A visit to La Parguera Phosphorescent Bay, Puerto Rico, on the southwestern part of the island (30 mi/48 km west of Ponce and southeast of Mayaguez), one of the country's three rare bio bays, is best planned for a moonless night. Be prepared for an eerie experience: The marine plankton in the water glow green and blue when disturbed. Boat tours run nightly and last about an hour.
If you take one of the smaller boats (rather than the large party vessels), wear your swimsuit so you can leap into the water for a sparkly swim. Most trips depart from the dock in La Parguera, a popular resort town with seafood restaurants and inns. On weekends, the streets are crowded with young people who frequent the salsa and merengue clubs.
Another popular place to view this bio-bay phenomenon lies 10 mi/16 km off the coast of Puerto Rico on the island of Vieques. Vieques is not as well-known or as crowded as Phosphorescent Bay.
Kayak tours of the bio-bay at Farjardo are also possible.
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