Getting to Culebra
Culebra Divers - Culebra, Puerto Rico
There are two ways to get to Culebra – by air or by sea. Check out our breakdown of options below to see which is right for you.
Fly or Ferry?
It is the age-old question of time versus money. How much is each hour of vacation time worth to you? Hopefully the Options below will help you decide.
Our shop is located downtown so we are directly across the street from the ferry terminal and just short of 1 mile from the airport. Please note that Culebra Divers does not provide airport transfers, or transportation to/from the mainland or Vieques.
We do NOT recommend traveling the same day as your tour as transportation to Culebra can be challenging and we are unable to offer a refund if you cannot get here in time.
You may be able to book one of the limited online advance ferry tickets via the new online ticketing system (puertoricoferry.com). Especially during high season (December – March, July), getting ferry tickets can be difficult. It is important to note that when the system says SOLD OUT ONLINE, that doesn’t mean the ferry is full, just that there are no online advance tickets left.
However attempting to buy a ticket same day and “walk on” the ferry you risk missing the boat and possibly a day of your vacation. The ferry system is poorly run and frequently divers are disappointed with the results. **The CARGO or passenger/cargo combination does NOT arrive in one hour as listed on the ferry website. It is a minimum of 1.5-2 hrs so please do not rely on that right before the morning tour.
The flights to Culebra are on small planes and they fill up fast, so make your flight reservations early. A popular option is to fly to Culebra to kick off your vacation quickly, and then take the ferry back to Puerto Rico to save a few dollars and extend your surface interval if you’ve been diving.
**Our afternoon boat returns by 4:30 pm – we ask that you not schedule a departure near this time as you will be cutting the tour short for others and/or you could miss your transportation if our boat is late.
Options
Some of the small regional air carriers partner with the major airlines, so when searching for flights try Culebra (CPX) as your final destination instead of San Juan (SJU) and see if you get lucky!
If not, the first step to getting here is to book a commercial flight to San Juan International Airport (SJU). Many of the major airline hubs have non-stop service. From there, you have several options on what to do next. Please note all times and fares are estimated, based on a single passenger, and subject to change without notice (last updated November 2022). Culebra’s airport is roughly a mile away from our shop. We are unable to pick up guests.
Option 1: FLY from San Juan International (SJU)
Time = 30 minutes (direct flight)
Money = from $79
- Cape Air: Small regional carrier
- Seaborne Airlines: Small regional carrier
- Air Margarita: This is a white glove charter service that departs pretty much on your schedule.
Option 2: FLY from Isla Grande (SIG)
Time = 50 minutes (20 minute taxi ride + 30 minute flight)
Money = from $115 ($25 taxi fare + $90 flight)
- Vieques Air Link: Small regional carrier
- Air Flamenco: Small regional carrier
- Taxi Aereo: This is a charter flight that leaves on your schedule
Option 3: FLY from Ceiba (FAJ/RVR)
Time = 1 hour 45 minutes (1.5 hour taxi ride + 15 minute flight)
Money = from $135 ($90 taxi fare + $45 flight)
- Vieques Air Link: Small regional carrier
- Taxi Aereo: This is a charter flight that leaves on your schedule
Option 4: FERRY out of Ceiba
Time = 2.5 to 3.5 hours (1.5 hour taxi ride + 1 to 2 hour ocean voyage depending on if you take the fast passenger ferry or the cargo ferry)
Money = $92.25 ($90 taxi fare + $2.25 ferry ticket)
Click here for the Official Online Ferry Ticketing System. Beware of other sites claiming to sell advanced ferry tickets. There is only one official site/app.
If you plan to buy tickets at the terminal versus online, be prepared to arrive very early, get in line, and have a lot of patience. If anyone in your group gets sea sick; it may not be your best option. Consider arriving by ferry the day before your tour if you’re unable to secure online advance tickets to avoid any penalties for travel issues.
Due to our cancellation policy, we caution against same day ferry transportation plans if you’ve booked a morning tour with us and have not secured ferry tickets in advance. Flying, or arriving at least a day in advance, is recommended over trying to “walk on” the ferry last minute. The flights to Culebra (CPX) originate out of San Juan International (SJU), Isle Grande (SIG), and Ceiba (FAJ/RVR) airports. The fares start as low as $45 each way, depending on which airport you choose, and get you here in literally minutes compared to potentially an hour or more by ferry.
VIEQUES – Occasionally there is a direct ferry from Vieques to Culebra, Vieques Air Link periodically offers direct flights starting as low as $40, and Taxi Aereo provides charter service.
- Ferry Tickets: Limited availability/schedule
- Vieques Air Link: Limited availability/schedule
- Taxi Aereo: This is a charter flight that leaves on your schedule
Lodging
Culebra Divers does not offer lodging, but we’ve compiled a list below from customer recommendations (sorted by distance from our shop). TripAdvisor is another great resource. We encourage booking directly with the provider when possible to save fees!
**There is NO CAMPING at Flamenco until further notice**
- Villa Boheme (7 min walk)
- Villa Fulladoza Guest House (9 min walk)
- Casa Sunny (20 min walk)
- Abuelo’s Beach House (1.3 miles)
- Island Charm Guest House (1.3 miles)
- SeaGrapes Culebra (1.3 miles)
- Secret Garden (1.3 miles)
- Gypsea Mermaid Guesthouse (1.4 miles)
- Hilltop Guest House (1.7 miles)
- Club Seabourne (just under 2 miles)
If you fall in love with Culebra and never want to leave, check out these companies for current real estate listings:
Car Rental and Bike Rentals
Renting a vehicle is the best option for getting around the island. Although small, Culebra has many steep hills and our our roads/sidewalks are not always pedestrian friendly. For multiple people, or multiple days, renting is more cost effective than using the Publicos (taxis) for island adventures and sightseeing. Here are links to some local rental agencies for both eBikes and cars:
- Carlos Jeep Rental
- Choco’s Bronco Rental
- Experience Everything (eBikes)
- Jerry’s Jeep Rental
- UTV Rental (golf carts only)
We highly recommend that you reserve your transportation as soon as you book your flights/lodging as availability is limited and changes rapidly.
Diving and Flying
Granted, the flights from Culebra to the main island are low altitude flights; however, the experts at DAN still recommend 12 hours after a single dive and at least 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving. An option our divers frequently choose is to fly over to Culebra to kick off your vacation as soon as possible, and then take the ferry back to Puerto Rico to save a few dollars and extend your surface interval before flying home.