What Is Cayo Icacos (and How Do You Get to the Island)?

Cayo Icacos is an island located to the east of Puerto Rico. Though uninhabited, it is well known for its safe swimming and snorkeling spots. Cayo Icacos is part of the La Cordillera Nature Reserve. The island's natural beauty makes Cayo Icacos the ideal destination for nature lovers.
What Is Cayo Icacos
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To get to the island, you must ride the water taxis in Las Croabas. However, some sources online contain outdated information about the ferries in the Fajardo port. According to these websites, ferries take passengers to Cayo Icacos. But keep in mind the chance that the water taxis in Las Croabas are the only means for you to get to Cayo Icacos.

Where Is Cayo Icacos Island Located in Puerto Rico?

In the eastern part of Puerto Rico, there is the lonely yet picturesque island of Cayo Icacos.  Cayo Icacos is a small island off the coast of Fajardo. From Fajardo, you can get to Cayo Icacos by water taxi, and it is just 15 minutes distant from the island.

How Big Is Icacos?

The small island off the coast of Puerto Rico, known as Cayo Icacos, is approximately 1.61 km (1 mile) wide and over 1.61km (1 mile) long. The little island of Cayo Icacos has a land area of roughly 0.66 sq. km (0.25 sq. miles).

How to Say Icacos

To read and say the word “Icacos” is plain and simple. The Spaniards who discovered the islands of the Caribbean are the ones who gave its name. And that is why, to say the words correctly, the pronunciation of its name must be of a Spanish accent.

To say “Icacos” in a Spanish accent, you should try pronouncing it like “eē-ka-kos” and not like “ay-ka-kos.”

How Do I Get to Cayo Icacos Island?

There is essentially just one way to get to Icacos Island. And unless you are willing to pay loads and loads of money, the only way to get to Icacos is by boat. Some other ways to get to the islands are to take a boat or kayak to go to Icacos Island, but those are the best options.

How Do You Get to Icacos Island From Puerto Rico?

When traveling from Puerto Rico’s main island, there are several options for getting to Icacos Island. But first, you must not go to the port of Fajardo. Thus, it would help if you went to Las Croabas instead. And from there, you can take water taxis to the island of Icacos.

Are There Ferries to Icacos?

There are no ferries that sail between Icacos and the main island of Puerto Rico, even though Fajardo is one of the ports where ferries arrive and depart from various Caribbean islands. There are no ferries that run between Puerto Rico and Icacos here. In addition, the Fajardo Port exclusively accepts commercial charters.

Taking a water taxi to the island of Cayo Icacos is the only method to get there. You can get a ride in these water taxis in the port of Las Croabas. When compared to ferries, water taxis transport far fewer passengers.

Ferries are not required because Cayo Icacos is an uninhabited island. There are no residents on the island, and the people who go here are mainly small groups of tourists. Water taxis are more than enough to transport up to 6 people.

Can You Drive to Cayo Icacos?

You can not drive on the island of Cayo Icaco. Since the island is not inhabited, there are no residents on the island of Cayo Icacos. And because of that, there are neither roads nor facilities on the island. And as a result, you can only travel on foot after arriving on the island.

Worry not, though, since almost everyone who comes to the island only chooses to stay near the main beach. Furthermore, because some areas of the island are still undeveloped, there is no need to drive around the island. You will also save time by not traveling because the boat will drop you off just meters from the most beautiful waters!

Can You Kayak to Cayo Icacos Island?

Aside from taking the water taxi, you can also kayak to Cayo Icacos Island. Even though you can see the island from the shores of Puerto Rico, the distance to cover is not trivial.

A water taxi must travel 15 minutes to get to the island of Icacos. Now, consider how much time and energy it would cost to kayak through the waters on your path to Cayo Icacos.

As a result, the best way to get to Cayo Icacos is by water taxi. Because if you take a kayak, you might not make it.

How Much Is a Water Taxi to Cayo Icacos?

For a round trip to Cayo Icacos plus some nearby islands, the water taxis cost between $50 and $60 per person. Some other water taxis cost $85 and are only available in cash.

The water taxis’ scheduled trips start at around 11 AM and return by either 3 PM or 4 PM. These boats depart every 30 to 60 minutes or as needed, and the journey takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

How to Get to Cayo Icacos From Fajardo

Despite being the nearest port to Cayo Icacos, there is no means of travel from Fajardo to Cayo Icacos. And even though some sources online say that you can sail from Fajardo to Cayo Icacos by ferry, this is not the case. There are no passenger ferries that travel from Fajardo to Cayo Icacos.

How Far Is Icacos From San Juan?

Cayo Icacos is 55 km (34.2 miles) away from San Juan. If you look at the map, that 55 km distance is from San Juan to Fajardo Port and then to Cayo Icacos. Suppose the travel to Cayo Icacos by ferry exists at the port of Fajardo. Then you will only need to travel 55 km within 1 hour and 30 minutes.

How to Get to Cayo Icacos Island From San Juan

From San Juan, you must first take a bus or taxi to Las Croabas. From there you can take the water taxi to Cayo Icacos.

Be wary of some sources that say that you can go from San Juan to the port of Fajardo and take the ferry to Cayo Icacos. This outdated information will only cause trouble because the ferries in the port of Fajardo do not cater to passengers to Cayo Icacos.

What Is the Temperature in Icacos?

The temperature during the colder season falls between 23 and 29 C (73–84 F). The colder season in Icacos happens from October to May. Precipitation is at its lowest during this time of the year.

While the temperature in Icacos during the summertime can reach up to 31 C (87 F) during the day and 25 C (77 F) at nighttime, during these times, rainfalls occur more often.

What Is Better – Icacos or Culebra ?

If you’re looking for a holiday spot with practically everything, Culebra is a better choice than Icacos. Culebra is famous for its beautiful beaches. Culebra also has a charming small-town feel to it. Culebra is unquestionably a paradise-like island.

Cayo Icacos, on the other hand, is preferable if you want to be alone. Cayo Icacos is an uninhabited island that exudes pure remoteness from the outside world. This location is only known for its Day tours. This is due to the island’s lack of amenities and facilities and the local government’s prohibition against camping. You must carry your food, water, and even umbrellas for the entire day of the trip.

Icacos or Palomino – Which Is Better?

Icacos and Palomino are both fantastic in their own right. If you want to discover and have fun on day trips while also feeling the remoteness and beauty of untamed nature, Icacos is the place to go. But keep in mind that Icacos has neither any buildings nor amenities. And you can only stay on the island for the day. Palomino is excellent if you want to enjoy various water activities while on vacation and relax in a hotel.

Both are small islands off the coast of Puerto Rico. The main difference between Icacos and Palomino is that Icacos is a part of La Cordillera Nature Reserve.  The government looks after and safeguards Icacos Island. Palomino, on the other hand, is a privately owned island.

In any case, both islands exude the Caribbean’s natural beauty. You can go exploring the island’s natural beauty. They both have fantastic beaches as well.

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