Culebra Blog | Culebra, Puerto Rico

The Olympic torch made a swing through Culebra last week and a few lucky residents got to carry it through town during a formal procession. From Wikipedia Olympic torch entry:

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics[citation needed]. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since. According to legend, the torch’s flame has been kept burning, ever since the first Olympics.

In contrast to the Olympic flame proper, the torch relay of modern times which transports the flame from Greece to the various designated sites of the games had no ancient precedent and was introduced by Carl Diem at the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Some photos for the day taken by Palmetto Guesthouse.

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During the month of June we had two fantastic couples get engaged while staying with us here at the Palmetto. First, we had Ryan and Najla get engaged at Carlos Rosario beach after a day of snorkeling.

And, this past week Dan and Michelle got engaged at Zoni Beach.

We wish both couples tremendous joy, happiness, and success!

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Recent Palmetto guests, Jesse and Louisa, got engaged yesterday afternoon after a day of snorkeling at Carlos Rosario beach!!

We wish them the very best. :-)

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Today TripAdvisor ranked Culebra as one of the Top Ten Beach and Sun Destinations in the World. Culebra Island came in number eight in the rankings and according to TripAdvisor, “Culebra is somewhat of the anti-tourist destination, harboring no large hotels or flashy vacation bells and whistles. The beaches are stunning stretches of white sand, great for sunning, windsurfing and diving. The culture and architecture are just as colorful as the waters of the bright blue sea. Stroll around downtown for a truly quaint afternoon activity.”

When planning your trip, if you’re looking for small, quaint accommodation on Culebra Island, then give us a call at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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Culebra Island is an amazing place to visit. We have incredible beaches, good restaurants, and untouched natural beauty the way nature intended it. However, we also know that you work very hard and have limited vacation time. When it comes to making a decision on where to go, you need to get this right.

To be sure, a Culebra island vacation is unique and not for everyone.

In order to help you and your traveling companions make an informed decision, we compiled a list of ten things  that you should know about Culebra.

1.  Most Culebra accommodation options are located in neighborhoods. They are not fancy resorts.

2. You will most likely hear roosters crowing (at ALL hours), children playing, people laughing, and loud music.

3. Most of Culebra’s treasures are outside in the natural environment, if you want a vacation where you can spend hours on end in your room then you might want to go elsewhere.

4. If you are coming from a large metropolitan area, think New York or Washington D.C., realize that hyper-speed does not really exist here. The “pace” is sometimes referred to as “island time.”

5. There are NO high-rise hotels or all inclusive properties on Culebra. A typical stay is like visiting a friend’s home.

6. Culebra has one bank, one gas station, and zero traffic lights.

7. As Culebra is a tiny island, almost EVERYTHING must come to the island via plane or boat (including YOU if you decide to visit). Thus, resources can be limited and therefore things might be a bit more costly. This includes things like water and electricity, so you should be prepared to try to help out and conserve Culebra’s resources.

8. The beaches are beautiful and natural. There are no cabana boys waiting to serve umbrella drinks. There certainly are much fancier islands in the Caribbean, but Culebra is very unpretentious.

9. The dress code is very informal, such that the 25 lbs allotted for baggage on the airlines is more than enough for what you’d need to pack for Culebra.

10. Culebra’s grocery stores are small, smaller than most 7-11’s in the United States. However, you can get pretty much everything you need right here on island. And the fruit and veggie guy comes every Friday.

If Culebra sounds like your kind of low-key vacation paradise then please get in touch with us at the Palmetto Guesthouse. Also, check out our F.A.Q. page if you still have questions.

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Here at the Palmetto Guesthouse, on a weekly basis we get emails requesting information on Culebra’s beaches. Typical inquiries include:

• Where are Culebra’s best beaches located?
• What is the access like?
• How’s the snorkeling?

To try and help our potential visitors, below is a list of Culebra Island’s most visited beaches and some general information on each.

