Puerto Rico Beach

The cove is closed off from the Atlantic, so the water lies calm with no big waves, and the fine sand runs smoothly into it. That is why families with small children settle here: no surf to watch, and restaurants, takeaway counters, shops and public toilets all sit right behind the beach, with the marina next door.

The best thing to do once you have had your swim is walk out of it. A footpath follows the coast to Amadores Beach (Playa de Amadores), about 25 minutes on foot, with the ocean on one side and a cliff on the other, cactus on the rocks and lizards crossing the path.

• Expect a crowd: hotels surround the bay, and rows of sunbeds and umbrellas cover much of the sand.
• Sunbeds and umbrellas are hired per item for the whole day. Bring a towel if you would rather not pay.
• There is no natural shade on the sand; a hired umbrella or the cafés behind the beach are the only cover at midday.
• No public drinking fountain nearby. Buy water at the cafés and kiosks around the beach.
• Public toilets stand close to the beach; a tourist information office is about 450 m away.

Puerto Rico Beach sits at the foot of the resort, right beside the marina, so the approach is a walk through town to the sand. Two car parks lie within about 230 m of the beach, one of them paid, and the Escuela de Vela bus stop is about 260 m away.

If you are staying along the coast at Amadores, the footpath between the two beaches brings you in on foot in about 25 minutes, with the sea alongside the whole way.

Best: early morning, before the sunbed rows fill.

Avoid: the middle of the day, when the beach is at its most crowded and the sun beats down on sand with no natural shade.

A hotel beach fills from mid-morning as the resort heads down to the water, while the sheltered cove stays calm at any hour, so timing changes only how much room you get.