maria the once beautiful resort now quietly decays more and more each year. It very unlikely you will see anyone else on these two beaches. They are not easily accessible. The best way I have found is to start at El Gallito beach and walk east over the rocks. Once on the other side you’ll see the first of the two half moons. They are a great place to find perfect shells because no one ever combs these beaches anymore. The rocks are very sharp so you will need to wear very good shoes and take your time. They are beautiful, clean beaches, strong waves and little shade is available. You can get a great view of the decaying W at the top of one of the rock beds, but stay out as it is still private property. Like all beaches in Puerto Rico however the beach is public! There is a small spitting cave towards the far right and a few other water/rock features that you can spend some time admiring.There is also a small but solid deposit of black sand on the far right side of this beach. So if you only have one day this might be a good beach to visit. You’ll be all alone, can beach comb and play in the black sand on your own “private beach”

Things to do at this beach

Another fun note if you return via Gallito Beach. Across the street you’ll see a local farmer with several livestock. He has geese, chickens, goats, sheep and my new favorite – the Geep, a goat sheep hybrid known locally as Carneiro is great tasting cooked with red wine and served with some form of plantains. My favorite of course is Amarillios!

Outside of the W on the large cement fence there is often graffiti or local art. You can see this along the road or park and take a quick hike to check it out.

During the right time of year sunsets here can be amazing. However because this beach is a little harder to reach be sure you have time to make it back over the rocks before it gets to dark. Because of this if you are looking for a sunset beach I suggest taking a look at our sunset post to find one that’s easier to access.

You’ll also be able to do some plane spotting from this beach as it sits not to far from the airport  . You can use FlightAware to track which planes are overhead and where they are going or coming from. Most of the planes are from VAL or Cape Air .