Culebra Snorkel with Turtles & Flamenco Beach Adventure by Ferry
The public ferry with a guide: turtles at Tamarindo, then three hours at Flamenco Beach.
From $145 per person
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Culebra's beaches split into two kinds: long sand for a beach day, and reef beaches where the snorkeling is. Here is each one, what you find there and which boat gets you there, so you can match the Culebra boat tour to the day you want.
Which beaches do the tours use?
Most boats plan for two stops. First comes a reef, where you snorkel for an hour or more. Then comes a beach, where you swim, eat and lie on the sand for two to five hours. The captain picks both on the day, by the wind and the swell.
That makes the list below a set of possibilities, not a promise. When the crossing is too rough, the boats turn for Icacos, Palomino or Vieques, and you still get a reef and a beach. The ferry day and the Ceiba snorkel boat are the two days built around Flamenco Beach.
Flamenco Beach: the long white sand
Flamenco Beach is the one people come for: a long curve of white sand around a bay on the north coast. It is a beach for swimming, floating and lying on the sand rather than for reef snorkeling, and the day tours that come here give you hours on it.
At the water's edge sits a rusting tank covered in graffiti, left from the decades when the U.S. Navy trained on the Flamenco Peninsula. The Navy left in 1975. The peninsula behind the beach is refuge land, where more than 30,000 pairs of sooty terns nest.
Food kiosks sell lunch and drinks at Flamenco, so bring cash. The ferry day gives you three hours here, with entry included, and the Ceiba snorkel boat about five. If you want Flamenco for sure, pick one of those two days.
Tamarindo: the turtle beach
Tamarindo is a small beach on the west coast, on the channel that faces Cayo Luis Peña. It is where the boats go to look for sea turtles, and where the ferry day's two-hour guided snorkel happens, with a flotation belt for every swimmer.
The private days also stop here to look for turtles. Give them room when you do: float still, keep your hands to yourself and let each turtle decide how close it comes.
Carlos Rosario: reef close to shore
Carlos Rosario is a west-coast beach with reef close to the sand. It is one of the spots the power boats name when the captain chooses where to moor for the snorkel. You reach it from the water, and the boat anchors off the reef rather than landing.
Because the stop is the captain's choice, no tour promises it. If you want reef time above all, pick a boat that moors for an hour and a half, such as the Las Croabas power boat.
Melones: rocky reef near Punta Melones
Melones sits near Punta Melones, the point that marks the southern edge of the Luis Peña reserve. Its reef is rocky and the beach small. Like Carlos Rosario, it is a captain's option rather than a fixed stop.
The channel here is part of a no-take reserve, so fishing is banned and the fish are left alone. Expect reef fish rather than big animals, and keep an eye on the boat's position.
Culebrita: the refuge island
Culebrita is a small island off Culebra's east coast and part of the wildlife refuge. It has beaches of its own and the ruin of an old lighthouse on its hill. Some boats make it the afternoon beach stop when the sea allows.
The Puerto del Rey catamaran often picks Culebrita or Flamenco for the afternoon. The Las Croabas and Isla Verde power boats list the lighthouse on their routes. You swim ashore from the anchorage, so bring water shoes for the rocks.
The north-shore nesting beaches
Resaca and Brava, on the north shore, are the beaches the turtles use to nest. Hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles all use the refuge. The beachfront from the high-tide line to 150 metres inland is protected habitat.
No tour lands on these beaches. If you come back on your own, follow the refuge's signs and its 6am to 6pm hours.
Which tour reaches which beach
This is where each beach sits and which days are built to reach it. A captain's option can change on the day.
| Beach | Where | What is there | How you get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flamenco Beach | North coast, around a wide bay | Long white-sand beach; the painted tank; food kiosks | Culebra Snorkel with Turtles & Flamenco Beach Adventure by Ferry (3 h); Full-Day Snorkeling Tour to Culebra Island with Lunch (5 h); most boats aim for it |
| Tamarindo | West coast, on the Luis Peña channel | Calm water; sea turtles often seen | Culebra Snorkel with Turtles & Flamenco Beach Adventure by Ferry (2 h guided); the private days |
| Carlos Rosario | West coast | Reef close to shore | A captain's option on the power boats |
| Melones | West coast, near Punta Melones | Rocky reef and a small beach | A captain's option on the power boats |
| Culebrita | Off the east coast, in the refuge | Refuge island with beaches and a lighthouse ruin | The catamarans and power boats, when the sea allows |
| Resaca and Brava | North shore | Protected turtle-nesting beaches | No tour lands here |
Which beach suits you
You want a long day on the sand
Pick Flamenco. The ferry day gives three hours and the Ceiba snorkel boat about five, both with lunch nearby.
You want to swim with turtles
Pick Tamarindo. The ferry day's guided snorkel and the private days both look for turtles there.
You want the most reef
Pick a power boat that moors for an hour and a half, and let the captain choose between Carlos Rosario, Melones and the reserve.
You want somewhere quieter
Pick a private boat. The crew chooses a quiet beach and sets up shade while you snorkel.
Which Culebra beach is best for snorkeling?
Tamarindo and the reefs in the Luis Peña reserve are where the boats stop to snorkel, and the ferry day spends two guided hours at Tamarindo. Flamenco Beach is better for swimming and lying on the sand than for reef snorkeling.
Can you walk to Flamenco Beach from the ferry?
Flamenco is a drive from the town and the ferry dock, so most visitors ride. The ferry day tour includes the minibus there and back, which saves you arranging it.
Are the north-shore beaches open to visitors?
The north-shore beachfront at Resaca and Brava is protected turtle habitat inside the wildlife refuge. No day tour lands there, and if you visit on your own you should follow the refuge's signs and hours.
Where to check these facts
The refuge, the Navy history and the turtle habitat are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's own statements.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Culebra refuge species
Days built around the beaches
Full-Day Snorkeling Tour to Culebra Island with Lunch
About five hours at Flamenco Beach, with a marine biologist aboard and paddleboards.
From $168 per person
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From Fajardo: Culebra Snorkeling and Beach Tour with lunch
The high-speed catamaran day: a reef snorkel, lunch aboard, then Flamenco or Culebrita.
From $185 per person
Check AvailabilityWhat the island offers beyond its sand is on the attractions page, and every tour is compared on Culebra Tours.