Welcome to the best place to have a summer feeling in Christmas time! If you want to find some of the best beaches in the world, come join me to CULEBRA. It’s really close to my home, located 20 miles (32 km) east of Puerto Rico and 15 miles (24km) west of Saint Thomas. If you're staying in Fajardo, all you have to do is take the ferry. It's is about 45 minutes away ride to get there.
For those who love history they should know that with the outbreak of WWII in 1939, the Culebra Archipelago became the primary gunnery and bombing practice site for the U.S. Navy. The military stopped using Culebra as a bombing range in 1975. However, the destruction to the reefs and the psyches of the inhabitants will take decades to heal. Rusting tanks on Flamenco beach bear witness. Or maybe even play with them as me and my friends did.
The people of Culebra represent a fascinating cultural and racial mix. I met some residents on the bus on my way to Flamenco Beach (Which is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to!) and although I’m Puerto Rican, they treated me like an outsider. I may add that they made me feel out-grouped, a person who is visiting but not welcomed but still I had a lot of fun and respected them and their home.
So let me give you guys some advice. First of all, pack your sunblock! As the sand is white, the sun is really attracted to it and you will get burned. Pack your snorkel gear! They’re a lot of interesting things to see underwater. Huge rocks just a short swim offshore is the best place to start. Pack snacks! Although there are kiosks around, sometimes they are closed, so there isn't much to eat where the beach is. When I went, only one kiosk was open. They are not influenced by the American culture as for us, with a lot of fast food places and department stores. Because of this detail I went with a stereotyped vision that they would be really reserved or, just not civilized. Guess we really don’t need to have all those things to live well.
Another thing I forgot to mention is that when you are waiting for departure via ferry, you have to be at the port in Fajardo really early so you don't miss your spot. In my case, I went at 5am and watch the sunrise! Some of the restaurants you can find in Culebra will be in this link: Eating in Culebra. If your the adventurous type, you would love to find some activities to do in this site: Activities in Culebra.
So these are the things I can say and I learned, but in the video below you can see what I am talking about…see for yourself!
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| Flamenco Beach |
The people of Culebra represent a fascinating cultural and racial mix. I met some residents on the bus on my way to Flamenco Beach (Which is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to!) and although I’m Puerto Rican, they treated me like an outsider. I may add that they made me feel out-grouped, a person who is visiting but not welcomed but still I had a lot of fun and respected them and their home.
So let me give you guys some advice. First of all, pack your sunblock! As the sand is white, the sun is really attracted to it and you will get burned. Pack your snorkel gear! They’re a lot of interesting things to see underwater. Huge rocks just a short swim offshore is the best place to start. Pack snacks! Although there are kiosks around, sometimes they are closed, so there isn't much to eat where the beach is. When I went, only one kiosk was open. They are not influenced by the American culture as for us, with a lot of fast food places and department stores. Because of this detail I went with a stereotyped vision that they would be really reserved or, just not civilized. Guess we really don’t need to have all those things to live well.
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| 5am at the Fajardo Port |
So these are the things I can say and I learned, but in the video below you can see what I am talking about…see for yourself!
Nice blog post, Liane. I watched the video to get a sense of the island. It's quite beautiful and seems isolated. I've always been hesitant to take the ferry since we missed our opportunity one time. It was a lot of effort for nothing! haha Still we walked around the Fajardo area. 5am is early! Beautiful shots. What was your input related to our class themes? Maybe you could add that?
ReplyDeleteI added my feeling of being out-grouped at the bus and my stereotyped vision of the people in Culebra.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your tourist experience. Culebra is such a beatiful island and Flamenco Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico. I really like it a lot and I hope I visit Culebra again. The experience of wake up early in the morning to arrive to Fajardo is a completely adventure. The last time I tried to get the tickets I arrived at 5 a.m. and I could not go to Culebra because all the tickets were already sold.
ReplyDeleteI've only been to Culebra two times in my life and I was a little girl so I don't remember much. Your pictures and videos are beautiful. Going to a different island really does make you feel like a tourist. I see you had fun! I hope to get the chance to visit Culebra again sometime soon
ReplyDelete