Survival Beach Trail
On April 11th, 2021, Skip, Ezra, and I made our way to Skip's old hangout spot from when he lived in Aguadilla a few years ago. You don't have to hike from Surfer's beach to get to Survival Beach, but I am always up for a good hike.
This 2.2-mile round trip that gains 291 feet in elevation is not just a hike but an exploration for the adventurous. Alltrails rate this hike as a moderate hike, and we would rate this on the more difficult side of moderate. The distance and elevation gain are not tricky. But the trail is not a trail of itself but a beaten path of people walking in the same direction.
To reach the trailhead at Surfers beach that is located north of the old Ramsey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, Rafael Herandez Airport.
Directions to trailhead:
You take Route two in Aguadilla and take either Road 107 to Road 110 to Cliff Road or Road 110 to Cliff Road, North of the Airport.
Make sure to follow the signs that direct you to Surfers Beach; the GPS takes you to a gate that does not have public access. The road off to Surfers Beach is close to a Surf Shop "Surf Zone" seeing the shop indicates you are in the right area.
Once you get down the windy road to the beach, you will come to a very bumpy and dusty parking lot
Park at the far Eastern end of Surfers Beach.
Once parked, you can head through the woods to the east, crossing a wooden bridge. Ensure you have closed-toed shoes or sandals and are an experienced hiker or with someone who is. This trail is not easy and can quickly become dangerous.
The course is not well marked nor maintained. You will be climbing through the overgrowth, over large trees, under trees, over large sharp boulders, coming to steep inclines and declines, and most of the path is nonexistent. You must identify a safe route around and through the woods and over the sharp rocks.
The first viewing is Table Top Beach. Make sure to stop and explore the area. It should only take 10 to 15 minutes to reach this destination, and this is where most people stop and turn around due to the trail disappearing completely. The rocks in this area are unique. If there isn't a high tide, you can walk onto the tabletop looking rocks out in the ocean. This was a beautiful area to watch the waves hit the rocks and rollover smoothly onto the beach. I felt like I could explore the area all day taking photos.
Once you have spent some time exploring the rocks and admiring the area, continue east. Depending on the tide, you can hike down through the rocks and continue to the beach. The tide was high, and the current was strong, so we did not attempt this.
This is the part of the trail you need to be extremely careful and be alert, aware of your footing and surroundings and look ahead for the path because it is practically nonexistent.
Once you get to the top of the hill, you will see the turquoise ocean that turns dark blue to the distance and the clean beach that is vacant and goes as far as the eye can see. The hike down is on a steep slope with loose rocks and sharp boulders. Once you get to the sand, you can explore the rocks and caves at the bottom of the tide isn't too high, which was the entire time we were there.
The beach was immaculate, and the ocean was some of the most transparent water we have seen on the island. The beach was coded with tiny seashells that reflected off the sea, making the beach incredibly bright. Ezra and Skip, most of the time finding the perfect shells to take home.
Remember ALWAYS to pack out what you pack in, leave the beach cleaner than when you arrived.
We were the only ones on the beach until around noon. At this point, we decided to head back, and multiple groups were heading towards the coast. Skip said this beach used to be empty all the time, but Puerto Rico has become more popular, and the internet shows everyone the secret spots. Areas are becoming more crowded and ruined.
