Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Territorial Parks & Reserves
The Department of Natural Resources protects more than 1500 acres of land along the
Península Flamenco and from Monte Resaca (640ft) east to the sea. Named the Culebra
National Wildlife Refuge, it includes the coastline as well as 22 offshore cays. The
USFish
& Wildlife Service (
www.fws.gov/caribbean/refuges/culebra
)
administers all of these
lands.
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge protects 18,000 acres on the eastern and western ends
of the island. Formed between 2001 and 2003, it is the largest natural reserve in Puerto Rico
and offers visitors a chance to mountain bike, hike, snorkel and swim on newly opened
beaches and pristine land.
Getting There & Around
There's frequent air service from San Juan to both Vieques (
Click here
) and Culebra (
Click here
). Cheaper and more environmentally friendly are the government-run ferries
that run from Fajardo to Vieques (
Click here
) and Culebra (
Click here
) regularly, though
the passage can be bumpy. In January, ferry passengers can sometimes spot humpback
whales.
Many travel agencies will tell you that cars are a must on Culebra and Vieques. However,
with a little extra effort and some lung-expanding leg work, both islands can be negotiated
via a mixture of públicos (shared taxis), taxis, bicycles and your own two feet.
Currently, there's no scheduled ferry or direct flights between Vieques and Culebra; air or
boat charters (
Click here
) are the only option.
Culebra
POP 1818
An elusive lizard (not seen since 1974) hides in a unique mountain 'boulder' forest, a
couple of abandoned US tanks lie rusting on a paradisial beach, a sign on a shop door in
the 'capital' Dewey reads 'Open some days, closed others.' Welcome to Culebra, the island
that time forgot; mainland Puerto Rico's weird, wonderful and distinctly wacky smaller
cousin that lies glistening like a bejeweled Eden to the east.
Long feted for its diamond-dust beaches and world-class diving reefs, sleepy Culebra is
probably more famous for what it
hasn't
got than for what it actually possesses. Home to
a large population of US expats, there are no big hotels here, no golf courses, no casinos,
no fast-food chains, no rush-hour traffic, no postmodern stress and
no problemas, amigo
. Situated 17 miles to the east of mainland Puerto Rico, but inhabiting an entirely differ-
