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Culebra, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Culebra

Flamenco Beach island getaway Popular destination~54 mi from San JuanCoastal

  • 84° · Mainly clear · 3.5 ft seas

Culebra is a small island town of Puerto Rico, part of an archipelago that also includes the smaller island of Culebrita and cays such as Norte and Luis Peña. Located about 54 miles from San Juan and roughly 17 miles northeast of the Puerto Rican mainland, it lies between Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, and Vieques, forming part of the Spanish Virgin Islands. The town is organized around the administrative center of Culebra Pueblo and five barrios.

Founded in 1880, Culebra is the least populous town in Puerto Rico, with 1,387 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024), and its residents are known as culebrenses. The island’s coastal setting centers on beaches like Flamenco and Playa Manzanilla, dive operators such as Culebra Divers, and a small cluster of local eateries such as Mamacitas and El Eden. Its history is preserved at the Museo Histórico de Culebra.

Culebra
All 78 towns
Known for
For visitors

Visitors come for Culebra's beaches like Flamenco and Playa Manzanilla, diving with local operators, and a compact selection of casual restaurants and cafes.

Beaches and water
Eat and drink
Culture
Fiestas patronales
For living hereLiving in Culebra means residing in Puerto Rico's least populous town, an island community shaped by its coastal geography and distance from the main island.Living in Culebra: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
Islands
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~54 mi from San Juan
Population
1,387 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1880
Median rent
$528/mo
Median income
$29,630/yr
Area
11.7 sq mi (30.2 km²)
Fiestas patronales
Our Lady of Mount Carmel · July 16
Guide spots
15
Stories, last 30 days
0
Water & power
Water by sector · Power outages
Living here
Rent, commute, schools & safety

Nearby towns

Browse the full guide →See on the news map →All 78 towns →

Right now in Culebra

FerryCeiba to Culebra

Every departure both ways, and whatever the ferry company has posted against today’s sailings.

Ferry schedule

Road closures in Culebra

No closures reported in Culebra as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Culebra

No rationing plan names Culebra. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 12. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector

Power outages in Culebra

Not among the 7 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 12, when 0.5% of customers island-wide were without power. Culebra was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town

Beach water

Not sampled recently: Playa Flamenco, Playa Melones, Punta Soldado and 2 more. Last tested Mar 15, 2024.

Beach water quality

News from Culebra

Latest stories

Every story that names Culebra Follow Culebra by RSS

Our analysis

Every Weekend Watch Every Drought Watch

Things to do in Culebra

Beaches & Chill
Playa Flamenco

Playa Flamenco

Turquoise waters and white sand

Playa Flamenco is a horseshoe-shaped bay in Culebra with white sand and calm, turquoise water, widely regarded as one of Puerto Rico's finest beaches and recognized with international distinctions for its quality and beauty. Its sheltered, species-rich waters make it a favorite spot for swimming and diving. Two campsites are located nearby for visitors wanting to stay overnight close to the beach.

Google Maps

Punta Soldado

Beach

Punta Soldado is a beach on Culebra with no lifeguards on duty, so swimming here is unsupervised. The facts list no other developed features, which points to a simple stretch of shoreline for sun and sea. Check conditions yourself before getting in the water.

Google Maps
Playa Melones

Playa Melones

Natural beach

Playa Melones, also known as Melones Beach, is a beach in Culebra, Puerto Rico, with a nearby parking area. It does not have lifeguards on duty.

Google Maps
Playa Tamarindo

Playa Tamarindo

Natural beach

Playa Tamarindo, also called Tamarindo Beach, is an undeveloped natural beach on Culebra. There are no lifeguards on duty, and the only mapped facility nearby is a single parking area, so it works as a simple, self-reliant stop where visitors should bring whatever they need and look after their own safety in the water.

Google Maps

Playa Carlos Rosario

Natural beach

Playa Carlos Rosario, also known as Carlos Rosario Beach, is a natural beach in Culebra. It does not have lifeguards on duty.

