Culebra, Puerto Rico

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Culebra ( Spanish for " snake ") is a Puerto Rico belonging inhabited island in the Caribbean Sea with about 1860 inhabitants. Together with around 27 surrounding islands and rocks it forms at the same time one of the 78 autonomous communities of Puerto Rico.

Location and geography

The island is located about 27 kilometers east of the main island of Puerto Rico and 19 km west of belonging to the Virgin Islands island of Saint Thomas in the Caribbean. It has an irregular shape with an extending far towards the north headland and a deeply cut bay in the south. With a length of 11 kilometers and a max. Width of 8 kilometers, it has an area of 30.1 km ².

The highest elevation is 198 meters above sea level in the Monte Resaca in the north of the island. The Cerro Balcór in northeastern reaches 168 meters.

The island upstream to around 27 other much smaller islands and cays. Area and population arising from the table below:

Administrative divisions

The municipality ( municipio ) Culebra, which also includes the offshore islands, is divided into six districts ( barrios ):

The affiliation of the smaller islands to the districts results from the official map.

Travel and Tourism

Culebra has a small airport with regular flights to Puerto Rico and the more important neighboring islands. Furthermore, the island can be reached by regular and reasonably cheap ferry connections. From the mainland daily operate 3 vessels, in addition car ferries are used at irregular intervals.

Due to the nature and some very beautiful beaches, the island is a popular holiday especially for Puerto Ricans and U.S. citizens. Flamenco Beach, one of the main beaches of the island is counted sometimes the 10 most beautiful sandy beaches of the Caribbean.

Most of the smaller neighboring islands, including Culebrita, but not Cayo Norte, and parts of the island (two stretches of coastline in the southeast ) itself are protected as Culebra National Wildlife Refuge.