Culebra is wonderful place to spend the day. Locals visit on the weekend so its best to go on the weekend. The earliest ferry from Fajardo leaves at 9:00am and the last ferry returns at 5:00pm. This may not seem like enough…Read More

Culebra is wonderful place to spend the day. Locals visit on the weekend so its best to go on the weekend. The earliest ferry from Fajardo leaves at 9:00am and the last ferry returns at 5:00pm. This may not seem like enough time, but it is. Staying overnight in anything less that one of the resorts that are off by themselves, puts you at the disadvantage of finding very few places in which to dine. All we found were fast food taco, Chinese and pizza restaurants. The hours are limited as well.

Culebra is more like two islands side by side and this is where the ferry arrives. The smaller island to the right, means you cross a small bridge. There isn't much here, all the beaches are on the other side. Each beach has a different function. Transportation is either by publicos which are a flat $3 or a rental golf car at a whopping $70 a day. Renting a bike for $25 seems like a good idea until you realize all the roads are hilly which is why mountain bikes and not beach cruisers are for rent.

I was given a ride to Tamarind Beach by Brandi from Culebra Hostel. She was spot on for taking me to a great place to snorkel. From the parking lot I head out towards the right where there was rocks and coral. Here I saw four cuttlefish that I hovered over for quite a while. As they changed colors from blue to red to silver, I had time to take a couple of video clips. They seemed to know I simply wanted to take it all it and meant them no harm. I bid them goodbye and floated off. As I admired the variety of small colorful fish I caught sight of a spotted eagle ray gliding effortlessly along the sea floor.

I came out long enough to drink some water and head out in the opposite direction where I quickly came to floor of sea grass. First one, then two, then three, then 20 something. Small turtles and big turtles, solo ones and pairs, eating grass and coming up for air ----- turtles everywhere. This must have been the results of the nesting from a couple of months ago. So many turtles so easily accessible was quite a treat.

I head up the road to the main road where I hopped to hail a publico. A fully loaded golf car passed by me and the one behind pulled over to ask if I wanted a ride. I happily accepted figuring they would take me to the main road, but as was typical with the people of Culebra, they took me all the way back to the pier. It was a nice way to end the day.Close

Last time I wrote about Culebra: This is probably one of the most beautiful beaches on our planet. Camping is available here for two night minimums at US$10 per night, otherwise pay more at the lodgings down the cove. Flamenco is named for the flamenco coral that…Read More

Last time I wrote about Culebra:

This is probably one of the most beautiful beaches on our planet. Camping is available here for two night minimums at US$10 per night, otherwise pay more at the lodgings down the cove.

Flamenco is named for the flamenco coral that is dwindling off the coral reef that parallels the shore for about 6km due to increased ocean pollution and some irresponsible tourist use. Lets hope they come back in full swing! See them for yourself with snorkel gear or SCUBA for a better adventure... just beware of occasional sharks and anticipate the rare dolphin sight!

************************************ The facilities have been slightly improved to accommodate spring breakers from Puerto Rico. People continue to be a little more conscious of the environment here, as I never saw any trash other than the occasional beer can in the sand. Yes, I threw it away and I made sure to show other to do the same.

Also, the prices for the beach-front hotels have increased, and the competition from other small-resort areas has made real estate on the tiny island a venture for the wealthy. Boo hoo!! That has to change!

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THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL IS TAKEN FROM MY "PUERTO RICO OVER NEW YEAR''S" ENTRY, PLEASE GO TO THAT ENTRY FOR ALL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. We arrived in the village of Dewey, the only town on the island of Culebra, at about 4pm on the 27th. With luggage in…Read More

THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL IS TAKEN FROM MY "PUERTO RICO OVER NEW YEAR''S" ENTRY, PLEASE GO TO THAT ENTRY FOR ALL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

We arrived in the village of Dewey, the only town on the island of Culebra, at about 4pm on the 27th. With luggage in tow, we started searching the town for our hotel. Now when I say village, I mean three streets. This is really a true Caribbean village. You can walk everywhere in the town. If your hotel is on other parts of the island, then you will want to catch a taxi (easy from the pier).

We made it to the Posada la Hamoca to find it closed (they are only open from 10-12 and 2-4), however they left our key right there on the counter with a sign that read "Room 6". . .that should tell you something about this town. . .LAID BACK! We climbed our way to the top floor (actually the second floor, but who''s counting?) and into room 6. By the way, there are actually 10 rooms in the Posada La Hamoca (see my journal "Posada La Hamoca") and it is the largest hotel on Culebra. After settling in, we decided to find our dive shop to confirm our dive excursion for the following the morning. It couldn''t be that far in this village, right?. . .it wasn''t. About 100 steps from our room we found the Culebra Dive Shop, one of the two SCUBA dive outfitters on the island. Once we confirmed our dive time for the next morning, we asked Luz (the owners wife) for some help with dinner choices. . .the choice was pretty simple due to a lack thereof--Mamasita''s or Dhingy Dock.

