This Stretch Of Puerto Rican Coast Is Well Worth Saving

Normally, we would be hesitant to reveal the names and locations of a foreign(ish) land’s premier and semi-secretive breaks. But desperate times call for desperate measures.  

The waves highlighted in the film above are largely endangered by a development project in Puerto Rico’s northwest. Let’s hear more from the filmmaker himself, Sean Santiago:

The scene featured in “Lo Que Hay” highlights one of the many protests against the plan to develop Playuela in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico via the Christopher Columbus Landing Project. With architectural plans that included hundred of rooms, condos, and villas, the project was proposed to cover over 121 acres of land, directly impacting world-class waves like Wilderness, El Mix, Pressure Point, and Wishing Well. There has been uproar around the project since its initial proposal in the 1990’s, but as the project finally began taking shape in 2016-2017, the surrounding communities rallied together for its protection. There has been much debate surrounding the heavy environmental impact the project would have on the biodiversity of the coastline. However, most research points to a loss that would certainly outweigh the project’s potential economic benefit. 

Flash forward to 2020, the project has been green-lit to move forward; however, with the promise of fewer rooms and condos than originally proposed. That said, the community in Puerto Rico continues to protest against the project that would threaten the world-renowned Northwest Coast of Puerto Rico. 

And if you don’t care about any of that, we hope you at least enjoyed the film, starring Rolando Montes, Alejandro Moreda, Brian Toth, and more.