Has anybody been to Puerto Rico? Are there beaches that are, or are not, thong-friendly? My GF and I might be there sometime in the next few weeks and would probably stay in San Juan if we go. The opinions I’ve found on-line are a bit variable, but the consensus is that (1) P.R. is kinda conservative but (2) there are some places that get visitors where it’s probably ok.
Thanks for any tips.
I was in Puerto Rico a couple months ago. Once you hit the sand in San Juan you will see most women wearing thong bikinis or very cheeky bikinis. You will encounter a few men wearing Speedo briefs and bikini styles as well. Most men will be wearing shorts from short to long. Personally every time I am on a Puerto Rico beach I am wearing a thong. I’ve seen a few other men do the same. As a matter of fact the first place I ever saw a man wearing a thong was in San Juan. I’ve been to Puerto Rico many times and always felt comfortable wearing a thong on the beach, everywhere from San Juan to Fajardo to Ponce and Rincon. Like any place else most men are in board shorts and women in thong bikinis.
Enjoy Puerto Rico! The people are generally very friendly. The local food is wonderful. Explore the history of the island. Enjoy the beaches. Two cautions I would recommend. 1. If you drive, do so with extreme awareness and caution. 2. Do not wear expensive or flashy jewelry, petty crime can be a thing in San Juan.
Thanks for this!
I learned to ride motorcycles while living in India, so I definitely appreciate the “be extremely cautious” advice. As for flashy jewelry, no worries there. 
I’m in San Juan now and it’s very thong friendly.
RapidBlue, I whole-heartedly agree. In many trips I’ve never had an issue on the beaches or at resort pools.
Quick trip report for Sat/Sun/Mon. My GF and I are staying near the east side of the island. I can confirm the opinion of the other people who said this place is thong friendly.
On Saturday afternoon, we went to a nearby beach, Playa Azul. I wore a more modest suit (a lined Jack Adams) so as not to be wearing anything too much smaller than what the locals are wearing. I needn’t have bothered: almost every woman was wearing a very small thong. I was the only guy in anything other than knee-length board shorts.
We did an all-day trip on Sunday to a remote beach on the southwest side of the island so we could see some of Puerto Rico’s varied and beautiful terrain. We had to work a bit to get to Playa Sucia, but it was honestly pretty cool and pretty empty. This time I wore a Skinz M67, and again the few guys there were wearing picnic blankets or circus tents.
This morning we went to Playa de Luquillo. This is a beautiful beach and unlike at many beaches here with strong currents, the swimming here is safe. I wore an M67 again despite it being quite crowded; we near several beach restaurants so there was a lot of traffic around us. I was nervous at first given how many people were around but I didn’t hear any comments, positive or negative, while swimming, walking, or going to one of the restaurants to order food. (LOL, a very pretty young woman walked directly up to me holding what looked like a machine to issue tickets. I thought, “Shit, I’m about to get busted” but no – it was a handheld payment terminal and she stopped by to leave a menu. She came by our spot every time she dropped food off for someone, so she was either checking me out , checking my GF out, or laughing inside while keeping a poker face.)
I plan to go back to Playa Azul this afternoon for an M67 redemption.
We’re going on a 6 hour boat trip (reef snorkeling and a beach stop) on Friday and the boat holds around 30 people. I’ll 100% be wearing a thong but I think I’ll bring a smaller one and a larger one – just in case.
Anyway, “thong friendly” for sure.
I really admire your confidence! I only wish I could have such confidence with so many people around. For example on a boat trip! Wow!
I’ve only visited the San Juan area staying on Condado and Isla Verde. My next visit will likely go west as recommended by friends. I did hope to visit Fajardo previously but the airbnb I wanted wasn’t available.
Not clear whether it’s “confidence” or “has no f-cks to give”. 
I think a watershed moment was when I realized that most people actually don’t really care. Of course, I’ve gotten some surprised looks or double-takes from people, but then it quickly passes and I’m still standing there, not struck by lightning or anything.
Let’s see how the boat trip goes! I’ll probably wear boardies on the boat and leave the thong for snorkeling and the beach – and obviously see what other people are wearing before I decide whether to go modest or go bold.
I would think that wearing a thong on the boat in PR would be ok. A couple years ago that is exactly what I did. It was no big deal. I went off Fajardo for a day trip snorkeling. It was a great time. Almost no one seemed to care what I was wearing. Of course I had a couple of mainlander Americans make a comment I could over hear to their wives. But nothing more was said and eventually we all were having a good time.
Playa de Luquillo Is an amazing beach. Enjoy your time on the other beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico. It’s one of my favorite places to visit. I looking forward to your next report.
Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll decide which to wear after I’ve read the room (LOL, “small” or “smaller”).
The east side of Playa de Luquillo is indeed exceptionally beautiful. That’s our #1 pick so far.
D’oh! A forecast for heavy seas forced the captain to cancel for tomorrow. We’ll never know which suit I would have chosen, which is disappointing. I’ve previously done a day snorkeling cruise in a thong a few years back, so my money would have been on the M67.
In any case, my GF and I keep returning to Playa de Luquillo (Tuesday and Wednesday AM) because we only have a few hours between our work meetings.
Today I went solo and it was quite crowded. When I’m with my GF, who always wears thongs, she provides some “cover”. When I’m alone, it feels a bit riskier but you just have to go for it. The pretty waitress stopped to talk to me 3-4 times, which was nice; maybe she was checking me out after all.
Places like this in a friendly environment are real confidence boosters. For any of you who are still a bit hesitant, this and Miami Beach are definitely good places to help with that.
Ha ha, lightning struck three times today. I’m back at the same beach – 5 times in 7 days.
As I finished a 1.5km swim, a guy in the water said he saw me a few days ago and liked my swimsuit and was a bit jealous because he is sensitive to the sun and always has to wear rash guards. Then as I was about to start a second, shorter swim, a guy who’s been here every day (and is a dedicated swimmer and is the one guy in swim briefs) and his wife stopped me specifically to compliment me for wearing a thong; he said that some guys do, but it’s uncommon. I sent him to the Skinz website.
And finally, the same pretty waitress was bringing me a piña colada (no alcohol for me this early on a hot day). One of her flip flops came off and she pointed to her foot, laughed and said “Thong tan, like you!”
I think that’s about as many comments I’ve had in the last two years in total.
That has to be one of the best reports of unsolicited positive comments in one day ever. That is a real boost to your confidence and self esteem.
Have to love Puerto Rico.
I love San Juan and hope to visit Cabo Roja on the west coast next time.