Culebrita, Puerto Rico - Paradise in America's Back Yard

In late fall this year, Ben, Ruca and I have settled, more or less, for the remainder of the hurricane season in Puerto Rico's east coast, a place full of awesome beaches, amazing cuisine, and friendly locals.

Although we were digging PR, "settling' in one place is a love/hate concept for our full time sailing crew. We're travelers, so staying stagnant feels odd, and boredom ensues quickly (enter, pointless arguing, buying unnecessary things on Amazon, eating out too much and gaining the "hurricane season 15", etc.). On the other hand, we need the stability (and electricity) of marina life to knock out important boat maintenance projects, and hide from storms.

To help ease our boredom and help us from losing our marbles, we planned a few sails away from our marina in Fajardo and off into the gorgeous Spanish Virgin Islands. Just off the coast of Puerto Rico, these tiny islands dot the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, and are a US territory, but look like they were plucked right out of a travel magazine. They are absolutely magnificent!

The tropical island of Culebra had just charmed our pants off, so we were heading to Culebra's exotic, uninhibited kid sister island, Culebrita, just a few miles away for a few days of peace, quiet, and calm.

Culebrita's anchorage is nothing less than a cruiser's paradise, and you can only get here by boat. The Department of Natural Resources has mooring balls free of charge for daily use, although staying overnight isn't enforced. The water shone electric blue and contrasted the palm-lined white sand beach. And the best part? We had the place all to ourselves until the weekend rolled around. Absolute perfection!

After mooring right off the beach, we geared up with snorkels and fins and swam to shore. The beach is called Tortuga, named for the thousands of sea turtles which migrate here every year to lay eggs. Ben and I even spotted a team of park rangers overnight who undoubtedly had shown up to monitor the turtle egg nests! The next morning, we could clearly see turtle tracks up into the sand dunes.

We made sure to keep Ruca dog in the water swimming, and NOT on shore digging for eggs!

Culebrita is a small island, measuring just 1 mile in length. The only real structure is a lighthouse perched on the summit, which is one of the oldests Spanish lighthouses in all of the Caribbean, dating back to 1882.

We took the trail from the beach and hiked 20 minutes up to the lighthouse, where we were greeted by a family of very surprised island goats!

Being the only ones around besides the goats, we took off exploring the lighthouse rooms and crevices. We were amazed that the brick and stone work were preserved so well, and even saw rooms with original tile floors. Plus, the vista from the top is absolutely heart-stoppingly beautiful.

We heard there are some preservation efforts underway, and that the site has been added to the US National Register of Historic Places.

We spent several relaxing days in Culebrita, loving the awesome beach and the calm, clear water full of sea life. However, it was Friday, which means weekenders rolling in with their music blaring and motors full speed - our cue to pick up anchor and move on to a quieter scene. But America's Spanish Virgin Islands did NOT dissapoint. Who knew this is right in our backyards, no passport required??

We waved goodbye to Culebrita and set our sails back towards Puerto Rico's east coast. Until next time, Culebrita!

Thanks for Reading,

Ben, Quinn and Ruca

#destinations #PuertoRico