Playa Cofi
How to get there
Playa Cofi is a sandy beach located less than a mile west of the
heart of Isabel Segunda. It is just north of Route 200 on the road
to the Tortuguero housing development.
The beach lies at the bottom of an approximately twenty-foot-high
cliff, but can be accessed by a natural foot path over a rocky outcropping
that you will need to look for when you approach the beach from
the grassy pastureland above. Once you are standing on top of the
rock, the foot path becomes obvious.
The descent to the beach is not particularly difficult, but it
is not recommended for those in poor physical condition or unfamiliar
with basic rock scrambling.
The name
Playa Cofi got its name from the Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí,
who plied the waters of Vieques and Puerto Rico in the early part
of the nineteenth century. There are all sorts of stories surrounding
the exploits of Cofresi and his pirate crew. Some legends claim
he was a murdering cutthroat, others claim he was a Robin Hood type,
stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
There is talk of buried treasure left by Cofresí in Rincon
in western Puerto Rico and also on Vieques in Tamarindo del Sur,
in Martinez and in caves on Mount Pirata.
“It is said that Cofresí's treasure lies inTamarindo
de Sur. There it exists - and the fishermen have seen it- boxes
tied with chains and chains tied to the trunks of trees.”
J. Pastor Ruiz, Vieques Antiguo y Moderno 1947
At any rate, history tells us that in 1824, Cofresí and
his buccaneers attacked and plundered as many as eight vessels.
One of these plundered ships was flying the United States flag,
and this time Cofresí's attack led to the deployment of the
Schooner, USS Grampus, under the command of a Captain John Sloat.
The Captain's orders were to find and capture the notorious pirate.
Cofresí and his crew put up a good fight, but in the end
they were defeated and Cofresi was taken prisoner.
In March of 1825, Roberto Cofresí, who was turned over to
Spanish authorities, was executed by firing squad in San Juan at
the El Morro fortress.
The View
Looking to the east (right) from the beach or from the vantage point
above, there is a beautiful view of the town of Isabel Segunda and
the Puerta Mulas Lighthouse. Looking to the west (left), one can
see the main island of Puerto Rico and the north coast of Vieques.
Swimming and Snorkeling
A coral reef lies on either side of the sandy portion of the beach
providing protection that calms the waters and allows for good swimming
and snorkeling.
Sea Glass
Sea glass collectors will be amazed at the vast quantity of these
broken pieces of colored glass that have been washed and polished
by the action of the waves for years. I am told that the glass came
from a landfill that existed many years ago on the next beach to
the east of Playa Cofi called Playa Muerta. The prevailing winds,
waves and currents have brought, and continue to bring, the sea
glass to Playa Cofi.
Egrets
Walking east along the sand, you will come to a small lagoon formed
by the Quebrada Cofi. At sunset, hundreds of Snowy Egrets come to
roost in a tree on the east side of the Quebrada, such that, if
one doesn't look too closely, it seems that the tree is dripping
with large white fruits. |