Culebra Blog | Culebra, Puerto Rico

Is there a ferry between Culebra & Vieques? (A very common question.)
There is NO ferry between the islands, nor are there water taxis or boats. You would need to ferry back to Fajardo and then take a second ferry over or vise versa.

How about flights between Culebra & Vieques? 
At this time, there are also no regularly scheduled flights between the islands, however the airlines (Flamenco, Vieques Airlink, Isla Nena) will sometimes put on flight for enough (4?) passengers. (Call the airlines for specifics.)

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Culebra is a small island and it has a good taxi/bus system. For $3.00 per person you can ride the bus from town to Flamenco Beach. Guests of the Palmetto Guesthouse can pick up the same bus just around the corner.

The buses run the loop back and forth between town and Flamenco daily from around 7am until about 5pm when the last passenger ferry departs for Fajardo. Arrangements can be made to have a driver retrieve you from the beach later if you want to stay beyond the 5pm time.

The buses are small vans or a bit larger “people-mover” type vehicles and will stop for you along the side of the road. There are no specific bus stops and no specific schedules, but they are a convenient and inexpensive mode of transportation to get around the most popular areas of Culebra!

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Are you visiting Puerto Rico and possibly looking for something fun to do for the day?

Why not come over to America’s best-kept secret in the Caribbean? Many international tourists with limited vacation time decide to visit Culebra just for the day.

While we think visitors who make the effort travel here should spend at least a week exploring, beachcombing and relaxing, due too its size the island does make a great day excursion destination, as well.

Interestingly enough, Culebra is not only a “must visit” travel destination for vacationing tourists, but the island is also a very popular getaway for the residents of San Juan and Farjardo who come over for the day to escape urban life and the big city.

I have compiled a list of three different activities that day visitors to Culebra might enjoy doing during their brief stay island.

Activity One – I will start with the most obvious, go to Flamenco Beach. If you have read any tourist related information on Culebra then you will have heard about Flamenco Beach.

For travelers who are looking for an effortless journey this is a very pain free and easy option. As soon as you disembark from the ferry there will be many great taxi/publico drivers waiting to whisk you the two miles from the dock to the beach. The taxi ride will cost $2.00 and in less than five to ten minutes of getting off the boat you will have the sand of one of the nicest Caribbean beaches between your toes. If you have the energy after reading, lying about, swimming and people watching make sure to walk to the painted tank on the northwest side of the beach.

Activity Two will be posted tomorrow and it is geared towards the active set.

Coming to Culebra for more than a day? Consider staying at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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For those of you who are traveling to Puerto Rico, and hopefully Culebra, AirTran Airways announced today that they will now be servicing San Juan International Airport. According to a CNN website article, “AirTran will begin nonstop flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The fast-growing, low-fare carrier will begin flying between its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on March 5, 2008. AirTran Airways will launch daily, nonstop flights between Orlando International Airport and San Juan the same day and add a second daily, nonstop flight on April 9.”

I must admit that I do not know much about the airline but if you are planning a trip to Puerto Rico and Culebra in the near future this may offer you another flying alternative.

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We seem to be getting a lot of people asking lately if Culebra is a good destination for a honeymoon. This is GREAT news because we love questions! However, I typically like to throw back a few queries to the inquiring party…about how they envision their honeymoon.

Culebra is definitely your stereotypical secluded, exotic, and romantic Caribbean location. However, honeymoons are meant to be a once in a lifetime special occasion and you and your new partner really need to think about what it is you are looking for in a destination. Without question, Culebra is a fantastic place for honeymooners to visit and it has an amazing array of beaches and activities to keep everyone satisfied.

Some of the specific questions include: Would you and your new spouse like to sit on the beach and do absolutely nothing? Would you like to go scuba diving or snorkeling? Are you happy making your own entertainment in an ultra laid-back environment? Typically, if couples answer yes to these questions then I would say Culebra is the place for them.

Because we do not want people to be disappointed with their experience, especially not honeymooners, other questions include: Do you require a five star resort setting? Would you like to go out and party until five in the morning? Do you like all you can eat buffets? Do you have an adverse reaction to sand beneath your toes?  If you answered yes to a majority of those questions then I would suggest that you might want to consider a different honeymoon destination. Or, better yet, go to Puerto Rico for a portion of your trip and stay at a large resort, party until the wee hours, and shop at the large malls. When you are tired and ready to relax on the beach then travel on over to Culebra.

Editor’s note: For an interesting read on the origins of how the term honeymoon came about have a lootk at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeymoon.

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According to a report on the news this morning, many people are finding it harder to justify taking a vacation these days. Even when people do manage to escape the office it seems that people just can’t resist doing a little work from the road. This claim is further substantiated by Barry Lawrence of CareerBuilder whose research shows, “Working vacations are now the norm.”