Flamenco Beach

The gem of the island and consistently ranked among the top ten beaches in the world. Flamenco is probably the most accessible beach on Culebra. All of the publicos (for $3.00 per/person each way) go there during the day, if you have a rental car it’s an easy drive, or you can even walk 1.7 miles from the Palmetto Guesthouse to find yourself on this amazing stretch of Caribbean sand.

During the winter, Flamenco (like all of the north facing beaches) is exposed to north swell. All of that snow and awful weather you see reported on T.V. sends ocean waves and choppy seas our way. Normally that results in some great breezes as well!

Flamenco has some snorkeling spots down on the left hand side by the tank and over on the eastern side, by the mullecito (little dock), but by and large there are better snokel spots to be had on island.

Carlos Rosario Beach

One of the better snorkeling locals is Carlos Rosario Beach. It is one place that you definitely want to visit while you are on Culebra. Located via a twenty minute walk from Flamenco Beach, Carlos Rosario, is one of the best locations for snorkeling on Culebra.

The trail leaves from the left hand side (as you enter) of the Flamenco parking lot. At the bottom of the path (after traipsing up & over the hill-about 20 minutes), you will see a beach area on your left. This is not yet Carlos Rosario. Keep going straight ahead until the path ends & the water is straight ahead. Then, turn right and walk down the beach about 200 yards to find some nice sea grape trees for shade and a nice bit of snorkeling reef waiting for you.

Zoni Beach

Zoni beach is another popular stretch of golden white sand on Culebra that does not require any hiking. To reach Zoni, however, you will be required to have some type of transport; a bike, a car, or a scooter as the publicos do not like to venture out there.

Zoni beach is exactly 5 miles from the Palmetto Guesthouse and is as far east as you can go on Culebra. When you arrive, head down to the right side of the beach (facing the ocean) a bit. Here you will again find sea grape trees offering shade and a great swimming spot directly in front of this area. Too, en route to Zoni, as you reach the final high point prior to heading down a steep slope to the beach/parking area, you have a terrific view of Cayo Norte, Culebrita (with lighthouse) and even St. Thomas in the distance.

Tamarindo Beach

The turnoff for Tamarindo beach is located about 1/2 mile before you reach the Flamenco parking area. If you are coming from town, keep your eyes out for the first tree in the middle of the road followed immediately on the left by a large yellow house and a left hand turn. Take that turn and drive on down. If you park by the Tamarindo sign (just before you start going up the incline passed the beach) there is good shade to either side.

Snorkeling at Tamarindo can be quite good if you head off to the far left or right hand sides. Tamarindo is a great beach, however, since it has an abundance of seagrass, there is a very good good chance you might spot a sea turtle or two.

Melones Beach

Melones is easily accessible by car, foot, or bike and is located just on the other side of town from the post office and the health clinic. If you are heading towards the ferry dock take the right immediately after the post office and follow the paved road direct all the way to Melones.

This beach is not like Flamenco with a mile stretch of white sand. However, what it lacks in grains of sand it more than makes up for with its quality snorkeling. Melones is also a fabulous place catch a sunset.

Brava Beach

Brava beach requires a little more work to reach than the other beaches.

Heading out towards Zoni Beach, you pass the cemetery, climb a hill, see the Culebra museum on your left & take an immediate left hand turn. Follow the road all the way to the end & then begin your hike. Brava is about a 30 minute walk, but is certainly worth it! This crescent shaped beach can be rough, but provides a stunning view of a, many times, beach with only YOU on it!

Resaca Beach

Resaca Beach is similar to Brava, in that it is quite secluded and also requires a hike to reach it. Prior to arriving at the trail head, you would follow the road on the far side (towards Zoni) of the airport, past the Public Works Building and continuing on up, up, and up. The paved road turns to concrete and narrows and once you reach the circular turn around spot at the top you should look for the small turtle sign indicating the path.

