For straight out swimming-for-exercise, we look for a protected beach where you can just work on your form and work your body. We even do it with mask and snorkel (no fins) so we can just go “head-down, tail up” and workout. The underwater view with the mask also raises the interest level of a typical swim. That’s because you keep your head down and breathe, while checking out what’s underwater. With that in mind, there are a few places that come to mind.
On the north side, Punta Arenas is generally calm and would be good for a swim workout. The view of mainland PR across the water is a bonus. Starfish Beach near Rompeolas is protected from the wind and generally calm, so it qualifies as well.
There are several southside beaches that are good swimming spots, starting with Media Luna. It is very, very calm; the only problem here is getting deep enough to actually swim without hand-walking across the bottom (it’s that shallow). Caracas on the left side is also fairly calm and good for a nice power swim. La Chiva #16 is a nice quiet water area, and a good workout can be had there swimming toward #’s 14 & 15 to the right.
But our pick for a great swim workout is Sun Bay, our Favorite Beach in Vieques, for swimming. It is such a large beach, you can swim until your heart’s content, and then swim some more. There is a large roped-in swim area so you don’t even have to keep an eye out for boats as they are kept out. Enjoy your swim.