Isla Culebrita Travel Guide

The entire island is surrounded by stunning reefs with crystal clean seas. The best snorkeling reefs one can find on the Southern Island between Culebrita and the island of Culebra. Remember when you go snorkeling here that this is a fragile ecosystem and once it is broken it will take years to repair itself.

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There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief being Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach). The beach is named for the many sea turtles that use the beach for breeding grounds and the surrounding waters for grazing. The other two large beachs are Trash Beach and West Beach. Trash Beach is on the windward side of the island and debris is often blown onto the beach. There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths.

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Construction of the Culebrita Lighthouse began on September 25, 1882, and it was completed on February 25, 1886. The Spanish Crown built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra. It is the most eastern light outside mainland Puerto Rico. It guides navigation through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound connecting in the Puerto Rico Light System with the Cape San Juan Light.
It was one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard finally closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.
The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1981. However, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused extensive damage, and the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success. The lighthouse is in danger of collapsing

If you sail from the US Virgin Islands or British Virgin Islands across to Culebrita and anchor off the island you have to inform US officials. A board on the Northern side of the island provides numbers both locally and in San Juan in case you arrive on Sunday's or after hours.