Culebra Blog | Culebra, Puerto Rico

We have some guests staying with us and they have the new version of the Lonely Planet Puerto Rico (and Culebra) Guidebook. The old edition was really out of date having last been edited in 2002, which means the research was most likely done in 2000/2001.

If you are curious, here is what Lonely Planet had to say about the Palmetto Guesthouse:

Setup in Barriada Clark, this new business is a super friendly and accommodating escape run by two ex-Peace Corps volunteers from New England. Five guestrooms have the run of two kitchens, a deck, a handy book exchange, and a sporty magazine pile. Situated not far from the airport, it is possible to walk to most of Dewey’s restaurants from here, as well as idyllic Flamenco Beach.

Looking forward to seeing you on Culebra!

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Culebra, home of the world famous Flamenco Beach, has just been named one of the “Ten Best Islands to Live On” by Islands Magazine.

From the article: “If you think you have to leave your favorite island to return to your “real life,” let us say with the utmost respect … you’re utterly wrong. This could be your real life — a barrier reef outside your front door, a wallaby in your backyard, a vacation smile always on your face. Backing us up are 10 stories from expatriates that you’re about to read as well as our own research into the best islands for inviting culture, enviable weather and available real estate. For any age, any career, any family, there is a perfect island to live on.”

Read the rest  – Islands Magazine or go straight to the “Best Islands to Live On: Culebra” portion of the article.

Thanks Jennica! And if you are coming to Culebra please consider staying with us here at the Palmetto Guesthouse.

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Today I have the pleasure of posting some GREAT pictures that were submitted by Aidan Wood. Aidan was a guest of ours a couple of weeks ago and he is quite a talented photographer.

Playa Flamenco and Culebra from the plane.

Playa Flamenco Tank Compliments of the Navy

Rainbow at Playa Flamenco

Playa Flamenco Conch Shell

Tree

We are always happy to post up pictures, so if you have visited Culebra and the Palmetto Guesthouse and would like to see your photos online just send me an email using the form on the Contact page.

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Because the northeast has been having quite a run of cold, snowy weather lately, I thought it would be a good time to post about ‘Ten Things You Could Be Doing on Culebra Instead of Shoveling Snow:’

1. Snorkel at Carlos Rosario & marvel at the fish & corals
2. Hike to Brava Beach & have the beach all to yourself
3. Take a boat ride to Culebrita with a picnic & cooler
4. Watch the sunset at Melones & drink in the view
5. Have a pina colada here in the Caribbean
6. Lounge in the sun at Zoni Beach & relax the day away
7. Boogie board at Flamenco Beach & catch some fun waves
8. Search for seaside treasures/shells on Tamarindo Beach
9. Explore the outer Cays & Isles on a scuba trip
10. Make a sandcastle (not a snowman :))

 The weather has been a perfect 85 degrees lately with a nice breeze and no rain. Come down and visit if you can…

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Thought I would snap some pictures this morning on our daily dog walk to Flamenco Beach and for those of you someplace cold the weather was perfect on Culebra today!

The photo below is the view from the road as we walked towards Flamenco.

image source: Palmetto Guesthouse on FLICKR

After walking the 1.5 miles from the Palmetto Guesthouse this is the view that greeted us at Flamenco Beach.

image source: Palmetto Guesthouse on FLICKR

Here is a Flamenco Beach palm tree…much better than snow!

image source: Palmetto Guesthouse on FLICKR

Last, but not least, walking back from the beach.

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Rent a bike and go to Zoni Beach

For the second “One Day On Culebra” activity, I thought it would be nice to fit in a choice that will also help to keep you in shape. Quite simply, anyone can get a car and have a very nice, fun drive to the beach, but renting a bike (or bringing your own) can sometimes provide the visitor with a much more intimate (not to mention strenuous) experience.

If you would like to have a little exercise for your one-day trip, I would suggest a bike ride out to Zoni Beach. The greatest part of the ride is that there really aren’t any excruciating hills and from the ferry dock to Zoni it is approximately 5.5 miles.

Click for larger map: Palmetto Guesthouse FLICKER

In all you will be biking a total of 11 miles. Zoni is a fairly quiet beach, when compared to Flamenco, and it has great view of Culebrita, Cayo Norte and St. Thomas.

Should you be concerned about your overall ability to complete the ride, the terrain is mostly flat, except as noted above, when you get close to Zoni. Tourists who are in reasonable shape (e.g. you can walk a mile without keeling over) should be able to do this ride without too much difficulty just make sure you bring some water because there are no vendors once you get there.

Click for lager image: Palmetto Guesthouse FLICKR

As an additional tip, if you still have energy after you arrive at Zoni I would recommend walking west (through the fence posts and past the turtle signs and turn left) and going down to the far end. If you are lucky you will most likely have that part of the beach all to yourself.

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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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Today the New York Times published an article in their travel section entitled, “Affordable Caribbean” and it looks as though they somehow overlooked Culebra. Well, I am sure some Culebra residents and visitors will see this as a blessing. Others might feel as though our island home has been slighted. Seriously, I am quite happy they did not include Culebra but the fact that they overlooked us is a bit surprising…? Camping on Flamenco Beach! The Caribbean does not get much more affordable than that and you have one of the best beaches in the world just steps away from your tent. Anyway, as the commentary recommends let the masses go to St. Thomas and Vieques, which are both profiled in the article.

The New York Times’ loss is our gain because we have many GREAT guesthouses, hotels, and rentals here on Culebra.

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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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Today, Monday October 1, 2007 the State Department, along with the Department of Homeland Security, will require ALL Americans to have a passport when returning by plane from the Caribbean (Mexico and Canada, as well) in an initiative called, “Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.” Many people have had major difficulty trying to get their passport on time and some folks have even had to cancel their vacation all together like this woman on CNN.

 If you have been dreaming about coming to the Caribbean but don’t want to deal with the delay, expense, and hassle of getting a passport then Culebra is the perfect choice for you. If you are a US citizen you do NOT need to have a passport to come down here for a visit. Flamenco Beach, one of the nicest beaches in the Caribbean is only a plane ride or ferry ticket away…and you can take the $75.00 that you would have spent on getting a passport and instead you can have a nice meal out while you are here.

This post is brought to you by the passport free Palmetto Guesthouse a small Culebra hotel offering affordable accommodation.

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