A coastal mosaic of mangroves, limestone cliffs, salt flats, and rare bird habitat in southwestern Puerto Rico.
Boquerón State Forest
Boquerón State Forest is one of the twenty forestry units that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. Despite its name, the protected area does not belong solely to the community of Boquerón in Cabo Rojo; it extends across nearly five thousand acres spread among the municipalities of Cabo Rojo, Lajas, and Mayagüez along the southwestern coast of the island. Its territory is defined less by a single continuous woodland than by a chain of mangrove forests, coastal lagoons, salt flats, limestone cliffs, and offshore marine habitats, all stitched together into one protected landscape.
The forest is best understood through the unusual combination of ecosystems it anchors. The mangrove stands at the heart of the reserve give way to coral reefs and seagrass meadows just offshore, while the dry limestone hills of Los Morrillos rise above the coastal plain and host some of the most distinctive scenery in southwestern Puerto Rico. The forest's identity is also tied to a long pre-Hispanic salt-making tradition at Las Salinas de Cabo Rojo, considered one of the oldest industries in the Americas. Together, these features make Boquerón a meeting point of cultural heritage, coastal ecology, and conservation science in Puerto Rico.
Its ecological importance extends well beyond Puerto Rico, because the forest protects habitat for several rare and endangered species, including the yellow-shouldered blackbird, the West Indian manatee, and nesting sea turtles. The southern section of the forest contributes to two internationally recognized Important Bird Areas, and its mangrove forests serve as one of the most critical migratory bird habitats on the island. In this sense, Boquerón is both a regional cultural landmark and a globally significant coastal protected area.
