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Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Ilana (---.si.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-31-07 08:45

Hello Everyone-

This forum has been great to read as a friend and I are planning our first trip to Culebra for the end of May. We're super excited but are still trying to work out some of the details. We are looking to stay at the Culebra Beach Villas but I have read some mixed reviews on other sites - does anyone have any thoughts or insight? I think we would like to be closer to the beach than town.

We are planning on bringing some snacks and picking up a few items in the grocery stores in town as well as eating at the kiosks by the beach and maybe be able to get into town for dinner one or two of the nights we are there although we are still debating renting a jeep or not. We will be there for 4 days, 4 nights. Again, any thoughts or suggestions on that plan?

We're going to rent snorkel equipment although I have never done it before and am sort of nervous - is it something that a first-timer can do or should we look into a guide?

We're both in graduate programs and don't have a lot of extra money to spend so any helpful tips, hints or just general suggestions for our first trip would be so appreciated. Thanks, all!!
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: R. Emmett (---.maine.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-31-07 11:21

Ilana -your plans sound wonderful especially to get away totally from grad. school. I snorkled near where you are staying, actually off the shark pens this year and had no problems. I'm older than 60 and not a strong swimmer. Last year while at Rosario, I got cold & felt the need to get back to shore quickly; following someone else, I began to try to swim over the reef. Wrong thing to do; luckily, damage to my leg was minimal, one gash but from then on I used a noodle when snorkling there & kept a safe distance from being pushed or pulled onto coral. Currents can be strong, respect for water & personal ability is important. This year I used a shorty wet suit for extra bouyancy, peace of mind and warmth. Underwater beauty is sublime as is safety.

Owlihoot2
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.res.east.verizon.net)
Date:   03-31-07 12:44

it took me a while (a few minutes really) to get into snorkeling - claustrophobia issues, the sound of your own breathing and all - but once you get over that initial weirdness, well....
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   03-31-07 15:08

One thing I might recommend to people coming to Culebra for the first time, is the high level of service you get from Molly and Jerry at Casita Tropical. I chose it for its reasonable price this last trip, but what I noticed was how much they loved to show folks things that go "beyond the obvious". For example, they took guests down to Brava Beach, surely one of the most beautiful on the island, but rarely visited. They also got up before dawn to drive some first-timers to Zoni, to watch the sunrise. These are the types of things that many don't figure out until they are Culebra veterans. At their suggestion, a group of us walked up the hill to the Fox's Lair for drinks and dinner and Molly graciously let one of the guests whip her at a game of 8 ball next door at the bar...fun!

Doug
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Ilana (---.si.res.rr.com)
Date:   04-01-07 12:42

Thanks to everyone who has emailed and posted your suggestions for my trip! It sounds like you can't go wrong with pretty much anything you decide to do on Culebra. The snorkling sounds great - thanks for the safety tips.

Another question - we arrive in SJU around 1pm on a Friday and then are hoping to take a taxi to the smaller airport to take a flight to Culebra later that afternon. I don't know if we'll be able to pack carry on bags as we are packing for a week and are also spending time in San Juan at the end of the trip. Will this be a major issue? Will there be taxis at the airport in Culebra to take us to our villa? It's these smaller details that I am still wondering about...
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: JM (---.hsd1.nj.comcast.net)
Date:   04-01-07 13:18

If you have not snorkeled before you should definitely get a guide or go with someone who is experienced. While I am a strong swimmer, I did not find snorkeling easy the first time (a number of years ago) because breathing while underwater is not a normal thing to do if you are not used to it, and I also had some issues with gagging. That said, my first experience snorkeling was overall a glorious experience. We went out on a boat that left Fajardo to a small little island with a beach where we could stand as we got used to using a snorkel. After lunch they took us to a reef in the middle of nowhere and we had a blast. I got some great pictures on my waterproof throwaway.

Even though you are on a budget I would definitely recommend that you set aside some extra funds to make your first snorkeling experience a rewarding one.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.res.east.verizon.net)
Date:   04-01-07 17:55

JM: my waterproof throwaways always came out over exposed unfortunately (what brand did you use, I think mine were Fuji the time I tried - film engineered for water not as clear).

