First let me see that the food, service and accomodations were WAY above par. Everything was perfect, except for the beach at that specific location. If you like bats, beautiful cactus, limestone caves and lots of interesting birds, the dessert to the north is beyond words - I could go back just for that aspect.
Prior to staying here, I did some research on Tripadvisor. Most people were concerned with the beach, which has its problems, but when you compare the best locations in PR, it's at the top of the list. Take El Conquistador for example - this is a great resort with all of the amenities but you have to take a ferry to go to the beach, and there is no snorkeling location nearby. Or, if you were to compare it to Culebra accomidations, you can find a location on Flamenco beach but you have to buy your own groceries. I could go on and on, but the only drawback to this place is the beach, and it is a short ferry ride away to Gilligan's Island, a mangrove outcropping just southeast of the location.
So lets talk about the most castigated aspect of this location - the beach. Copa is at the edge of a bay, approximately three quarters of a mile north of the edge of the reef line. As a result, there is little wave action, and LOTS of sea grass. It's just a normal part of that location. It does not feel good on the feet, and I do not recommend going into it - but that's not Copa's fault. Why do I say that? Well, it's very difficult (and for good reason) to get permits to build resorts on or next to reefs because of the damage they tend to inflict in terms of runoff and traffic. So if you want your reef at your doorstep, you may want to go somewhere else where you don't have everything else Copa offers.
That said, getting to reef - well, the FISH, in particular, is not difficult. There are four ways to go - a $6.42 ferry to Gilligan's Island, a $45 two hour snorkeling trip, by kayak or by swimming (only skilled triathalets should attempt this).
GILLIGANS ISLAND
A lot of folks here have critisized Gilligan's Island. Not worth the time, they say - too trashy - no fish, and no reef. Well here is the low down. I went through the island, around the island and on one of the trails. I went everywhere that one could go by foot or by swimming. There are five sections for exploration. The first is by foot. The foot trail on the northern tier is difficult, often slippery, and you WILL find trash nearby. That is because the college kids from Ponce and Mayaguez use Gilligans as a recreational location and are too drunk to clean up after themselves. You will find some of this trash - mostly pop cans - on the northern side of the island, along with sea grass. Although teeming with minows, its a waste of time for snorkelers.
Your best bet is outside on the southern, ocean-facing side and the two rivers that stream down from east to west. On the southern, outer edge of the island you will find some of the most beautiful and numerous fish colonies in the Carribean for snorkling (I should know as I've done most). They are under the mangroves and number in the hundreds. If you swim south towards the breaking water (which is about a half mile out) you will find about 20% reef and occasional fish. Be forewarned, however - the current is VERY strong. You should only attempt to swim out to the reef if you have the stamina and endurance to withstand the flow of water. I recommend going along the outside of the northern edge of the island, using the hanging mangroves to steady you against the current, until you get to the far east end of the island.
Once you hit the eastern edge you can stand and walk to the river mouth, and then drift snorkle down back to the west end where you first arrived on the boat. There are two rivers that merge into one - the north and south river. I did both several times and the southern one is the best for fish viewing. The trick here is NOT to look down as you won't see anything - the fish are all under the rocks and mangroves, under the shadows. You should wait until noon as there will be less shadow. Here you will find approximately 20 different species of fish, mostly babies, but some very large adults (who are feeding) hiding under the rock. Brace yourself under a mangrove and watch them peer out to see you. Once you get back to near the dock, where most of the people and children are, you might think there are no fish - but alas! There are hundreds. Minows, baby Sergant majors and in the little alcoves, crabs and shrimp. I also saw two VERY LARGE baricuda cruising through for a quick meal.
THE SNORKELING TRIP
One thing you should know is that warm weather and hurricanes have done damage to the Carribean reef system, with some reports showing that almost 90% of reefs are dead or dying. This is true, so don't be surprised if you dont see something from the cover of national geographic. That said, there are reef colonies and fish nearby. The snorkeling trip, which is a bit steep, is good to see coral, but not so much for fish. You are basically ferried straight out ot near the breakwater where the reef begins. I saw more fish in one spot at Gilligans than in the entire reef trip. I did see beautiful brain coral, finger coral and other coral colonies on the trip. If you MUST take it, however, you may be able to convince a local in the town nearby to take you there for less. If fish are you thing, stick to the island. It takes some daring, strength and patience, but you will see amazing biodiversity.
