Heads up: among the hyperlinks on this web site are affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on and make a reserving or buy, I’ll make a fee (at no additional price to you). I associate with corporations I personally use and the $$ goes in the direction of creating extra superior, free journey content material.
Planning a day journey to Culebra takes a little bit of preparation however it’s positively do-able from San Juan. You’ll must rise up early to be able to catch a flight or take the ferry, however you’ll have loads of time to atone for sleep when you’re laying on the seaside.
Lying 20 miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico, Culebra is an attractive, low-key island surrounded by over 20 cays. The island is a haven for seaside lovers, boasting lovely white mangrove forests, sandy seashores, turquoise blue waters and luxurious surroundings.
From round 1901 till 1976 Culebra was occupied by the U.S Navy and the Flamenco Peninsula was used for gunnery and bombing follow. The #1 attraction in Culebra is Flamenco Beach, the place you possibly can see tanks left there by the navy.
Today Culebra is extraordinarily fashionable for day journeys and snorkeling excursions and is taken into account the most effective locations to go to in Puerto Rico. If you’ve greater than 3 days in Puerto Rico, be sure you add it to your itinerary.
How to Get to Culebra from San Juan
By Ferry
The Culebra ferry departs from Ceiba ferry terminal, which is on the east coast of the island close to Fajardo. The finest option to get there may be to lease a automobile from San Juan – I like to recommend checking costs utilizing Priceline, Rentalcars.com or Discover Cars.
Aim to select up your automobile the evening earlier than, because you’ll must depart fairly early within the morning to your day journey to Culebra. The first ferry departs at round 3.30am after which there are ferries all through the morning round 6am, 6.30, 7.30 and 9am. The earlier the higher, because you’ll have extra time on the island. Make certain you verify the ferry schedules for up-to-date instances, as they range in keeping with the seasons.
Tickets for the ferry price $2.25 every manner, which is a steal! The journey takes round 45 minutes for the passenger ferry and round 1.5 hours for the passenger + cargo ferry, so goal to take the passenger ferry if you happen to can.
Make certain you buy your tickets on-line right here a few weeks upfront, as they promote out shortly. The web site will say there’s tickets out there on the field workplace, however desire for these is given to residents they usually are likely to promote out. It can be unlucky if you happen to went all the best way to the ferry terminal solely to search out the tickets are offered out!
Check out my Culebra ferry information for detailed data on reserving tickets, parking and what to anticipate.
There’s parking out there on the ferry terminal, which prices $11 per day. Make certain you convey money! Rental vehicles aren’t allowed on the cargo ferry, so that you’ll have to depart your automobile in Ceiba and decide it up while you get again.
If you don’t need to drive to the ferry terminal, there are personal automobile companies that can take you to Ceiba. They’re costly although, so it’s typically cheaper to lease a automobile from San Juan airport or Isla Verde.
The drive from San Juan to Ceiba can take wherever from 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes relying on visitors, time of day and which highway you’re taking. The toll highway is the quickest, however you possibly can’t pay tolls in money so your rental automobile firm offers you the choice to pay a day by day price for tolls. You can refuse the toll choice, however if you happen to do drive on a toll highway, you’ll pay a penalty charge for every toll violation while you return the automobile.
If you don’t need to pay for tolls, keep away from PR-66 and journey solely on PR-3.
By Plane
The quickest option to get to Culebra is by taking a small aircraft. It’s potential to fly direct from San Juan to Culebra with Cape Air, or from Ceiba to Culebra with Air Flamenco. Due to the brief runway in Culebra, the planes are small propeller plane, so if you happen to’re apprehensive in regards to the security of small plane, it’s possible you’ll favor to take the ferry. That being mentioned, there have been no aircraft crashes on the Culebra route with both airline.
Expect to pay round $200 round-trip from San Juan, or round $90-$120 round-trip from Ceiba.
If you’re flying from Ceiba, you’ll must lease a automobile and drive or e-book a automobile service from San Juan. The airport known as José Aponte Hernández Airport and is located near the Ceiba ferry terminal.
When you land in Culebra you’ll arrive at Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport, the place you’ll discover taxis ready outdoors the terminal.
Getting Around Culebra
Once you arrive in Culebra you’ll discover taxis ready on the ferry terminal and on the airport that take guests to Flamenco Beach.
From the ferry to Flamenco Beach, the taxi prices $20 and seats 4 folks. The taxis might be shared, so my pal and I had been paired up with two different women and whisked to Flamenco Beach for $5 per particular person. If you possibly can’t see a taxi ready, name one of many following corporations:
If you intend on spending only a day in Culebra, then it’s best to only get round by taxi. However, you can too drive your self round by reserving a golf cart or Jeep rental. The corporations normally supply free pickups from the ferry terminal and airport. Check out these web sites for leases:
Beaches & Things to Do in Culebra
OK, so now you’ve made it to Culebra! Most guests head straight to Flamenco Beach, which is voted the most effective seashores on the earth. We spent our total day right here simply absorbing the solar, consuming pina coladas and consuming seaside snacks. However, there are additionally another nice seashores on the island that you could be need to try.
