Beach in Puerto Nuevo, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

Mar Bella Beach (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Playa Mar Bella''), colloquially known as Puerto Nuevo Beach (Spanish: ''Playa de Puerto Nuevo''), is a beach in the municipality of

Vega Baja Vega Baja (, ) is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 barrios. The population of the municipality was 54,414 at t ...

in the north coast of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. The beach is often referred to as Puerto Nuevo Beach because it is located in the Puerto Nuevo barrio of Vega Baja; it is also referred to as the ''Balneario de Vega Baja'' or ''Balneario de Puerto Nuevo''. The beach is located approximately 45 minutes west of

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, making it popular with both locals and visitors. The beach is surrounded by natural

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

seawalls that protect it from the often violent swells of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. These rocks form a natural shallow pool with calm waters that is perfect for families and children. Larger waves do occasionally reach this shallow pool during stormy weather leaving

tide pools A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

behind. The western side of the beach is located away from the limestone rocks and while considered more dangerous it can be ideal for

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

. The beach has recreational facilities such as picnic tables, bathrooms, showers, playgrounds and food kiosks. There are active guards on duty during daylight hours. The ''balneario'' and the water quality on the beach are also monitored by the Board of Environmental Quality (Spanish: ''Junta de Calidad Ambiental'') and since 2018 it has been designated as a

Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-gov ...

Beach at Puerto Nuevo, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

Gallery

File:Puerto Nuevo, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.jpg, Scene at the eastern end of the beach. File:Playa Mar Bella, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.jpg, View of the Atlantic coast from Mar Bella Beach. File:Vega Baja tidepools (6272356283).jpg,

Tide pools A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

located along the limestone rock formations. File:PR-692, Vega Baja, 00693, Puerto Rico - panoramio.jpg, Aerial view of the beach and the natural limestone wavebreaks. File:Puerto Nuevo, Vega Baja 00693, Puerto Rico - panoramio (7).jpg, Waves crashing through the limestone rocks during stormy weather.

References

{{Coord, 18, 29, 33, N, 66, 23, 50, W, display=title Beaches of Puerto Rico Surfing locations in Puerto Rico Vega Baja, Puerto Rico