If you ever get a chance to visit the caribbean, go to Culebra and Vieques. Click on the image to see all our pictures and read up on more thoughts below:
Alex (@adhays) and I started our journey thanks to free Airtran airline tickets. We flew out San Francisco on a Wednesday night and arrived via the red-eye flight in Puerto Rico the next day. We were welcomed by 95 degree weather and bright blue sky!
At the airport in San Juan we quickly got a cap to help us catch the ferry from Farjado to Culebra Island. The ferry ride was well worth the $2.5 - smile - and got us into Culebra's harbor (e.g. one dock) about 1.5 hours later. Walking onto the island, we felt adventurous, spontaneous and generally excited about where the next five days would take us.
Day 1: On our first day we stayed at a little hotel called Mamacitas in the main town. The hotel was very close to the ferry doc and had a decent bar and restaurant in the back. After dropping off our backpacks, we went to a nearby beach and enjoyed out first sunsets of several to come. There is no shortage of stunning beaches in Culebra and during the dinner at the dingy dock we realized what could be in store for us in the upcoming days.
Day 2: Our second day started with an early breakfast and a hike to the camp grounds which would be our home for the next 2 days. The first view of Flamenco beach was breath taking. It felt like we just arrived in paradise! Not only does Flamenco beach have a wide stretch to fly a kite or set up for a bunch of people but it also has far stretches of deserted beach. It is especially cool that the camp ground borders the beach pretty much all along the bay. Since we wanted to have a quite time, we chose to setup the tent the furthest away from all sorts of civilization - other of course a tank that seem to have magically appeared in the middle of nowhere (there are no streets anywhere close!).
Day 3: Waking up in the morning and being able to see Alex standing on the beach enjoying our little hide out post was more than I could have ever asked for. We started the day slow and only did what you do when you realized that you are living the life of Robinson Crusoe; catching and eating coconut, snorkeling, reading and sunbathing. In the afternoon we decided to take a hike back to town in order to buy some fresh fruit and drinks for the next day. On our way we got asked by a local guy if we needed a ride to town. People in Culebra are extremely welcoming and people generally don't need to fear any secondary motivations from them. Our new friend, a local elementary school teacher and Flamenco beach vendors, ended up taking us all around the island. He sure was a interesting and pleasant tourist guide. At the end of the day we finished our day at the dingy dock again. We had a couple of beers and excellent rum punches. As you can see we were happy :)
Day 4: On day four we left for Vieques. It was a spontaneous endeavor and we took the flight without any hesitation as it only costed us $25 to appreciate the beauty of these island from way above. Initially we had planned to go to St. Thomas and Virgin Gorda but flights prices had reached beyond our price range. Note: I had been to Virgin Gorda before and suggest everyone to go there as well - I consider it almost a world wonder! Vieques is a larger island and has more accommodations in terms of food and entertainment than Culebra. Nonetheless it is very non-commercial and untouched by many tourists. On Vieques we stayed in the small beach town of Esperanza. The highlight there is a beach promenade that offers local vendors a place to set up food and clothing huts. While eating strolling around we started talking to one of the locals. He was a rugged looking guy with shaggy hair and eyes that tells you he had been there for a long time (everyone called him "The local beach bum"). Dave, which was his real name, came up with the idea that from we would be called team D-A-M (Dave, Alex, Manuel). That in my opinion was 'mad' funny :) Dave offered us to take us around the island in a boat but before we knew it another local 'gentlemen' suggested to show us the island by car. We greatly accepted the offer and found ourselves on one of the most breath taking sight seeing tours ever. Noel, now also a friend of ours, took us to phenomenal beaches (e.g blue beach), his house where he kept 3 horses and several dogs, his niece's birthday, an old colonial prison (e.g. museum) and all around town. Later we all ended up at one of the best restaurants in town where we enjoyed the best food and a nice glass of wine. It truly was an amazing day and we will always be thankful for the time, generosity and hospitality.
Day 5: Our last full day was comprised off a great breakfast at Bellybuttons, more time on the beach, chicken on the street, playing around and Salsa dancing.
Thank you Culebra, Vieques, Dave, Noel and all the other people that made our trip so special.
What did I take away from this trip?
Guide to Culebra - Guide to Vieques - Carribean airline - Ferry Schedule
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| Culebra/ Vieques |
Alex (@adhays) and I started our journey thanks to free Airtran airline tickets. We flew out San Francisco on a Wednesday night and arrived via the red-eye flight in Puerto Rico the next day. We were welcomed by 95 degree weather and bright blue sky!
