Anchorage

Sardinera, Isla de Mona

4.3Puerto Rico

Shelter: NE, E, SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Anchorage inside the reef off Playa Sardinera on the west coast of Mona, an uninhabited island in the Mona Passage 66 km west of Puerto Rico and about 43 NM from Puerto Real.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Sand bottom with a small patch of about 2.5 m inside the reef. Good shelter from the prevailing east and south-east winds; westerly or northerly winds make the anchorage untenable.

Practical

Mona and Monito form a nature reserve managed by the DRNA. A prior DRNA permit is needed to land, camp, fish or move about the island; only DRNA staff live there. Sardinera is the only designated campsite. No fuel or provisions on the island.

Ashore

About 200 caves hold Taíno rock art. The endemic Mona ground iguana lives on the plateau, and hawksbill turtles lay more than 1,500 clutches a year on the beaches.

History

Taíno people settled Mona, and pirates later used it as a refuge, Captain Kidd among them in 1699. Guano was mined for fertiliser from the mid nineteenth century until 1927.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 18.08970, -67.93885 (18°5.38'N 67°56.33'W)
Country: Puerto Rico
Shelter: Sheltered from north-east, east, south-west, south, south-east winds
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Beach
Boaters' rating: 4.3/5
Updated: October 14, 2026