I would agree that if you're going far from land a guide is a good idea, I found a day starting off slow and a close to shore was a good way to get into the whole breathing thing before going deeper.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.res.east.verizon.net)
Date:   04-01-07 18:19

oh yeah, and packing? what does one really need? swim suit, toiletries, 2 t-shirts, 2 shorts, book and not much else. this place is so casual that washing out in the sink and drying over night won't raise eyebrows if you're walking around in the same clothes from a day or two before.

for a night in SJ I take a pair of pants that are half microfiber/half linen that are really comfortable (airy), never wrinkle and roll into nothing - that with a golf shirt and (for guy) you're already better dressed than a lot of us from the lower 48.

seriously a jump bag the size of a microwave is prob. plenty, it's really easy to overpack. but save any plastic bags you pick up at stores to isolate the sandy beach clothes from the nicer things for SJ. as casual as Culebra is, SJ is a little more formal.

usu. the villa's booking agent or owner can arrange airport transport but some of the publicos will do on-call if not during the regular runs.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: julia Huff (199.198.220.---)
Date:   04-02-07 11:21

Bring mosquito spray--there are lots of them, and they are everywhere
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   04-02-07 18:53

You can buy bug spray on the island. It is impossible to bring it on a plane due to the current TSA regulations, unless it is in your checked baggage. That said, I wouldn't want that type of product in my checked bag in case it got punctured or exploded.

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Ilana (167.230.38.---)
Date:   04-04-07 14:43

Thanks for the bug spray tip - will definitely put that on my "Cluebra List". Are the bugs still bad towards the end of May or does it get hot enough down there that at some point they die off? Not that it matters - we're still coming and are still psyched about the trip!
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: julia Huff (199.198.220.---)
Date:   04-04-07 15:00

the bugs are not that annoying, but it is good to have the spray. We brought it in our luggage, we sealed it in a plastic container, and it was fine. we also brought anti-bug candles and lit them at night.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.aurorasys.com)
Date:   04-04-07 15:25

For those traveling light, be aware that sprays, coils and citronella candles are readily available in the stores.

Doug
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: julia Huff (199.198.220.---)
Date:   04-04-07 15:29

Doug, the stores are not open 24/7, if you get to Culebra in the evening, most of the places are closed, and on sunday most places close early. and if you dont have a car, it is not easy to go into town just to get the spray. anyway, we brought our own stuff and it worked great.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.aurorasys.com)
Date:   04-04-07 15:41

True dat. I'm a new member of the carry-on only club, tho', so I like to distinguish between stuff I can get there and stuff that must be brought from home.

Doug
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: julia Huff (199.198.220.---)
Date:   04-04-07 15:51

Dough, if you are a girl, there is no carry-on option anymore, unforytunately, because we ALWAYS have to have liquids with us--shampoo, lotion, some make up, etc...and you cant carry it on...so i made peace with havig to check my luggage, and in this case i may as well bring everything with me. Otherwise, what is the choice? To buy sunblock, shampoo, bug spray, etc in Culebra and throw it away on the way back? (since you cant carry it on) . It is so annoyng. I ended up throwing away pepto pismol, hand sanitizer, lipstick, nose spray, because i forgot to take them out of the carry on...
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Mary McClelland (---.washdc.east.verizon.net)
Date:   04-04-07 16:03

You can bring small bottles of liquids (3 oz. or less) in a small zip lock bag in your carry on luggage. We were in Puerto Rico for 8 days, including time in Culebra and Vieques and managed to bring along everything we needed--my zip lock bag was as full of little bottles as it could be and still close. Both ways it was inspected and cleared.
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Re: Help planning first visit
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: julia Huff (199.198.220.---)
Date:   04-04-07 16:40

we did not know about the zip lock bags, unfortunately, we are going to be smarter now. this time around we had to check luggage anyway, we had diving gear, tent, air mattress, too much to carry on...
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