Culebra Isle

Yikes! Just came back from vacationing in Culebra. I was there for 3 days. It was the most chaotic vacation I’ve ever had…and I travel quite a lot!

I must admit though, I had made my share of mistakes:

first – don’t ever go taking the ferry on a long weekend. Take a plane. The boats are packed with Puerto Ricans who love to take stuff as if they are staying in the island for months….the ferry leaves late (latin-american style late, meaning – anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes late). Granted it’s a cheap ride by boat, but if time is of the essence, take a plane there…it’s sooo convenient! You will be there in 25 minutes if flying from San Juan..

Second – if you are staying the night or more, make sure that the hotel has a power generator. The worst thing that happened to us in our trip was that the island had no power for 2 days! Can you imagine? No power= No water. Apparently, there was a malfunction in the power line that is pulled from Vieques, and Culebra and Vieques were affected. The water pumps in most of the island work with electricity, so – no running water at all. AH! No power= no water = no food! Since most restaurants in Culebra work with power, and there was none; restaurants had to close. Except for the two that did have a generator and had the whole island waiting for food – And since there are no 24hour convenience stores where you can get something to eat in Culebra – I really mean no power= no food….You should not be surprised that electric power goes out – it happens and Culebrenses are used to it…this last memorial weekend though, must have been the longest they had been without power…

Third – Don’t have high expectation on anything in the island but the beaches. Downtown is quite rundown. The buses, taxis and roads, and most buildings are quite rundown… My boyfriend who has been in a few African countries says Culebra could be comparable to Africa!

Other than those three main things, Culebra has two beutiful beaches: Playa Flamenco and Zoni – they are both stunning. Flamenco gets a little crowded on the summer weekends with a lot of locals from Fajardo and other places around Puerto Rico… But Zoni is a lot emptier and equally beautiful. Tamarindo and Carlos Rosario beaches are mostly for snorkeling – great snorkeling..not that beautiful though as the other two I mentioned.

I am not certain whether I will be back to Culebra. I have seen beautiful beaches in Dominican Republic, in fact, the two I refer to in DR are nicer looking than Flamenco. Check out Playa Rincon and Playa Fronton in Las Galeras vicinity – 5 hours north of Santo DOmingo…those two beaches are jaw-dropping beautiful – And DR is also a lot cheaper than Culebra…!

But if you are looking for an all in one package, and by that I mean – showers- camp sites- snorkeling- beautiful scenary- calm waters-food; Then that beach is called Flamenco in Culebra.

GOod luck!

My mother is Puerto Rican, so we go to the island to visit family, which can be hectic. It’s a really great day trip, and one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Not to mention, it’s a great break from crazy family members.

This is one of the most beautiful places I have been to in my entire life. White beaches with spraypainted tanks in the sand, amazingly clear water for fantastic snorkeling, isolated spots on the island for hikes and more snorkeling, and at night the ocean is illuminated by bio-reactive algae that glow green when you swim.

don’t drive. rent a bike. or a scooter.

It’s the cleanest and most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen in my life