Like Vieques, Culebra is accessible by water and air, but I’d recommend flying if you can afford it. The only problem with the small planes that make the trip is that you can’t pack too much, but then again, you don’t need a lot of clothing on the island. The ferry is a slow and lumbering, but dirt cheap. Once here, you’ll want to get settled in, and then do what everyone has come here to do: head to Flamenco Beach.
Itinerary
- Once you reach the ferry dock or the airport, you’ll want to pick up your car rental. While there is ample public transportation to Culebra’s sandy jewel, you’ll want a car to putter around the island. Carlos Jeep Rental and Jerry’s Jeeps (787-742-0587) are both reliable options. If you want a funky (read: adventurous) alternative to a regular car or jeep, rent one of Dick & Cathie’s “Things,” a collection of dilapidated, noisy, manual-drive, old-fashioned Volkswagen buggies that are a lot of fun but certainly aren’t flashy (787-742-0062).
- Head to your hotel, or, if you want to live it up, Culebra-style, your rented villa. Club Seabourne is the top option; Harbour View Villas is a good moderate choice; and Posada La Hamaca and Casa Ensenada (787-742-3559) are among the best budget hotels.
- Check in and change into your bathing suit. Then take an hour or so to explore Dewey, Culebra's only town. When you’re ready for lunch, head back out toward the airport and stop at Barbara-Rosa’s (787-397-1923), about as down-home a place as you’ll find anywhere in Puerto Rico, and the place to go for killer crab soup and shark nuggets.
- After lunch, drive (or take a público) out to the one and only Flamenco Beach.
- When you’re ready for dinner, you have a few options. If you’re here during peak season, make sure you’ve booked a table (again, in advance) at Juanita Bananas, the consensus number one pick for dining in Culebra.
