Culebra... small "wow" paradise of Puerto Rico.
Culebra, Puerto Rico.
It's incredible to think that I've lived all my life in Puerto Rico but have never visited the islands off the east coast (Culebra and Vieques). So I thought of uploading several pictures that will remind me of that amazing weekend I spent on that small island off the east coast of Puerto Rico... Culebra.
It was my first time going to Culebra and I'd heard several stories of how early you have to get to Fajardo to get to the Ferry Terminal. We weren't able to get tickets in advance so we left Rio Piedras around 5:30am with hopes that we would get there early enough for tickets since it was the Friday after Thanksgiving so crowds could likely be flocking to Culebra for the long weekend. Luckily, we got there early enough to get tickets and got on the ferry.
View from the ferry window.
We got off the ferry and stepping into Culebra for the first time was a surreal experience. I was still in Puerto Rico but after the hour and a half ferry trip it felt like I had traveled to some other country. Culebra is quite small compared to most towns in Puerto Rico. There's no street lights (I actually realized this on my last day when reading a Culebra tourism magazine; sheesh, talk about not noticing your surroundings), I only saw one ATM, only one gas station (awkwardly located in a small corner near the ferry terminal), no traffic jams, no fast food restaurants, and no shopping malls. It was definitely refreshing coming to a place like this.
We roamed around for a bit until we found a convenience store to get some supplies before heading for the beach. There seems to be quite a few carros públicos and finding one around the town area was very easy. We finally got to Flamenco Beach, payed the required fees and set up our tents.
We set up camp on area A since it was pretty empty.
The plan was to camp-out in Culebra. The cost was $20 per night per tent but we ended up paying only $24 each by dividing up costs between the 3 tents we had (we were 5 sleeping in 3 tents). I've read in some websites that they find that there's no water in showers at Flamenco Beach. The fact is that they limit water access in the showers that are closest to the entrance. However, if you walk deeper inside the campsite area there's showers further down. I showered in the last campsite (nearer to where the tanks are) since it's pretty secluded there. You have to really look for them because they're not in plain sight but there's water there 24/7. Try not to shampoo your hair or bring eco-friendly products to avoid contaminating the area.
On the first night we were able to hitch a ride with a local instead of paying the $3 for the ride into town. It was the strangest ride I've ever been on. The kiosks around Flamenco close-up early and it's really dark if you don't bring a lantern, so a night in town is the next best thing.
Flamenco Beach
Trail to Carlos Rosario Beach
We hiked up the trail to Carlos Rosario Beach. The trail is located pretty close to Flamenco Beach. Just at the end of the parking lot you'll find a gate with a huge sign that says "Danger". The trail was a little bit tiring for me as there's some climbing but it's pretty easy to get there. As you can see the view is pretty amazing when you get to the highest point as you can see Cayo Luis Peña from afar (my camera lens didn't open up correctly for the shot above). It's a 20 to 30 minute walk, depending on your pace.
I thought snorkeling at Carlos Rosario was a whole lot better than Flamenco but since it was my first time I was a little scared. There weren't many waves but there was just this one particular wave that was a bit rough and I got caught up in it for a few seconds and it disoriented me. Perhaps if you go further out into sea you can see a lot better and there's no waves, but again it was my first time so I didn't venture around a lot. I didn't snorkel at Melones Beach (the picture can be found below) but my friends told me that the coral reef there was even better than at Carlos Rosario.
Kite flying at Flamenco Beach
A friend had brought an interesting kite and with the winds so high and the beach nearly empty, we decided to give kite flying a try. The wind was so strong, we saw another man kite surfing around the beach.
The second night we hung-out around town a bit. We met a really nice local called Bonilla who took us to several bars. We went to the Dinghy Dock, Mamacita's (they had really nice congas playing that Saturday night) and Kokomo Hotel where we sang karaoke. The night-life is nowhere near like the clubs in San Juan but we definitely had a fun night out.
Everyone inside Bonilla's car
On our last day Bonilla, a local surfer, took us around in this crazy car. I have no idea how we were all able to fit inside.
Hill on our way to Zoní Beach
On our way to Zoni Beach, there's lots of great views since Culebra has lots of hills and is very mountainous. On this particular picture above, you're able to see Culebrita Island in the background.
Zoní Beach
At Zoni Beach, the view was incredible. The waves were a little higher than on any other beach we went to, but there was definitely not as many people around. It takes more than usual to get to Zoni since it's on the other side of the island, but it's worth the visit.
Melones Beach, part of the Natural Reserve of Cayo Luis Peña
Melones is not much of a beach but it was a great place to snorkel. I didn't get to snorkel but my friends who snorkeled at Carlos Rosario, Zoní and here, told me that this was the best place. They went to the far right of beach (you can barely see their heads in the picture above).
Leaving Culebra
Alas, all good things must come to an end. But my trip to Culebra was absolutely awesome. I had a great time and I'm probably going to go back there sooner than you think. Culebra is a place not to be missed by Puerto Ricans and travelers alike.
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