So many beautiful beaches around the world are ringed by high-rise condos, trinket shops and traffic, with the same fast-food and hotel chains as all the other beaches.

But Puerto Rico's west coast is different. It has sand, sun and sea, but so far, it's avoided the overdevelopment that can turn beach towns into generic megaresorts. Instead, on a recent family trip, we found friendly cafes, funky surf shops, small towns and tranquil beaches on the byways.

Rincon, on Puerto Rico's northwest coast, has the laidback vibe of a surfer town. But the chirping of the coquis — tiny tree frogs that sing dusk to dawn — leaves no doubt that you are in Puerto Rico.

Peter Aviles, who grew up in Rincon and is the editor of the Rincon-PR.com Web site, says surfers put Rincon on the map, when teams from around the world showed up to compete in the 1968 World Surfing Championship. Rincon is located on a peninsula, with waves from the Atlantic on the north side of the point, and calmer Caribbean seas on the southern side.

Aviles said there was only one hotel in town when the surfers arrived, Villa Cofresi, and when that filled up, locals started renting out rooms. "That was the beginning of the lodging industry here," he said.

Today Rincon has about 1,000 rooms among various hotels, B&Bs and rentals, but it retains a small-town feel, with a year-round population of about 15,000 and zoning that prohibits buildings over four stories on the beach, Aviles said.

Between November and February, surfers come for the big waves at beaches like Tres Palmas and Domes Beach, and North Americans come to escape the cold. In March and April, migrating humpbacks make whale-watching a major attraction. From May through August, it's a summer beach town.

"We were just there watching the whales from our back porch," said Clifton Elgarten, who lives in Washington D.C. and owns a home in Rincon. He flies down with his family a half-dozen times a year. "I like the town because it feels like a town, not a resort."

He added that "there's always a threat of development," and new condos have recently sprung up, "but so far the town hasn't lost its character, and we are grateful."

Our group, ranging in age from 11 to 60, stayed at Villa Cofresi, which has just 69 rooms, but is one of Rincon's three largest hotels — further evidence of the town's small scale. Cofresi is by no means fancy, but it offers a beautiful beachfront location and comfortable rooms. It's named for Roberto Cofresi, a 19th century pirate. At night, the hotel bar and restaurant pulse with music, the click-clack of balls on the pool tables, and a fun party vibe, but at the breakfast buffet and on the beach, you see mostly couples and families — from the U.S. and from Puerto Rico — many of whom return each year.

"The hotel is like home to me," said Celeste Crockett, who, with her husband, has been escaping New York winters at Villa Cofresi for six years. "Each time we go, we have to stay there longer. It's laidback and wonderful."