Flamenco Beach
Nestled on the north coast of the island, Flamenco Beach is voted one of many world’s finest seashores and is legendary for its painted tank.
Here you’ll discover an expansive stretch of white sand with turquoise blue water, backed by lush greenery. If you stroll west alongside the seaside you’ll come throughout the tank – a rusty relic left over by the U.S army. The tank is rotting within the ocean, however it’s usually painted in shiny graffiti and is without doubt one of the hottest photograph spots in Puerto Rico.
When you arrive on the seaside you’ll come throughout a carpark and an facilities space with meals kiosks, bogs and showers. There are additionally umbrellas and chairs out there for rent, costing $20 for an umbrella and $10 per chair.
Tamarindo and Carlos Rosario
Tamarindo Beach and Carlos Rosario Beach are a part of the Luis Peña Nature Reserve and are house to all kinds of underwater life, together with remoras, bluetail fishes, stingrays, angelfish and manta rays. They’re each glorious locations to pop your snorkel on and see what you’ll find.
Tamarindo attracts fewer vacationers than Flamenco Beach, so it feels quieter and much more secluded. There are not any amenities at this seaside, so that you’ll must be sure you convey your individual meals, drinks and seaside chairs.
Playa Melones
If you need to spot sea turtles, head to Melones Beach, which is situated on the west of the island overlooking the Luis Peña Natural Reserve. The seaside is rocky however is superb for snorkeling and attracts loads of turtles resulting from its abundance of seagrass.
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
The island’s coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests are teeming with wildlife, making it the proper place for snorkeling or diving. If you need to lease snorkeling tools, study to dive or take a guided tour, try a few of these tour corporations:
Museo Histórico de Culebra
Culebra is actually all about laying on the sand, however if you need a break from the seaside, try the Museo Histórico de Culebra, which traces the historical past of the island. Housed in a former Naval munition warehouse, the museum gives details about the island’s ecosystem, in addition to the army’s presence in Culebra.
Where to Eat in Culebra
When you arrive in Culebra will probably be breakfast time! Check out the next locations:
Blac Flamingo Coffee – This lovable espresso store has a shiny pink exterior and cute outside seating – it’s the proper place to seize breakfast earlier than you head to the seaside. On the menu you’ll discover coffees, french toast, avocado toast, bagels, sandwiches and smoothies.
Culebra Coffee – Located close to the ferry terminal on the principle strip, Culebra Coffee is open early at 7am and serves issues like breakfast wraps, sandwiches, bagels and avocado toast. There’s additionally a present store connected, the place you should buy seaside towels, sarongs and clothes.
For lunch and dinner, these are another good choices:
Restaurant Caracoles – Situated near the ferry terminal by the water, Restaurant Caracoles makes a speciality of seafood, providing issues like mahi-mahi, octopus, shrimp, grouper and snapper. You can even order quite a lot of steaks, together with churrasco, T-bone and filet mignon.
Dinghy Dock – Instantly recognizable by its shiny blue facade and blue inside, this indoor/outside restaurant serves recent seafood and Puerto Rican delicacies with lovely views of the water. On the menu you’ll discover loads of recent fish, together with quite a lot of day by day specials.
Zaco’s Tacos – If you fancy a fast chunk earlier than you head to the ferry, attempt Zaco’s Tacos, a colourful, quirky restaurant serving nachos, tacos and refreshing margaritas!
Is A Day Trip to Culebra Worth It?
While Flamenco Beach is gorgeous, there’s actually not that a lot taking place on the island. It’s very quiet, and the selection of lodging and eating places is restricted. So I’d say sooner or later in Culebra is adequate. If you like snorkeling and diving, and also you need to discover extra of the island’s seashores, then perhaps you’d need to rent a automobile and keep one evening on Culebra to be able to have a full two days there.
Accommodation on Culebra consists of small guesthouses and flats, so don’t count on luxurious resorts or chain lodges if you happen to do plan to remain in a single day.
I’ll be trustworthy, my Culebra day journey was fairly exhausting. My pal and I needed to rise up in the course of the evening to drive to Ceiba and we didn’t get again to San Juan till about 9pm. If you’ve the money and also you don’t thoughts small planes, then I’d contemplate flying there over taking the ferry.
However, the ferry is way, less expensive and if you happen to can snag the ferry instances you need, then the journey shouldn’t be too unhealthy. Just be sure you attempt to sit on deck so that you don’t get too sea sick.
A Final Word…
So that completes your day journey to Culebra, one among Puerto Rico’s most well-known islands! Your day will contain an early begin and a late end, however it’s completely potential to see Culebra in sooner or later. Make certain you’re taking out some money earlier than you get to the island, as you’ll want it for issues like parking on the ferry terminal, taxis on Culebra and snacks on the seaside. If you do neglect, there’s an ATM proper by the ferry terminal, so be sure you convey a debit card.