Coffin Island
Where is Coffin Island?
Isla Caja de Muertos or “Coffin Island” is an uninhabited island located in the territory of Puerto Rico. Located approximately 8 mi/12km/7nm from the Southern city of Ponce, Coffin island was one of our favorite places in Puerto Rico. Just 2mi/3.2km long and 0.5mi/0.8km wide, Isla Caja de Muertos has quite the unique ecosystem. So much so that the Puerto Rican Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) declared this island a Nature Reserve. The Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve represents one of the last subtropical dry forests in Puerto Rico and Caribbean.
The island is uninhabited, but that does NOT mean there isn’t anything to do. Not only is the lore and history of Coffin island fascinating, but it’s surrounded by a marine paradise.
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How do you get to Coffin Island?
Isla Caja de Muertos was originally visited by the Taíno people on fishing expeditions. The arrival of Spaniards in 1493 to Puerto Rico was followed by a short period of peace. In 1511, the Taínos rebelled and following the defeat many attempted to escape to Caja de Muertos. But, all the natives were eventually captured or killed.
The 17th century brought pirates and mutineers to the Caribbean. The island was now used as a hideout for these nefarious characters. A famous incident in 1599 may have actually contributed to the legendary name Coffin Island.
Another interesting fact is that throughout the 19th century the island was used for secret meetings of the Freemasons and the Puerto Rican independence movement.
Following the end of the Spanish American War, Puerto Rico changed hands once again. Now an American colony, the island had permanent residents which decreased until deserted in 1945.
The island was declared a Nature reserve in 1980 and a tourism center was set up on the island with a museum and charter services offering daily trips to and from the island. But as Puerto Rico sits atop where two tectonic plates meet AND in the hurricane belt, natural disasters are a regular part of life here. Sadly, in 2017 Hurricane Maria destroyed much of what was built but tourism was restarted about a year later. The earthquakes of 2020 brought more devastation and the final abandonment of Isla Caja de Muertos.
This island provided the perfect environment for urban exploration. The island’s structures reveal the lives of those who once lived here. It seems as if everyone picked up and left. Wandering around, you can almost hear the echoes of the lives lived here. But now the only sounds heard are the hermit crabs and rats scurrying amongst what was once an active housing structure.
Why is it called Coffin Island?
Probably the most common question about Isla Caja de Muertos or Coffin Island is “Why is it called Caja de Muertos?” Officially, the island gained its name from the French writer Jean Baptiste Labat who referred to the island as Caja de Muertos, as seen from mainland Puerto Rico it resembles a dead person laying in a coffin.
But, there are additional theories as to how this island gained its notorious name, with some more entertaining than others.
Pirates
Throughout history, seaborne trade was commonly plagued by armed robbery. Given how difficult life on the high seas was, it is easy to see how many maritime merchants fell victim to the siren call of quick money.
In 1600, a group of English merchants turned pirates learned of a Portuguese ship carrying gold, gems, and other treasures. After capturing the vessel and surviving a mutiny, they took refuge on the island. But, as the island has no water source the pirates traveled to the Puerto Rican mainland for provisions where all but one was killed. The lone survivor confessed to the location of the treasure which was confiscated, sold off and used for construction.
José Joaquim Almeida was a Portuguese privateer in the Caribbean during the. As legend goes, he fell in love with a woman from Curaçao whom he married in St. Thomas. They then took to the high seas but sadly on their first raid, she caught a stray bullet and was killed. In his grief, it’s said that he embalmed and placed her in a glass and copper coffin. He buried her along with half of his treasure in a cave on the island. But in 1832, Almeida was caught in mainland Puerto Rico, tried and executed at Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Years later, a Spanish engineer discovered the famed coffin and gave this island its name. But what about the treasure? If it was found, THAT secret was never revealed.
Caja de Muertos Lighthouse
Lighthouses and those that manage them carry an air of romanticism in our minds. That being said, it was definitely a difficult life. Charged with maintenance and assisting mariners in need, all while battling the side effects of isolation is a mantle not many would voluntarily take on. But, the fascination remains and walking the path of the keeper, no matter where, will always evoke feelings of wonder.
Sitting atop the highest point of the island is an abandoned lighthouse. Built in 1887 by the Spanish, this lighthouse is unique to Puerto Rico. I-shaped with the tower in the middle, it was used as a guide off the southern coast.
After changing ownership in 1898, multiple sources detail the rescues and assistance given to those in need by the lighthouse keeper and his assistant. But, as technology advanced the need for lighthouse keepers disappeared with the light becoming automated in 1945.
Caves
A quick Google search of Isla Caja de Muertos will show that caves exist on the island. The question is, with the island deserted can we find it? Thankfully, we made some friends out of fellow cruisers and they knew the location of the cave.
Exploration of any cave is not without risk, especially one unmanaged. Our new friends explored it before us so we knew what we were getting into and as we always say, “Life is a series of calculated risks.”
The entrance was rather hidden and does require some climbing. But, we were determined as this was allegedly the cave where Almeida’s wife was once buried. Caves in general are extremely captivating.
The cave was on the smaller side but with many keyholes, it was quite beautiful. Accentuated by the occasional rogue vine, the sun rays piercing through the dark revealed a different world. The ground, made of sand, deadens sound. One cannot help but feel as if you’ve stumbled upon a secret the world itself is hiding.
Hiking
As mentioned previously, the island is a nature reserve and one of the last subtropical dry forests in the country. But what exactly is a dry forest? Only receiving rain a few months of the year, the deciduous trees lose their leaves to survive prolonged periods of drought. As a result, the island also has a large amount of cacti present.
The unique ecosystem provides a home for some endangered species of animals and plants. Brown pelicans, brown boobies, ospreys, roseate terns, least terns and the black capped petrel are known for nesting on its rocky cliffs.
There is one main trail on the island that leads to the lighthouse. Approximately a mile long, the trail is packed earth with limestone rocks dotted throughout. Let me tell you, it was HOT! The trail begins flat with cacti and shrubbery lining each side. Towards the end, the trail gets steeper with uneven terrain. But our effort was well worth it because we were rewarded with not only a historic lighthouse but fantastic views of the island.
Snorkeling & Diving
The beauty of Isla Caja de Muertos is not only above ground but underwater as well! Just off the northeastern coast, you’ll find one of the best preserved reefs in Puerto Rico. Not only that, 2 endangered sea turtles, the green sea turtle and hawksbill sea turtle frequent the water of this island to nest on the beaches here. It was here that we saw our first barracuda and let me tell you, they are pretty scary in person! But, remember to remain calm and just ignore them. They are curious but not vicious and make sure to remove all shiny jewelry before jumping in the water! Unfortunately, we have no photos as we didn’t have our Go Pro yet. 🙁
One of the best parts about our stop at the island was that some fellow cruisers (Butch and Lynn on SV Seaven) recognized us from where we bought the boat. As it turns out they are both really big SCUBA divers, we where absolutely blown away with all of their stories and loved talking and getting to know them. They told us there was a wall on the north side of the island off the shore near where we were anchored, they offered to take Jon and use one of their tanks. The visibility was a little “snotty” but still a really cool experience to essentially dive off the back of your own boat/home!
This small island truly is a hidden gem of Puerto Rico. Right now, it seems the only way to access this island is by private vessel. But, hopefully public access will reopen soon so everyone can enjoy this intriguing stretch of land.
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