Having spent the past five years living on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, and now on Culebra, we see a lot of visitors that can’t quite seem to relax…and they are on vacation! So, whether it’s getting back to nature on a hike, or taking a dip at the very popular Flamenco Beach, Culebra has its own set of unique activities and environments that will help you slow down, loosen up, and actually enjoy being away from the office.

Here are some tips to help you unwind when you come down for your Culebra Caribbean vacation:

- leave your laptop at home
- go with the flow
- make a picnic and hike to one of the out of the way beaches
- spend a day doing absolutely nothing
- turn off your cell phone
- go kayaking
- try something completely different like snorkeling or better yet, get certified to dive
- take a leisurely stroll through town

For the burnt out worker on a vacation away from the office, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico features lots of different adventure activities for both the young and the young at heart. From exciting water and land-based activities like hiking a beach trail, camping at the water’s edge, or swimming at Zoni Beach if you can’t unwind and forget about work here you might just be in trouble.

Need a place to stay while you relax on Culebra? Try the Palmetto Guesthouse for friendly, personal service.

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According to Gadling, the second addition of Rum and Reggae Puerto Rico is now available. According to the official Rum and Reggae website, “Rum & Reggae’s Puerto Rico, Including Culebra & Vieques will help you find and experience all the best of “La Isla del Encanto.” From the pulsating nightlife of San Juan (both gay and straight) and the architectural wonders of Old San Juan to the rain forests of El Yunque, the surf breaks of Rincón and the serenity of Culebra & Vieques, we are there, giving our own brand of critique for the savvy and in-the-know traveler.”

The writer’s description of Culebra Island (taken from the online highlight section) is very interesting and he states, “Culebra is a small and simple island. Politically part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, it is light years away from the fast pace of San Juan. Although Spanish is the primary language here, English is spoken everywhere. The main village on the island is Dewey, named for Admiral George Dewey, an American hero of the Spanish-American War. This is where the ferry docks and where the post office and most of the commerce are located. There are only a few hundred guest/hotel rooms on the island, a few good restaurants, and no nightclubs, discos, or casinos. The pace is slow, slow, slow! Overall, one gets the impression that this is what the Caribbean used to be like. Indeed, Culebrenses - as residents are called - are very covetous of their way of life and are very suspect of any change.” I strongly agree with the last sentence of the highlight section where he says, “Culebra is one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets.”

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Culebra Island, Puerto Rico as we all know is a tiny unspoiled island located 17 miles east of Puerto Rico and 12 miles west of St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands). It measures about 7 miles long and 4 miles wide. Its total area, including surrounding cays, is 7700 acres. However, when you arrive on island you will want to be able to travel at your own pace, get around, sightsee, and go to the beach and as such, renting a car might be an option. As stated on this site before, it is NOT recommended to rent a car on Puerto Rico and then try to take it to Culebra on the cargo ferry. You are strongly recommended to come to Culebra and rent your vehicle here and please make sure to follow your chosen rental agent’s policy on vehicle damage and driving on poor roads:

CARS
Willy’s Jeep Rental    787-742-3537
Carlos Jeep Rental    787-742-3514
Jerry’s Jeeps    787-742-0587 
Dick & Cathie’s Jeep Rental    787-742-0062

If you prefer to bike or scooter around the island the following companies can assist you:

SCOOTERS
Culebra Scooter Rental    787-742-0195

BICYCLES
Culebra Bicycles    787-742-2209
Dick & Cathie’s Bicycle Rental    787-742-0062

This post is brought to you by the Palmetto Guesthouse offering friendly hotel accommodation on Culebra.

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While searching for some information online today I came across a very interesting and eye opening 1902 New York Times article on Culebra and Dewey entitled, “Uncle Sam’s Naval Base in the Caribbean Sea.” Louis Labadie Driggs drafted the article, who after a further GOOGLE search, appears to have been a New York Times staff writer in 1902 who focused on military affairs.

Since I am not sure of the New York Times’ copyright law I will just provide a link to the full article (as opposed to reproducing it here).

1902 Culebra Article Abstract

1902 FULL New York Times Culebra Article (opens as PDF)

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For people who like to travel, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico has just been listed by author Patricia Schultz as one of the 1000 places you must visit before you die. In a recent Forbes Magazine article Schultz says, “that unquenched sense of curiosity to explore what awaits down the road is a great part of my character.”

Schultz also gamely admits, “there are some regions she still hasn’t visited. Large parts of South America still “surprisingly draw only limited American tourism,” she says. And she points to places like Culebra, off the coast of Puerto Rico, Saba or the Grenadines archipelago–all in the Caribbean.”

The full article can be read at Forbes Magazine and you can also find the book on Amazon.

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