THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CULEBRA, PUERTO RICO

Getting There

Whatever you do, take the prop plane to Culebra instead of the ferry! The ferry leaves from the east side of mainland Puerto Rico and if you didn’t rent a car it’ll be just as expensive to Uber there as it would to take the prop plane. Plus, the view from the plane is u-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e.

The prop plane leaves out of SJU airport and is only a 30-minute flight over gorgeous blue waters to get to the island. Once you’re there, you rent a golf cart or a Jeep and just start exploring!

Getting Around

You have to rent your Jeep or golf cart at least a few weeks in advance of your trip to Culebra, or you’ll be left wandering around the island on foot, which isn’t easy. We went with a golf cart from Jerry’s Jeeps which cost about $85 a day and was completely worth it. The island of Culebra is also incredibly safe, so we just left our luggage strapped to the golf cart while we went to the beach and never had an issue.

Where to Stay

During our time in Culebra, we stayed at the wonderful Island Charm Hotel, nestled in the hills above the main town, which I can’t recommend more highly! This small hotel has only a few rooms, and we were lucky enough to get the Sea Turtle room, which came with a full kitchen and this amazing balcony overlooking the bay. The staff was incredibly friendly, the room was stocked with towels and coolers to bring to the beach, and there were the kindest stray cats that roamed the balcony as well.

The only downside of Culebra is that, because of its small size and the few tourists they get each week, especially in the off-season, the restaurants close early or might be closed entirely during your time there. That’s why we loved staying at Island Charm Culebra because our room was stocked with a full kitchen that we made great use of during our stay. If you end up going during the peak season, try to check out these restaurants and bars downtown:

• Dinghy Dock: The best restaurant on the island that you’ll need to arrive at least two hours early to grab a table.
• Zaco’s Tacos: For some casual Mexican food.
• Mamacita’s: A restaurant, bar, and hotel.
• Pandeli: Standard eat-in and take-out breakfast joint.
• Happy Landing: My favorite of all – a liquor store offering take-out piña coladas.

Flamenco Beach is the best known beach on Culebra and has repeatedly been named one of the 50 best beaches in the world – and for good reason. This beach is on an inlet on the north side of the island and surrounded by tree-topped hills and turquoise blue waters. If you decide to do a boat excursion in Culebra, this will definitely be one of the stops on the tour, as it’s the most touristy beach on the island.

While on Flamenco Beach, my favorite activity was just basking in the sun, but you can also snorkel off to both the east and west ends of the beach, explore some old and abandon tanks near the west end of the beach, and simply drink piña coladas and eat empanadas from one of the stands nearby to pass your time. 

Flamenco Beach is another perfect example of why you need a golf cart or Jeep on the island – it’s located very far from the city center and there’s only one hotel on the beach to stay at, which will likely be booked well in advance of your trip.

If you’re interested in snorkeling and a more unique beach atmosphere, head to Tamarindo Beach next, which is on the west side of the island. To be clear, this isn’t your typical beach-day beach in that the sand is more like rocks and it isn’t a very wide or deep beach. However, if you have your own snorkel gear or have rented in advance (as there’s nowhere to rent on the beach itself), then this will be some of the best snorkeling you’ll have on the island. During our swims, we saw manta rays, stingrays, and sea turtles, as well as a beautiful sunset over the islands across the bay from the beach. Also, make sure you bring everything that you’ll need for your time at Tamarindo, as there’s nowhere to buy food or other necessities while there.

Zoni Beach is the most secluded beach on the island – depending on when you go, there’s a good chance you could be the only person there.

Because of its seclusion, it’s also somewhat difficult to access. From the town center, it’s about a 30-minute drive via a golf cart. Once you’re about to reach the beach, you’ll be stopped by a sign that says no golf carts allowed because there’s a massive hill standing between you and the beach, and I presume that many golf carts don’t make it back up the hill once they’ve gone down it. Nevertheless, we parked our golf cart at the top of that hill and walked down in a matter of minutes.

Once on the beach, you’ll find sand and water very similar to that of Flamenco Beach but with way fewer tourists, making it the perfect spot to relax for an afternoon. Just like at Tamarindo Beach, be sure to bring everything you need down to the beach with you because there’s nowhere to buy food or water near the beach.

For our only full day on Culebra Island, we spent the day on a 5-hour scuba and snorkeling tour via Aquatic Adventures tour guides. They took us to two different dive spots and supplied us with both lunch and all the necessary equipment for our dives. Better yet, the full day only cost about $110 for a diver and $65 for a snorkeler, and we saw stingrays, manta rays, coral, nurse sharks, and tons of fish.