Copamarina Beach Resort

Description:

• In the 1950s, Copamarina was the private vacation retreat of the de Castro family, Puerto Rican cement barons. In 1991 it was enlarged and upgraded by talented entrepreneurs. Today, charming, low-key, and discreetly elegant, it stands head and shoulders above everything else along Puerto Rico's western coast, except for the regal Horned Dorset Primavera (its strongest competitor). Situated beside a public beach (the best in the area), amid a landscaped palm grove, the resort is airy and relaxing. A favorite destination of sanjuaneros, it also draws a well-heeled crowd of clients from Europe and North America, who know good value when they see it.

  The accommodations are in one- and two-story wings that radiate from the resort's central core, as well as a set of villas. The attractively decorated units have tile floors, lots of exposed wood, and louvered doors with screens that open onto large verandas or terraces. Everything is airy and comfortable. Bathrooms are larger than you might expect, and up-to-date, some with shower, others with tub.

  The resort houses two restaurants, one of which reigns as one of the finest in western Puerto Rico: Alexandra is a destination for clients from as far away as San Juan. Less formal, and staffed with a hardworking crowd of young people, is Las Palmas, which is set in the open air beneath a canopy.

  The dive facilities here are the best and most varied in western Puerto Rico, attracting divers of all levels of expertise. The array of watersports and sports activities is incredible, and tours can be gotten here to anywhere on the island, including next door at the Guánica Dry Forest reserve. The hotel also offers guests all-inclusive options. We recommend renting a car and trying some of the local restaurants in Guánica and other coastal villages you will visit while staying here.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010