We arrived at Mamsita''s about 7pm, (a casual open-air, canal-side place, with a great view of open water and boats lining the dining area) which happened to be located directly adjacent to our hotel. There was a wait of about 45 minutes. The time passed very quickly with a local band playing "musica caribe" and the Medella''s (a local Puerto Rican beer) flowing freely. As a point of interest, I think that Medella is a cruel joke that the Puerto Ricans play on the gringos, since every local Puerto Rican I spotted was drinking Coors light, not once did I see any drinking Medella. Oh well, we played into their game and drank the Medella, which was actually very good tasting beer.

After a very enjoyable dinner at Mamasita''s (a moderate priced seafood dinner) we decided to head to another establishment for some "refreshments." As we walked I spotted a local man walking out of his house with a beer (yep, Coors Light) in his hand, so I asked him for directions to the closest bar. Ernest turned out to be one of the nicest men we''ve ever met. He literally walked us to a local open-air bar on the corner of two of the three streets. It wasn''t much of a party scene since they only had four stools in the entire 10 x 12 room. We just got our beers and joined Ernest on the stoop outside (see my picture below). We chatted about Culebra and learned all about Ernest''s very interesting, yet uneventful life. I longingly thought of life on this remote, yet somewhat developed, island. What it must have been like 30-40 years ago when all the island knew was themselves and the occasional wayward sailboat with a Hemingway look-a-like on board and a busty blonde in tow. Ernest owns a small guest house and the next time we go to Puerto Rico/Culebra we''ll be staying there. . .no offence to Posada La Hamoca.

Everything in Dewey closes at 10 or at the latest 11pm. Don''t expect any late night romps, this town goes to bed early. However, for romance or families this place is perfect. If your single looking for love, I''d reccommend you stay in San Juan. While "sleepy" Dewey does have several places to party, just not too late. The nights we were in Dewey we had no trouble finding a cold beer for $1-2.

The next morning we headed out for our SCUBA trip (see Culebra Dive Shop journal). This was to be our best dive ever. My wife is fairly small and sometimes needs a hand getting into all that heavy SCUBA gear and even into the water (have you ever tryed to walk with a pair of fins on and a 40 lb. tank on you back?). The crew was great. They saddled her up, leaving me free to better manage my own gear. Our underwater dive guide, Carlos, was wonderful. He pointed out all types of underwater treasures--fish, sting rays, eels, lobster, etc. The day could not have been any more enjoyable. While my wife and I enjoyed the underwater scenery, our travelmates snorkeled from adove. They are not "certified". . .sounds so official, but really it''s sometimes just as nice to snorkel as it is to dive, plus you don''t have to deal with all that heavy gear.

Upon our return to the dock and after getting cleaned up, we sought a place for a late lunch. . . this turned out to be a mistake. We thought we''d head to Gordo''s, an American burger-type place or so it said on the menu at the hotel. However, after what seemed like forever, but was really about an hour of walking, and walking, and walking, we never found the place. Now Dewey is not a big place, remember earlier I said that there was only three main streets. I was not exaggerating. However, all three form a kind of triangle and then "spoke" off in different directions across the island. At any rate, I don''t think that Gordo''s exists. We eventually walked back to our dive shop to ask for help. They suggested that we go to Batey, which was just what the doctor ordered!

About two blocks from the Culebra Dive Shop, a couple of burgers and beers later we were feeling like new people. After lunch we thought it was a good time to do some souvenir shopping. Shopping on Culebra is rather limited (like two or three stores), two additional places by the pier open when the ferry is arriving.

Culebra is one of the most unspoiled points I''ve seen in the Caribbean. There are some of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in the world on this island. You will most likely have to hike a little to get to them, but with a little adventurous spirt, you will find the all the great qualities of this small charming island. If you can rent a jeep, you should. You''ll enjoy taking in all the sights that this spectacular island has to offer. While you''re there, long after sunset, take a moment to look up, enjoy the stars and take a deep breath. . .you''re on vacation. . .