Google Maps

Playa de Sardinas

Beach amenities

Playa de Sardinas is a beach in Culebra close to a cluster of everyday conveniences rather than an isolated stretch of sand: several parking areas, restrooms, a handful of food and drink spots, and a rental shop are all within easy reach. That mix makes it a practical base for a beach day on the island, combining easy access with nearby options to eat, drink, and gear up.

Google Maps
On the Water
Culebra / Flamenco Beach

Culebra / Flamenco Beach

  • Dive
  • Snorkel
  • Surf

Flamenco Beach on Culebra is the island's best-known swimming beach, with calm water for most of the year. Diving and snorkeling are best from May to August, when reef visibility runs roughly 60 to 80 feet. Playa Tamarindo, just west of Flamenco, sits inside the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve, a no-fishing marine reserve between Culebra and Cayo Luis Peña, and is the island's most popular snorkeling site. Small reef surf breaks form at Zoni and other exposed shores, so surfers can find modest waves away from the sheltered bay.

Google Maps
Culebra Divers

Culebra Divers

  • Dive
  • Snorkel

A dive center across from Culebra's ferry terminal, running since 1987: one boat, six divers at most, sent each morning to one of more than 50 sites, plus snorkel tours, gear rental and courses up to Divemaster.

Website Google Maps
Eat & Drink
Seafood restaurant

El Eden

Puerto Rican fusion cuisine

El Eden is a restaurant in Culebra, serving Puerto Rican fusion cuisine. It is located in the municipality of Culebra.

Reviews on Google Maps
Puerto Rican restaurant

Mamacitas

Puerto Rican cuisine

Mamacitas is a restaurant in Culebra, serving Puerto Rican cuisine. It is located in the municipality of Culebra.

Reviews on Google Maps
Culture & Events

Anfiteatro, Centro de Bellas Artes y Actividades de Culebra

Theater performances

The Anfiteatro in Culebra is a theater that hosts various cultural events and activities. As part of the Centro de Bellas Artes y Actividades, it serves as a hub for artistic expression and community engagement. It offers a space for performances and other cultural activities.

Google Maps

Outdoors and sports

On the water in Culebra

All conditions

On the water near Culebra

Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Culebra or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Culebra

No trail we list starts in Culebra or within 19 mi of it on the same island.

See all 9 trails on Vieques and Culebra

Bills and recovery money

Bills about Culebra

All 9 bills about Culebra

Recovery money in Culebra

$10.7 million committed by FEMA to 50 projects filed under Culebra since 2001: $7,686 per resident, 11th of 78 towns.

Every project located in Culebra, the island-wide agencies’ included

33% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $5.4 million of the $16.5 million committed.

33%

57.2% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $5.6 million of $9.7 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

57.2%
  • Resaca Canal, Villa MunecoWater control$2.1 million
  • SHPO Consultations OnlyPublic buildings$1.8 million
  • Permits and StudiesParks and other$1.1 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Central Government (Centro de Gobierno)$817K of $817K100%Public buildings · last paid Sep 2, 2026
  • Earthquake: Project # 4, Road #250 Sector Fulladosa$661K of $661K100%Roads and bridges · last paid Apr 17, 2024
  • Earthquake: Project # 7, Tamarindo Road$448K of $448K100%Roads and bridges · last paid Apr 22, 2024
  • Earthquake: Project # 2, Sector La Perla y Puente$425K of $425K100%Roads and bridges · last paid Apr 17, 2024

Every town and the island-wide agencies

FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.

Living in Culebra

Crime in Culebra

6 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Culebra, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 14.4 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-lowest fifth of towns.

Homicides
1 YTD
Violent crimes
6 YTD
All serious crimes
22 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
14.4

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Culebra

FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Culebra

Phone alerts for Culebra

Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch

Photo credits