From Aguadilla to Vieques, idyllic stretches of sand for snorkeling, surfing, and lazing on the beach.

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My father grew up on Puerto Rico 's west coast, where beach days began with a barefoot walk to the sand around the neighborhoods of Isabela or Aguadilla and often ended wherever the waves happened to be breaking next. I grew up on stories of salty hair, sun-warmed sand, and long, glittering afternoons in the water. Eventually, I started following in his footsteps, exploring the island ’s beaches for myself and discovering just how many different shades of paradise fit along its 300 miles of coastline. There are the rollicking Atlantic surf breaks at Jobos and Middles, the impossibly blue waters and colorful fishing boats of Crash Boat, the mangrove-fringed coastline around La Parguera, and the powdery white sands of Culebra's Flamenco Beach .…