Culebra island

Culebra (Spanish for “snake”) is an inhabited island belonging to Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, with about 1860 inhabitants. It forms one of the 78 autonomous communities of Puerto Rico.

The island lies in the Caribbean, over 27 kilometers east of the main island of Puerto Rico, and 19 kilometers west of the island and belonging to the Virgin Islands St. Thomas. It has an irregular shape with a far north spit of land extending far-reaching and with a bay in the south.

With a length of 11 kilometers and a maximum width of 8 kilometers, it has a total area of 30.1 sq.km. The highest elevation is 198 meters above sea level. The island is still well upstream of another 20, much smaller islands and cays.

Culebra has a small airport with regular flights to Puerto Rico, and the more important neighboring islands. Furthermore, the island has a regular ferry service which is relatively inexpensive. There are 3 vessels operating daily from the mainland, in addition car ferries are used at irregular intervals.

Due to the nature and some very beautiful beaches, the island is, for Puerto Ricans and U.S. citizens, a popular holiday resort. Flamenco Beach, one of the main beaches on the island, is sometimes counted among the 10 most beautiful sandy beaches in the Caribbean. The smaller neighboring islands such as Culebrita and parts of the island itself are protected.