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Guayama.- Sailing on the Paseo a la Bahía catamaran offers visitors the experience of enjoying marine nature, observing the area’s aquatic fauna, and getting to know the history of Jobos Bay, in the town of Guayama.

On a Somos Puerto Rico tour of Guayama, with the goal of documenting the town’s attractions, we encountered Miguel Rodríguez Fontánez, a certified public accountant (CPA) whose passion for the sea motivated him to trade his comfortable office for a ship. His vessel became the only tour ship in the area, operating under a corporation.

Paseo a la Bahía Inc. has been a great challenge for Miguel, and it started out without a plan. “I bought a used boat, and I was repairing it for my family; people used to come and ask me to take them to the nearby keys, or that they wanted a ride and they’d pay me for it, so I started out like that,” explained the man, who has been sailing around the area for over eight years.

However, it wasn’t this sailor’s first encounter with the sea, as he participated in boat racing years ago until 2014, after various accidents, when he decided to forgo the adrenaline of racing, in favor of maritime service.

“I liked boat racing. I raced in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and the Caribbean. I had several accidents, but I almost died in the last one, so I decided not to race anymore,” recalled the man. Every weekend, he stops at the road leading to Pozuelo Beach, with a sign in hand, inviting passers-by to a fun boat ride.

Miguel invested his savings on this new service in the area, so every weekend, he goes after the people who visit Guayama in search of delicious seafood pastelillos (turnovers) and invites them to live an experience where he talks about history, nature, and culture in a festive atmosphere infused with his characteristic sense of humor.

“I talk to them about Jobos Bay and the community, how it was created during slavery, how the land was given to them and now, 200 years later, the way the community near the shore is being displaced. I also take them to the Ruins of the Aguirre Sugar Mill. I describe the mangroves in the area, which is 62% mangroves; what protects the ecosystem, the species of four existing types of mangroves,” said the captain, who has the required permits and the necessary knowledge to navigate the area, safeguarding the marine ecosystem.

The catamaran, which cost over $400,000, can accommodate 49 people and is equipped with flotation devices, flare lights, a fire extinguisher, as well as other equipment required by law for the operation of this kind of vessel.

The tour lasts one hour and, although the pandemic drastically reduced the flow of visitors, Miguel makes the trips “with the people that show up”.

“I have enough space for 49 people per trip, which is an hour long. Every weekend, from 9:00 a.m., I stand on the side of the road with the sign, and I invite people to get on board with me. On weekdays, I do private activities, and one that’s really nice is the Full Moon Party, which is by reservation. When there’s a full moon, we set off at about 8:00 p.m., with a DJ and everything, and we go to an islet. There I play music for them, and I tell them that they can go into the water with or without; cold, that is,” he laughed, after highlighting that he guarantees four hours of fun for his clients.

The newly purchased catamaran was built specifically for the draft of this bay, Miguel said.

For information about this fabulous recreational experience, you can visit the Pozuelo area in Guayama, or find them on social media as Paseo a la Bahía INC. Special activities require booking by calling 787-406-4989.