Bio Bay Without Kayaking? Take the boat, or paddle in.

Three ways to see the glow in Puerto Rico

Our three bio bay tours each go out a different way. At La Parguera you ride a boat. At Laguna Grande in Fajardo you paddle a two-person kayak through a mangrove channel. On Vieques you paddle a two-person clear-bottom kayak on Mosquito Bay. Each format suits a different kind of traveler, and each one ends in the glowing water.

Prices are per person. For the whole cost of the night, see what a bio bay tour costs.

Can you see the bio bay by boat?

Yes. On our La Parguera sunset boat and bio bay tour, a 5-minute boat ride takes you to Caracoles island for sunset, with snacks and refreshments for kids and rum drinks and beer for adults. After that, an 8-minute ride brings you into the lagoon, where Pyrodinium bahamense, a microscopic plankton, lights up when the water moves.

There is no paddling at all: the La Parguera tour is a boat tour from start to finish, and at Caracoles you relax on the boat while the sun goes down. The boat suits travelers who would rather sit back, families with babies and toddlers, since there is no minimum age, and anyone who wants a sunset and the glow on the same evening.

There are two options: $169 goes straight to La Parguera, and $199 adds a lunch stop on the Ruta del Lechón, the Pig Route, where you choose and pay for your own meal, and a stop at Ponce's historic town square. Both come with courtesy transportation from San Juan, and we confirm your pickup details when you book. The tour runs on select nights each month, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour, the same policy as our kayak tours.

What is the two-person kayak tour at Laguna Grande like?

The Fajardo bio bay tour is a guided night paddle of about 2 hours in two-person kayaks, so you and a partner share the work. It starts with a Kayak 101 lesson on shore, follows a mangrove channel into Laguna Grande, and every paddle stroke lights up the water. No kayaking experience is needed.

Your guide is on the water with you the whole time and explains why the lagoon glows. There is time to pause and drift, and you can trail a hand through the water from your kayak. On brighter nights, guides use a large tarp to block the light so the group still sees the glow.

The tour runs every night, all year, with an early and a late departure. We recommend the early one, when you paddle the mangrove channel with some natural light left. It is $85 per person, or $145 with round-trip hotel pickup from San Juan, Rio Grande, Luquillo and Fajardo.

What is a clear kayak bio bay tour?

A clear kayak is built with a transparent bottom, so the light shows up under your seat, not only where the paddle dips. Our Vieques tour on Mosquito Bay uses two-person clear-bottom kayaks, with 45 minutes to an hour on the water. Our Fajardo tour uses classic two-person kayaks, where the glow lights up around every paddle stroke.

Mosquito Bay is on the island of Vieques, not the main island. There is no same-day ferry back after the tour, so the clear-kayak night suits travelers spending at least one night on Vieques. The tour meets in Esperanza, with a van to the bay and back, and takes ages 3 and up. Guinness World Records has named Mosquito Bay the brightest bioluminescent bay. Our guide on how to get to the Vieques bio bay covers the ferry and flights.

Kayak or boat: which bio bay tour suits you?

Choose the boat if you would rather sit back, are traveling with babies or toddlers, or want a sunset stop before the glow. Choose a two-person kayak if you would like to paddle into the lagoon yourself, with kids 6 and up in Fajardo or 3 and up on Vieques. Every format ends in the same blue-green light.

• Families with little ones: the La Parguera boat, with no minimum age. Our guide to the bio bay with kids has the age at each bay.
• First-time paddlers: the Fajardo kayak tour starts with a Kayak 101 lesson, and the kayaks seat two.
• Back, heart or pregnancy concerns: the Fajardo kayak tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers or for guests with back problems, heart conditions or other serious medical conditions. Message us and we will help you choose the right tour.
• Couples: a two-person kayak in Fajardo or on Vieques, or a sunset and a rum drink on the La Parguera boat.
• Staying in San Juan without a car: the Fajardo tour with round-trip hotel pickup, $145 per person.
• Staying on Vieques: the clear kayak on Mosquito Bay, minutes from Esperanza.

Still choosing a bay? Our guide to the best bio bay in Puerto Rico starts with where you are staying, and the bio bay map guide shows where each one sits.

When do the boat and kayak tours run?

The Fajardo kayak tour runs every night of the year, with two evening departures timed to sunset. The La Parguera boat tour runs on select nights each month, in the stretch after the full moon. On Vieques, you pick your time after dark when you book. Darker nights show the glow best, and the moon calendar rates each one.

Open the bio bay moon calendar, enter your travel dates, and it shows the darkest nights of your trip and the nights the La Parguera boat goes out.