Aguadilla & Northwest · Isabela
Shacks
Also known as: Playa Shacks · Blue Hole · Blue Hole caves · Shacks Beach · Shacks Blue Hole · Bajuras · Blue Hole Beach · Kiquebrado Beach · La Cueva Submarina · Isabela Caves
Snorkel-friendly- Depth
- 5–30 ft (2–9 m)
- Access
- Shore dive
- Type
- Caves & swim-throughs
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Heads up: Current · Surge · shallow reef and sea urchins · Overhead environment · Navigation. See safety notes
Overview
Shacks in Isabela is a shore dive known for caves, tunnels and swim-throughs, also called Blue Hole. Enter at the sandy area left of the stairs; the rest of the shoreline is rock. Currents and surge are common, so avoid it when surf is large; watch for shallow reef and sea urchins, and treat the caves as overhead environments where disorientation is easy, never alone. Manatees and turtles are reported, and a 1998 guide gave depths of 5–30 ft.[1][2][3][4]
Site characteristics
Habitat & marine life
Marine life is what sources report having seen or commonly seeing — not a guarantee.
Access
Snorkeling
- DPR promotes the beach for diving and snorkeling marine life[5]
What sources say about snorkeling here. Conditions change — check the sea state before you go.
Safety considerations
- Current[1]
- Surge — avoid when surf is large[1]
- shallow reef and sea urchins[1]
- Overhead environment — caves/tunnels only for confident swimmers[1]
- Navigation — easy to get disoriented; do not dive alone[2]
- Overhead environment[2]
Ocean conditions change daily. Dive within your training, plan with current local information and consider a local professional guide. Full safety note.
Depth reports by source
| Reported | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 5–30 ft (2–9 m) | Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications[4] | Historical (1998) |
Historical record
What a historical source reported at the time. Not verified as current — access, moorings, reef condition and names may have changed.
Listed as “Isabela Caves” · 5–30 ft (2–9 m) · 1998[4]
- shore — beach dive
- cave
- long, challenging swim to cave entrance — fitness required
Match to this modern site is probable; see research notes.
Sources & verification
Last researched: 2026-10-04 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Moderate confidence
- 1.Shacks Beach | Isabela, Puerto Rico — West Indies Travel · Travel resource · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2.Isabela Beaches — PRDayTrips (puertoricodaytrips.com) (2026-08-16) · Travel resource · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
- 3.Las 15 mejores playas para hacer snorkeling en Puerto Rico — Primera Hora (2015-06-11) · Travel resource · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
- 4.The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean, Volume 3 (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands) — Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications (1998) · Historical guide · Tier 3: Corroborating · historical
- 5.Shacks beach | Discover Puerto Rico — Discover Puerto Rico · Travel resource · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-26
Facts are summarised in our own words from the sources above; we do not reproduce operators’ or publishers’ descriptions. How confidence is assigned.