Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Keelmen Mural
Conspiracies and monsters abound at Denver Airport.
‘Notre Denver’
Alai Minar
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Puerto Rico Arecibo Playa La Poza del Obispo
AO Edited

Playa La Poza del Obispo

This beach pool offers a spectacle of crashing waves, blue hues, and a historical lighthouse.

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Added By
Vanessa Ramos
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Looking down the beach at the Arecibo Lighthouse   Getty Images / rschnaible
Playa La Poza del Obispo   Norma Arbelo Irizarry / CC BY-SA 3.0
Playa La Poza del Obispo   Kristine Pethick / Public Domain
The Arecibo Lighthouse   Darwininan / CC BY 3.0
Rocks near the lighthouse   Norma Arbelo Irizarr / CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Playa Poza Del Obispo is a natural pool located on the coast of Arecibo. Hidden behind Arecibo’s Lighthouse, La Poza del Obispo is a shallow beach pool, formed by a natural wall of rock formations through which the water reaches the coast. 

La Poza del Obispo means "the Bishop’s Pool," a name that was given in honor of the Puerto Rican Bishop, Juan Alejo de Arizmendi y de la Torre. It's said Arizmendi was returning from the Dominican Republic when his ship capsized close to Arecibo's coast. Luckily, he survived.

Part of the attraction of this beach is the spectacle made by the waves crashing against the rock formations. Every time a large wave hits the rocks, the water foams and a spray falls over the people inside La Poza del Obispo. When the sea is calm, the waters in La Poza del Obispo are much like a pool. Primed for snorkeling, colorful fish swim around the beach and hide underneath the rocks. The space for sunbathing is wide but there aren’t many shaded spots, so visitors should wear sunscreen. Occasionally, piragua sellers will visit the beach, so you can enjoy a traditional snack while sunbathing.

La Poza del Obispo is a nesting site, so it’s possible to find turtle nests during the nesting season. Los Amigos de la Poza is a group of volunteers that work along with the Department of Natural Resources of Puerto Rico to protect the site and keep the beach clean and free to the public.

When sitting in front of La Poza del Obispo, it’s possible to see part of the Lighthouse of Arecibo, also known as Los Morrillos Lighthouse (not to be confused with the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse). This was the last lighthouse built by the Spaniards on the island in 1898 before Puerto Rico became a non-incorporated territory of the United States. Los Morrillos Lighthouse is inside the Arecibo Lighthouse and Historical Park, which offers visitors an interactive tour through the history of Puerto Rico since the Pre-Columbian Era.

Related Tags

Animals Natural Wonders Lighthouses Turtles Beaches

Know Before You Go

Although it’s a shallow pool, La Poza del Obispo can be unsafe for swimming under hazardous weather conditions. Do not climb the rock formations around the pool. Many accidents happen because people get dragged by waves and drown. The beach doesn’t have any facilities or rentals, so visitors should bring everything necessary for a beach day. Outside La Poza del Obispo, along the beach, the strong current provides excellent waves for surfing and boogie boarding, but it's not for swimming.

Community Contributors

Added By

vanessawrites

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy, colleencourtney c93b920e

  • Michelle Cassidy
  • colleencourtney c93b920e

Published

April 25, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.arecibolighthouse.com
  • https://www.eleconomistaamerica.com/ciencia-eAm/noticias/6461707/02/15/Environmentalists-adopt-Puerto-Rican-beach-to-protect-it.html
Playa La Poza del Obispo
Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 00612
United States
18.48167, -66.697037

Nearby Places

La Estatua de Colón

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

miles away

Arecibo Observatory

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

miles away

Iglesia Cristiana Avivamiento La Piedra (The Stone Church)

Camuy, Puerto Rico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Arecibo

Arecibo

Puerto Rico

Places 4

Nearby Places

La Estatua de Colón

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

miles away

Arecibo Observatory

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

miles away

Iglesia Cristiana Avivamiento La Piedra (The Stone Church)

Camuy, Puerto Rico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Arecibo

Arecibo

Puerto Rico

Places 4

Related Places

  • The Pensacola Lighthouse on Naval Air Station Pensacola. “Pensacola Lighthouse”

    Pensacola, Florida

    Pensacola Lighthouse

    A striking lighthouse with views of the Gulf of Mexico and of a military air show.

  • Fish and reefs in La Parguera

    Lajas, Puerto Rico

    La Parguera

    This beachside town is home to a diverse nature reserve, multiple cays, and one of the three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico.

  • Rock formations of Hamelin Bay.

    Hamelin Bay, Australia

    Hamelin Bay Beach

    Incredible rock formations jut from the southern end of this spectacular stingray-viewing spot.

  • A hatchling on Shell Beach.

    Guyana

    Shell Beach

    A nesting ground for four of the world’s seven marine turtle species, most of which are endangered.

  • Newly-hatched baby Olive Ridley turtles make their way to the sea on a beach in eastern India’s Odisha state.

    RajendraNarayanpur, India

    Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary

    More than 2 million Olive Ridley sea turtles are hatched from this mass nesting ground every year.

  • One of the larger specimens.

    Singapore

    The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum

    Terrapins of all colors and shapes are quick to bring fascination (and possibly long life) at this museum.

  • Cape Kumukahi Lighthouse in 2010.

    Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaii

    Cape Kumukahi

    The easternmost point of Hawai'i plays a prominent role in local legends and is home to a lighthouse that survived a lava flow.

  • Šibenik, Croatia

    Fontana s Kornjačama (Fountain with Turtles)

    This fountain has a growing (animal) population, and might also be growing in size.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.