What to Wear to the Bio Bay: a packing list for each tour.
What to wear to the bio bay depends on your tour. For our Fajardo kayak tour, wear clothes you don't mind getting wet and water shoes or sandals with straps, and bring a dry change of clothes, bug spray, a water bottle and a small dry bag. On Vieques, light clothes and sandals that slip off easily work best. For La Parguera, ask us when you book.
What to wear to the Fajardo bio bay kayak tour
Dress for a little splash. For the Laguna Grande kayak tour in Fajardo, wear clothes you don't mind getting wet and water shoes or sandals with straps, not flip-flops. Bring a dry change of clothes for the ride home, bug spray for the mangroves at night, a water bottle and a small dry bag for your phone.
Wear
- Clothes you don't mind getting wet
- Water shoes or strapped sandals, no flip-flops
Bring
- A change of dry clothes
- Bug spray for the mangroves at night
- A water bottle
- A small dry bag for your phone or valuables
Leave at the hotel
- Valuables or jewelry you can't afford to lose
- Open-toed shoes with no straps
- Underwater cameras without a dry case
Provided for you
- Two-person kayak, paddle and life jacket
- Kayak 101 lesson and a guide on the water
- Snacks and refreshments on shore after the paddle
Skip alcohol before and during the tour, and you are set. Coming from San Juan without a car? Our guide to the bio bay from San Juan covers the $145 hotel pickup.
What to wear to the Vieques bio bay
For the Mosquito Bay clear-kayak tour on Vieques, wear light clothes that can get wet and sandals or flip-flops that slip off easily, since the launch has a few steps through soft mud. If you use repellent, the Vieques tour list asks for a DEET-free one. Book your ferry or flight and your night on the island before the tour.
- Light clothes that can get wet
- Sandals or flip-flops that slip off easily
- DEET-free repellent, if you use any
- Your ferry or flight, booked
- Your night on Vieques, booked
The Vieques clear-kayak tour is alcohol and smoke free, and food and drinks are not included. There is no same-day ferry back after the tour, so plan at least one night on Vieques. Our guide on how to get to the Vieques bio bay covers the trip over.
What to bring on the La Parguera sunset boat tour
For the La Parguera sunset boat and bio bay tour, send us a WhatsApp message when you book and we will tell you what to bring for your date. The tour comes with courtesy transportation from San Juan, and on the boat there are snacks and refreshments for kids, with rum drinks and beer for adults.
The $169 option picks up in San Juan at 2:30 PM and goes straight to La Parguera. The $199 option makes a full day of it, about 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM, with a lunch stop on the Ruta del Lechón, where lunch is not included and you choose and pay for your own meal, and a stop at Ponce's historic town square. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour applies here too, as on all our tours. See the La Parguera sunset boat and bio bay tour for both options, and our guide to seeing the bio bay without kayaking if you are choosing between a boat and a kayak.
Do you need bug spray at the bio bay?
Bring repellent for a kayak night, and follow your tour's own list. Our Fajardo tour suggests bug spray, because the kayak route runs through mangroves at night. The Vieques tour list says DEET-free repellent, if you use any. For the La Parguera boat tour, ask us when you book and we will tell you what to pack.
Booking more than one tour on your trip? A DEET-free repellent fits both kayak lists. Questions about the weather on your night are answered in our guide to bio bay rain and weather.
Can you take pictures of the bio bay glow?
Yes, you can bring a phone, and a few habits help. Keep it in a small dry bag between shots, as the Fajardo list suggests, and turn the flash off so it does not light up the water. Each flash of glow lasts about a tenth of a second, so it is easier to enjoy with your eyes than to catch on camera.
- Use night mode and brace the phone against something solid.
- Try a short video of a paddle stroke or a hand trailing through the water.
- On the Fajardo tour, bring underwater cameras only with a dry case.
- Put the phone away for a while and just watch the water light up.
For an honest picture of what you see on the night, read is the bio bay worth it.
What to wear and bring: bio bay questions
What should I wear to the bioluminescent bay?
Wear clothes you don't mind getting wet and shoes that suit your tour. For the Fajardo kayak tour that means water shoes or strapped sandals. For the Vieques clear-kayak tour, sandals or flip-flops that slip off easily suit the muddy launch. For the La Parguera boat tour, ask us when you book.
Will I get wet on the bio bay kayak tour?
Yes, plan to get a little wet on the Fajardo bio bay kayak tour. The tour list asks you to wear clothes you don't mind getting wet and to bring a dry change of clothes for the ride home. A few splashes come with watching every paddle stroke light up.
Can I wear flip-flops to the bio bay?
It depends on the tour. On the Fajardo kayak tour, wear water shoes or sandals with straps, not flip-flops. On the Vieques clear-kayak tour, the list suggests sandals or flip-flops that slip off easily, since the launch at Mosquito Bay has a few steps through soft mud.
Do I need bug spray for the bio bay?
Bring it for the Fajardo kayak tour: our list suggests bug spray, because the route runs through mangroves at night. The Vieques clear-kayak tour list asks for DEET-free repellent, if you use any. For the La Parguera boat tour, send us a message when you book and we will tell you what to pack.
Can I use DEET at the bio bay?
Our Fajardo tour list suggests bug spray without naming a type. The Vieques clear-kayak tour list asks for DEET-free repellent, if you use any, so choose a DEET-free one for Mosquito Bay. If you are booking both kayak tours on one trip, a DEET-free repellent fits both lists.
Can I bring my phone on the kayak?
Yes, bring your phone in a small dry bag, which is on our Fajardo packing list. Take it out for a few photos in the lagoon and put it back between shots. Leave other valuables and jewelry at your hotel, and bring underwater cameras only with a dry case.
Can you take pictures of bioluminescence with an iPhone?
You can try, and a few habits help. Turn the flash off, use night mode, and brace the iPhone against something solid so it stays steady. Each flash of the glow lasts about a tenth of a second, so a short video of a paddle stroke is another way to keep the moment.
Should I bring a change of clothes to the bio bay?
Yes, for the Fajardo kayak tour. Our list includes a change of dry clothes for the ride home after the paddle, along with a small dry bag for your phone. On the Vieques clear-kayak tour, light clothes that can get wet keep the night simple.
Can I wear jewelry on the bio bay tour?
Leave jewelry you can't afford to lose at your hotel. The Fajardo kayak tour list asks guests not to bring valuables or jewelry they would miss, since hands and paddles go in and out of the water all evening. A small dry bag holds your phone and keys.
What should kids wear to the bio bay?
Kids wear what adults wear on their tour. For the Fajardo kayak tour, ages 6 and up, that means clothes that can get wet, water shoes or strapped sandals and a dry change of clothes. On Vieques, ages 3 and up, light clothes and slip-off sandals. Our bio bay with kids guide has the age at each bay.
Is alcohol allowed on the bio bay tour?
It depends on the tour. The Fajardo kayak tour asks guests to skip alcohol before and during the paddle, and the Vieques tour is alcohol and smoke free. The La Parguera sunset boat tour serves rum drinks and beer for adults at Caracoles island, with snacks and refreshments for kids.
Do I need to bring a life jacket to the bio bay?
No. On the Fajardo kayak tour, life jackets and safety gear are provided for every guest, along with the two-person kayak and paddle. You only bring your clothes, shoes, a dry change of clothes, bug spray, a water bottle and a small dry bag for your phone.
Packed for Laguna Grande?
The Fajardo kayak tour runs every night, all year. Send us your date on WhatsApp and we will take it from there, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour.