The incidence of skin cancer has been increasing among Hispanics in the United States, who are often diagnosed with larger lesions and in more advanced stages of the disease. Adopting behaviors that reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lower the risk of developing skin cancer. In this study, we describe skin cancer prevention behaviors and psychosocial variables in Hispanic participants recruited for a skin cancer prevention trial. Self-reported Hispanic participants were selected from eight primary care clinics in Tampa, Florida, and Ponce, Puerto Rico, who were part of a randomized controlled trial. Data were collected on demographics, sun-related behaviors, and psychosocial variables before providing intervention materials. To compare initial psychosocial behaviors and variables between groups defined by geographical location and language preference, multivariate regression models were used. Participants reported low levels of intentional outdoor tanning, as well as exposure to the sun on weekdays and weekends, and virtually zero levels of indoor tanning. However, only a minority frequently or always practiced sun protection behaviors, and approximately 30% had suffered sunburn in the last year. There were low levels of recent concern and distress about skin cancer, modest levels of risk perception and severity, and high levels of response efficacy and self-efficacy. When comparing groups by location and language preference, Tampa residents who prefer English (hereinafter referred to as Tampeños) had the highest proportion of sunburns (35.9%) and tended to show riskier behaviors, although they also adopted more protective behaviors than Spanish-speaking Tampeños or Puerto Ricans. Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans expressed greater recent concern about skin cancer, greater comparative risk perception, and greater response efficiency compared to Anglophone or Spanish-speaking Tampeños. Tampeños with a Spanish linguistic preference exhibited the highest levels of familism and recent concern for skin cancer. Our results reflect previous findings about the low adoption of sun protection behaviors among Hispanics in the United States, which highlights the need for culturally appropriate and translated awareness campaigns for this population group. Since Hispanics in Tampa and Puerto Rico reported moderate levels of perception about risk and severity, as well as high levels of response efficacy and self-efficacy, interventions based on the Motivation for Protection Theory could be especially effective in promoting skin cancer prevention in this population subgroup.