Lajas
The only swimmable bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico draws tourists who threaten the very phenomenon; pineapple heritage survives mainly in festivals.
On dark moonless nights, the water of Bahía Fosforecente glows blue-green as dinoflagellate plankton respond to disturbance. La Parguera, in the municipality of Lajas, hosts one of only three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico and one of seven year-round sites in the Caribbean. It's also the only bio bay where swimming is permitted—a distinction that has simultaneously attracted tourists and degraded the phenomenon through mangrove destruction and boat traffic.
The town's terrestrial identity centers on pineapple. Lajas's flag features a ripe yellow pineapple at the cross's center; the coat of arms bookends its band with golden fruit. The annual Festival de la Piña Paradisíaca draws up to 50,000 visitors who consume 30,000 pounds of pineapple. But a hurricane devastated the industry, and the closure of Lotus juice company in the 1990s ended large-scale cultivation. Pineapple contributed just $3 million to Gross Agricultural Income in 2018.
Founded in 1883 by Teodoro Jácome Pagán, Lajas claims an unusual distinction: Luis Aponte Martínez, born here, became the first and only Puerto Rican Cardinal of the Catholic Church, earning the town the inscription 'Ciudad Cardenalicia.' The Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge preserves coastal wetlands, while some residents have established a 'Puerto Rico Alien Route' featuring a landing strip for extraterrestrial visitors.
For 2026, Lajas faces the classic ecotourism paradox: the bioluminescent bay that attracts visitors is precisely what tourism degrades. Whether the municipality can balance conservation with economic survival may determine if La Parguera remains luminescent or goes dark.