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The current weather in Culebra
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Beach Shelter from Midday Sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 00:34

My wife, daughter and I are making a day trip to Culebra (not the right way to do it, I know) next week from the rain forest for (of course) the beaches and the snorking, and to scope out the scene for a longer vaca in the summer.. However, one family member is very fair-skinned, plus we're all white as ghosts here in the midst of our New England winter. Therefore, we are wondering: Are there any decent snorkeling beaches that have anything that would provide shade on any of the beaches - a restaurant, a small, dense copse of copse of palms - so we can escape the midday sun for a couple hours? We won't have a car, we'll just need to depend on taxis to get us around (hope I'm not being realistic).
I'm a newbie to the board as well as Culebra. I've enjoyed reading the posts.
Thanks in advance for being so helpful.

Boston Baby
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   02-16-08 00:51

As a fellow person with Northern latitude fish-belly-white skin, I can sympathize. shade is a bit spotty on Flamenco outside of the campground, although if Coconuts is still open, that's a shaded lunch place. if you hike over to Rosario, I spent a New Year's Day under a bush wrapped in a wet beach towel for a really good nap once, but it wasn't just the sun that put me there...
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 01:03

The previous post, typed as I was struggling to stay awake, could be subtitled, "How many typos will fit in one paragraph?" Am I not being not realistic realistic? (jk)

Sorry about that.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   02-16-08 01:10

I liked "snorking" and may have to steal it.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   02-16-08 01:43

I should amend that - the area around the kiosks is indeed shady (in the sense of direct sun) funny how things can be misinterpreted, or maybe I should have just let that as-is and let others take it as they might.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 12:59

Thanks, Richard,

Didn't see your posts till now (slept for 12 hours!). Yes, indeed, snorking - sounds like something illegal, or fun (or both). And I'll just tell my wife & 16 year old daughter that we just need to get soussed, wrap wet towels around ourselves & get under a bush. (cf "Don't worry about a thing, dear, I've got everything figured out.")

Looks like Coconuts is at Flamenco, which I figured we would go to for a bit, since it shouldn't be so crowded on a Tuesday, and therefore hanging out for a couple hours at a lunch place would work. I am right in guessing that we could then find a cab to take us to one of the better snorkeling beaches? But what kiosks are you referring to? Are they at most of the beaches? I have been thinking about Melones or Carlos Rosario - if conditions are a little rough, then seeing if I could find a knowledgable boat person to take us to a sheltered spot, but I digress - are the kiosks-shady-in-the-sense-of-the-direct-sun sufficients shady so fish-belly skin types won't become boiled-lobster skin types?

Thanks for your feedback!
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 13:18

I just noticed on a Tripadvisor post from 2005 that there were chair & umbrellas available for rental at Flamenco. Does anyone know if that's still the case, and if there are such available at Melones or Carlos Rosario?

Thank you again.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: John W. (---.biltmorecomm.com)
Date:   02-16-08 13:42


Chuck,

There are still umbrellas and chaise chairs for rent at Flamenco. Even better, there are also numerous tall palms along the beach near the camp ground from which you can hang hamocks and get out of the sun. Get there by 10:00 am and you will find some shade for the day.

Also at Melones there is a picnic table under some trees for shade.

Finally at Carlos Rosario there are low lying trees under which you can get some shade in morning and early afternoon. After that the sun drops and fills the beach with sun.

Have fun.

John
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   02-16-08 16:06

Most of the beaches have sea grape "hedges" with shady little alcoves. On the most crowded days, these are precious commodities, so arrive early to snag one. Supplement with long sleeves, spf creams and umbrella/tarp/pop-up shelters.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   02-16-08 18:05

the kiosks (and any other amenity) are indeed shady and only at Flamenco. cabs to the other beaches can get fairly pricey - to the point it may be cheaper to just rent a jeep, but since you're day-tripping, I'd keep it simple unless you like driving around.
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 18:53

Richard, Doug, and John W. -

This is very helpful, thanks to all the detail. Getting there very early, though, isn't very likely, since, with our current plans, the earliest we'd be arriving would be 10:30 or 11:00. Since it will be a Tuesday, I'm hoping we can still find some shade at the other beaches, also (if we do go somewhere other than Flamenco), but it is school vacation week up here, and the high season down there. Unless anyone has some thoughts on this, I'm (just thinking aloud here) guessing it could be chancey, and maybe I should try to scrounge a tarp before coming over?

Thank you again for taking the time!
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.sip.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   02-16-08 19:07

You'll really, really be fine without a tarp. You can quite literally sit in the picnic area between the campground and the beach and still enjoy the beauty of the beach, if you can't find a grape-y alcove to tuck into. I can even tuck a chaise lounge chair into the area between the picnic area and the beach and still be shaded. Trust me, I don't go to the beach for the sun. People make fun of me when I return home as pale as I was when I left. LOL! I find plenty of shady spots to hang out in. This is true of Zoni, Melones, Carlos Rosario and Punta Soldado. If you're daytripping, you'll really only have time for Flamenco anyway.

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 19:19

Thanks, Debbie, that's great news. Your last statement, though, makes me think perhaps we might head right for one of the other beaches, since I'm a snorkeling nut. Years of freezing & turbid N.E. waters (or turbid north coast of Puerto Rico waters) has me hankering for some big-creature opportunities. Unless you think the other beaches are only marginally better in that repect, but most of what I've read indicates otherwise. We may play it by ear - the idea of just sitting in the shade by the campground sounds wonderful. One thing is certain - we'l be thrilled just to be on the island. I've tried to get there twice before, and ferry problems did us in both times. So this time we're flying.

Thanks again, and happy diving to you, too!
Chuck
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.sip.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   02-16-08 21:01

The snorking is pretty good at Flamenco. You HAVE to go to Flamenco. No one goes to Culebra without going to Flamenco. It's a beautiful beach (and that's an understatement). From Flamenco, you can take a 20 minute hike over the hill to Carlos Rosario, where the snorking is absolutely excellent! The closest snorking spot to town is Melones, and it's pretty darn good too.

Happy Diving!
Debbie
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Re: beach shelter from midday sun?
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: chuck (---.bstnma.fios.verizon.net)
Date:   02-16-08 21:50

Debbie-
Thank you, this is so helpful. You've settled it - we'll take your advice and do that.

I've read many of your posts in other threads, you're awesome! It's tremendous how enthusiastically and unselfishly so many of you in this forum help out us newbies. Thank you all!

Happy islanding!
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