Resaca requires a bit of effort as the trail can include scrambling over rocks and ducking under trees. There normally are pink survey markers tied in various spots to ensure that you are taking the proper path. Sneakers are recommended for this trek, but the reward upon reaching this stunning beach is great!

Playa Soldado

Lastly, Soldado Beach is a relaxing little spot, which has shade and good beginner snorkeling opportunities. Driving across the bridge in town you would take a left and keep going. When the paved road ends you can either park at the top and walk down (about 15 min.) or carry on on the dirt road if you have a high clearance vehicle in good shape. At the bottom you will park on the right side and can find a spot in the sun or under the tree and look out towards Vieques as you pass the day.

If you need further information about Culebra Island’s amazing beaches, please do not hesitate to contact us through the Palmetto Guesthouse contact page.

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Where can I swim for exercise on Culebra Island?

(The following is an answer to a reader question, and the continuation of two recent posts Running on Culebra and Biking on Culebra.)

There are no public pools on the island of Culebra, but if you’re like me and enjoy swimming for exercise, then this post should help a little bit.

On Culebra, of course, you are surrounded by water with many amazing beaches, however, trying to find a calm place to swim for exercise can sometimes be tricky during the winter. One of my favorite spots to swim from November to March is Tamarindo beach.

Typically Tamarindo is well protected from the north swells, and the predominant wind direction (NNE) this time of year does not affect conditions too adversely.

.32 Mile Swim (.16 each way) – Short Swim

When you arrive at Tamarindo beach if you start at the corner of the concrete structure shown below -

Walk into the water (Luis Pena will be directly across from you) and swim to the left following the coast line.

The green dot on the map below denotes the starting point and the red dot denotes the turning spot.

If you are not all that comfortable swimming for distance in the ocean, with this route you can get a nice little .32 mile swim (with the confidence of always being able to touch bottom) if you go all the way to the tree (shown below) and back to the starting point. Note, I usually try to keep a rock or two balanced on the trunk for easy identification.

.62 Mile – Long Swim

If you are looking for a bit more distance and have done the initial .16miles, you can swim from the turn tree (shown above) all the way down to the other end of Tamarindo. The green dot denotes the starting point and the red dot is the end, which is back at the initial concrete structure.

When you get down towards the other end of Tamarindo you want to sight for the ‘topless’ tree (see below) and when you are directly across from it you will turn and head back.

Should you happen to find yourself on Culebra Isalnd during the summer months, Flamenco beach makes a fabulous swimming venue and you can easily sneak in a full mile if you start at the second life guard tower and follow the coast down to the mullecito (.5 miles) and back again.

If you have any questions about swimming, biking, or running on Culebra get in touch with us here at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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Are you looking for a daily dose of pictures from around Culebra Island? Well, you’re in luck because Culebra Daily Photo has recently launched and we will be posting a new Culebra picture every day.

If you find yourself suffering in the cold and snowy weather up north, or if you  just want a visual escape, please take a look at Culebra Daily Photo.

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The travel section of the Boston Globe prominently featured Culebra (and the Palmetto Guesthouse) on its front page story today, “Seeking Sun & Savings.”

Author Patricia Borns writes:

“For heat on the cheap, we scoured the warm zone for destinations with great packages, or lodging options under $130 a night, and recent round-trip airfares from Boston under $450. Then we applied our rating system: high scores for barefoot simplicity, debits for resort crowds. And the winners are . . .”

You can read the full article here: Seeking Sun & Savings

If you want to escape the cold northeast and checkout Culebra’s fine beaches like Flamenco, Brava, and Zoni then give us a call at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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Matt D. recently stayed with us at the Palmetto Guesthouse and he took some amazing photos around Culebra:

Culebrita Island Shorebreak

Culebrita Island Cactus

Culebra Island Iguana Eating Lunch

Playa Tortuga on Culebrita Island

If you would like to come to Culebra Island and take your own photos, give us a call at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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