At the airport in San Juan we quickly got a cap to help us catch the ferry from Farjado to Culebra Island. The ferry ride was well worth the $2.5 - smile - and got us into Culebra's harbor (e.g. one dock) about 1.5 hours later. Walking onto the island, we felt adventurous, spontaneous and generally excited about where the next five days would take us.
Day 1: On our first day we stayed at a little hotel called Mamacitas in the main town. The hotel was very close to the ferry doc and had a decent bar and restaurant in the back. After dropping off our backpacks, we went to a nearby beach and enjoyed out first sunsets of several to come. There is no shortage of stunning beaches in Culebra and during the dinner at the dingy dock we realized what could be in store for us in the upcoming days.
Day 2: Our second day started with an early breakfast and a hike to the camp grounds which would be our home for the next 2 days. The first view of Flamenco beach was breath taking. It felt like we just arrived in paradise! Not only does Flamenco beach have a wide stretch to fly a kite or set up for a bunch of people but it also has far stretches of deserted beach. It is especially cool that the camp ground borders the beach pretty much all along the bay. Since we wanted to have a quite time, we chose to setup the tent the furthest away from all sorts of civilization - other of course a tank that seem to have magically appeared in the middle of nowhere (there are no streets anywhere close!).
Day 3: Waking up in the morning and being able to see Alex standing on the beach enjoying our little hide out post was more than I could have ever asked for. We started the day slow and only did what you do when you realized that you are living the life of Robinson Crusoe; catching and eating coconut, snorkeling, reading and sunbathing. In the afternoon we decided to take a hike back to town in order to buy some fresh fruit and drinks for the next day. On our way we got asked by a local guy if we needed a ride to town. People in Culebra are extremely welcoming and people generally don't need to fear any secondary motivations from them. Our new friend, a local elementary school teacher and Flamenco beach vendors, ended up taking us all around the island. He sure was a interesting and pleasant tourist guide. At the end of the day we finished our day at the dingy dock again. We had a couple of beers and excellent rum punches. As you can see we were happy :)
Day 4: On day four we left for Vieques. It was a spontaneous endeavor and we took the flight without any hesitation as it only costed us $25 to appreciate the beauty of these island from way above. Initially we had planned to go to St. Thomas and Virgin Gorda but flights prices had reached beyond our price range. Note: I had been to Virgin Gorda before and suggest everyone to go there as well - I consider it almost a world wonder! Vieques is a larger island and has more accommodations in terms of food and entertainment than Culebra. Nonetheless it is very non-commercial and untouched by many tourists. On Vieques we stayed in the small beach town of Esperanza. The highlight there is a beach promenade that offers local vendors a place to set up food and clothing huts. While eating strolling around we started talking to one of the locals. He was a rugged looking guy with shaggy hair and eyes that tells you he had been there for a long time (everyone called him "The local beach bum"). Dave, which was his real name, came up with the idea that from we would be called team D-A-M (Dave, Alex, Manuel). That in my opinion was 'mad' funny :) Dave offered us to take us around the island in a boat but before we knew it another local 'gentlemen' suggested to show us the island by car. We greatly accepted the offer and found ourselves on one of the most breath taking sight seeing tours ever. Noel, now also a friend of ours, took us to phenomenal beaches (e.g blue beach), his house where he kept 3 horses and several dogs, his niece's birthday, an old colonial prison (e.g. museum) and all around town. Later we all ended up at one of the best restaurants in town where we enjoyed the best food and a nice glass of wine. It truly was an amazing day and we will always be thankful for the time, generosity and hospitality.
Day 5: Our last full day was comprised off a great breakfast at Bellybuttons, more time on the beach, chicken on the street, playing around and Salsa dancing.
Thank you Culebra, Vieques, Dave, Noel and all the other people that made our trip so special.
What did I take away from this trip?
- Go to Culebra to appreciate a deserted island (a la Robinson Cursoe)
- Visit Vieques for great food, local vendors and wonderful (non-commerical) entertainment and people
- Take the single engine plane to fly from Culebra to Vieques, it's breath taking
- Make friends with David (the beach bum) and Noel (a local vendor) in Vieques
- Have an open mind and see where things go!
Guide to Culebra - Guide to Vieques - Carribean airline - Ferry Schedule
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