- Duration: both sit 15 to 30 minutes from Fajardo, so the day length is the same either way
- Included: on shared boats, gear and food. Palomino landing rights are not included on public tours
- Best for: Icacos for beach time, Palomino for a snorkel and swim stop on a longer island route
- Book ahead: three to five days, and confirm which cays your boat actually lands on
- Practical warning: some listings name Palomino but only pass or anchor offshore, so read the itinerary line
The Icacos side. Public cay, no resort gate, and the boat anchors right off the beach.
Check Availability →The private boat that covers both, so you stop choosing and just see the two on the same day.
Check Availability →Prices are indicative starting prices and can change.
Cayo Icacos: the public favorite
Icacos is an uninhabited public cay with the largest beach in the chain and an offshore reef. Most day tours go here, so access and availability are best.
Best for a classic, easy cay day with snorkeling.
Palomino: quieter, resort linked
Palomino is partly associated with a Fajardo resort, so public access is more limited. It is quieter and often a stop on private charters rather than big day tours.
Best if you have a private charter and want a calmer cay.
Access and tours
Icacos has the most catamaran and speedboat options. Palomino is harder to reach on a standard public tour, so check before booking.
Which to book
- Easiest access and biggest beach: Cayo Icacos
- Quieter and on a private charter: Palomino
- Best snorkel availability: Cayo Icacos
- Most day tour choices: Cayo Icacos
Frequently asked questions
The beach is managed for guests of the resort that runs it, so public tours normally anchor offshore for swimming and snorkelling rather than landing. Icacos is the public cay of the pair.
Icacos, for a day trip. It has a long stretch of public sand you can actually spread out on, while Palomino is better as a swim and snorkel stop.
Yes, just a few minutes apart inside the La Cordillera chain. Many boats visit both in one outing, which is why the names appear together on so many listings.
Both have shallow reef patches and similar marine life. Conditions on the day and where the captain anchors matter more than the choice between the two.
