Editor Pick
Playa Flamenco
- June 12, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
dmzammit from Brooklyn, New York
We visited this idyllic beach during President's Day weekend and expected to find it swarming with visitors. Instead, we found a semi-secluded stretch of white sand, where turquoise blue water laps gently on the shore and schools of small fish dance around your ankles while you wade.
My friends and I secured a stretch of sand for ourselves before deciding to spring for a couple of umbrellas. The investment was well worth it. The island's temperature usually hovers between 80 to 90 degrees and the sun is scorching. I also heartily suggest bringing your own cool drinks and snacks (we stopped at a CVS on the way to the ferry), as there are no snack stands on the beach and making a to and fro trip to town will cost you a few extra bucks and about an hour of precious beach time.
The lack of man-made structures though adds to the beach's appeal. Walk down a ways and you'll find some additional privacy courtesy of the tropical brush. We spent our entire day relaxing on the powdery sand and floating amidst the coral reefs in 70-degree water. It was paradise. There were a few bits of garbage here and there, but overall trash was really minimal and the beach was much cleaner than even the bit of shore outside the Hotel Intercontinental, where we stayed in San Juan.
While there are a few hiking trails near the beach, my friends and I avoided them as there was an attack reported in that area the week we arrived. Also, we found a stretch of beach cordoned off to keep beachcombers away from an undetonated U.S. bomb, a remnant of the Naval activities that made neighboring Vieques such a hot topic in past years. Now that the military exercises have ceased, folks are rediscovering both of the islands. Travellers looking for a trendier locale might pick Vieques, but Culebra can't be beat for a low key, beach bum vibe.
From journal Day Trip to Culebra