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We arrived in San Juan at 1:15pm on February 24. Since husband is wary of small planes, we took a cab to Farajdo ($80 plus .50/bag). It is only 25 miles, but took over an hour. We missed the 3pm ferry and…Read More

We arrived in San Juan at 1:15pm on February 24. Since husband is wary of small planes, we took a cab to Farajdo ($80 plus .50/bag). It is only 25 miles, but took over an hour. We missed the 3pm ferry and had to take the 4:30pm cargo ferry. We didn't get to Dewey until 6:30pm—way too much time! We Stayed at Villa Boehme, a 12 room guest house. Our room had a king size bed, and a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator ($125/day). They had regular rooms (I think $99/day), with a community room that had refrigerators, microwaves, etc. Villa Boehme is two doors down from Dinghy Docks. Katherine (one of the owners??) was very pleasant. We'd recommend this place very highly.We ate at Dinghy Docks (OK food, terrible service—we had to ask for silverware twice—the atmosphere was lively). We ate at Mammacita's twice. My husband said they had the best beans and rice he'd ever eaten. I had great grouper in a sauce with a mussel on top. We also ate at Club Seaborne on a Sunday at about 6:30pm, there was only one other couple. Very impressive dining room atmosphere, and Eric was a great waiter. However, the food was disappointing. We both had a flank steak (mine was cooked well; my husband's was overdone). The problem was WAY too much cilantro was rubbed on the outside plus, it was marinated in it. The mashed yuca was good. The Pandeli Bakery was a daily stop, they had incredible sweet roles and bread. I wanted to package up the whole place and take it home with me!Went to Flamenco, Zoni, Melones Beach. They were all good in their own way. In fact, we went to Flamenco three times.We rented a jeep from Carlos. At first we were going to go with Willy's, but he never called me back when I called ahead of time from the mainland, twice. Once we got to the island I called and left a message and he did call 1/2 hour later, but we had already booked with Carlos. Only problem with Carlos was that when we brought the vehicle back on a Tuesday, there was no gas available from either one of the gas stations (we later learned gas gets delivered to the island on Wednesdays) so they charged us extra since we hadn't filled it up!! We Took the plane back to San Juan 4 days later. The price was twice as much ($183 for both us), but it only took 1/2 hour. So, it depends: if you have more money than time, take the plane! My husband was still uncomfortable with the plane... it took a few dips—I was fine with it. The little airport was more scary. When we were there they were going to work on their skylights. Luckily, they moved everybody away because three of the windows came crashing down!!Definitely go to Culebra if you want a laid back vacation, where the streets "roll up" by 11pm. Every person I came into contact with was very nice and helpful!Close

This is probably one of the most beautiful beaches on our planet. Camping is available here for two night minimums at US$10 per night, otherwise pay more at the lodgings down the cove. Flamenco is named for the flamenco coral that is dwindling off the coral…Read More

This is probably one of the most beautiful beaches on our planet. Camping is available here for two night minimums at US$10 per night, otherwise pay more at the lodgings down the cove.

Flamenco is named for the flamenco coral that is dwindling off the coral reef that parallels the shore for about 6km due to increased ocean pollution and some irresponsible tourist use. Lets hope they come back in full swing! See them for yourself with snorkel gear or SCUBA for a better adventure . . . just beware of occasional sharks and anticipate the rare dolphin sight!

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Nobody calls Dewey Dewey. It's an artificial name imposed by the Navy when they moved the original town. So just call it "town" or, as the locals call it, "el pueblo." In town, you'll find a couple grocery stores at the main intersection, some…Read More

Nobody calls Dewey Dewey. It's an artificial name imposed by the Navy when they moved the original town. So just call it "town" or, as the locals call it, "el pueblo."

In town, you'll find a couple grocery stores at the main intersection, some assorted dive and tourist shops, eXcetera, which is the office/copy/phone call location, some guest houses and a few restaurants. Check my restaurant reviews for more about that.

Culebra has a couple of churches, which act as hubs for activity. You can hear steel drum bands rehearsing, choir practice, whatever, as you stroll by.

Town is tiny and totally walkable. Most of the best restaurants are located outside of town, so transportation is almost a necessity, plus having transportation opens up a lot of possibilities to you.

Of the two dive shops, we trusted the equipment at Culebra Divers on the ferry dock the most, but the other dive shop on the main strip into town, they have some excellent food options such as frozen steaks, seafood and even a few gourmet cheeses and hams.

The post office is a U.S. post office, run efficiently and in a friendly manner. Postage is the same as if you were domestic to the United States, which is nice.

The party scene is centered around a few locations: Club Seabourne for dinner and drinks, Mamacita's for live music and local flavor, and Oasis Pizza for some late night shenanigans and a hipsterish expat scene.

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The most action you're likely to see is during the loading/unloading of the ferries. Get a schedule from the harbor master and then position yourself with a cold beer or delicious coffee drink from Cafe Isola and enjoy. Since Culebra is a tiny island,…Read More

The most action you're likely to see is during the loading/unloading of the ferries. Get a schedule from the harbor master and then position yourself with a cold beer or delicious coffee drink from Cafe Isola and enjoy.

Since Culebra is a tiny island, with a tiny airport, everything must arrive by ferry--even the garbage trucks. It's really unbelievable to see.

Families reunite after a day of WalMart-ing on the big island, visitors pour in searching for some respite from the hot ferry ride over, and all sorts of people come simply to watch what's happening. Somebody is sure to put on some LOUD music out of the back of their pickup, and people are sure to cruise by.

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