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One of many high locations to go to in Puerto Rico is Culebra Island, which is positioned round 20 miles off the east coast of Fajardo. To get there you possibly can both take a brief 15 minute flight from Ceiba, or you possibly can journey the Culebra Ferry, which takes anyplace from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Since my good friend didn’t wish to fly in a small airplane, we determined to take the ferry as a substitute. To get there it takes some planning and it was undoubtedly a tiring day, however there are issues you are able to do to make the journey go rather a lot smoother.
Under are my high suggestions for driving the ferry to Culebra:
Important Ideas for the Culebra Ferry Experience
Purchase Your Tickets On-line
One of the best ways to get your Culebra ferry tickets is to buy them on-line on the official Puerto Rico ferry web site earlier than you go. Attempt to do that a number of weeks prematurely, as they promote out quick. Tickets log on a month prematurely they usually’re tremendous low-cost – costing simply $2.25 every means for non-resident adults.
Cost could be made together with your debit or bank card, so long as it’s a Mastercard or Visa card. Puerto Rico ferry doesn’t settle for American Categorical. As soon as tickets have been bought, you’ll obtain a affirmation electronic mail together with your reserving reference and a QR code. If you wish to make life simpler, you may as well obtain the Metropolis Experiences app and buy them through the app.
After we went to Culebra, many of the ferries have been bought out, so we ended up having to purchase a ticket for the three.30am ferry. This wasn’t perfect, since we arrived in Culebra at 5am and needed to wait 2 hours on the ferry terminal till dawn. Nothing was open and the breakfast locations didn’t open until 7 or 7.30am.
Should you’re planning on doing a day journey to Culebra, ideally you wish to catch the 6am, 6.30am, 7.30am or 9am ferry from Ceiba to maximise your time on the island. Then you possibly can take the 5.30pm or 9.30pm ferry again from Culebra.
If the Ferry You Need is Bought Out, Maintain Checking
If the ferry time you need is bought out, preserve visiting the app or the web site to see in the event that they launch new tickets on-line. Initially we booked the 9.30pm ferry again as that was the one time out there, however the day earlier than our journey I checked once more and there have been just a few tickets out there for the 5.30pm ferry.
So preserve checking again now and again to see if tickets change into out there.
If You Do Wish to Purchase From the Field Workplace, Go Early
When on the lookout for tickets you’ll discover that it additionally tells you what number of tickets can be found on the field workplace. If the ferry you need is bought out on-line, you possibly can drive to the field workplace in Ceiba. Field workplace tickets additionally promote out rapidly, and choice is given to native residents.
Should you do wish to strive your luck on the field workplace, attempt to go down the night time earlier than you wish to journey, or present up not less than just a few hours earlier than the ferry you wish to take. You’ll have higher luck on weekdays than you’ll on weekends.
Pay for Baggage and Gear
When buying a ferry ticket to Culebra, you possibly can pay for extras like coolers, baggage, surf boards, umbrellas and different items of apparatus. Ensure you add and pay for any further gadgets you want to deliver.
Park Your Automobile on the Ferry Terminal
The ferry to Culebra goes from Ceiba close to Fajardo, which is on the east coast of Puerto Rico.
One of the best ways to get there’s by renting a automotive from San Juan and driving your self to the ferry terminal. There’s a parking zone close to the Ceiba ferry terminal, which prices round $11 per day. When you’ve paid for parking, you’ll be given a ticket to show in your dashboard after which you possibly can park wherever within the parking zone. There’s a shuttle that can take you to the ferry terminal, or you possibly can stroll (the stroll takes round 7 minutes).
Deliver money to pay for the parking, and to pay for taxis/snacks while you get to Culebra island.
Rental automotive corporations in Puerto Rico don’t enable guests to take rental vehicles on the ferries, so that you’ll want to go away your automotive in Ceiba and decide it up on the way in which again.
Verify Your Boarding Time
When you’ve bought your ferry ticket you’ll be given a boarding time. The passenger and cargo ferry begins boarding roughly an hour earlier than departure, however in case you don’t have a car, it’s positive to point out up about half-hour earlier than departure.
The ferry employees will scan your tickets utilizing the QR code and you then’ll be invited into the pre-boarding space. This part is separated into residents and non-residents. Residents board the ferry first, adopted by vacationers and non-residents.
The ferry terminal in Ceiba has merchandising machines promoting snacks and drinks, plus porta potty-style bathrooms in case it’s worthwhile to go to the toilet.
Put on Heat Garments and Deliver Blankets
One rookie error we made was not carrying heat garments. Wearing bikinis, sundresses and flip flops, we weren’t ready for the arctic situations contained in the ferry. We couldn’t actually sit on deck as a result of it was the midnight (and moist), so we have been pressured to take a seat inside.
The AC is absolutely actually chilly, and the locals have been all carrying sweatpants and hoodies. Clearly they knew what to anticipate, and had even introduced pillows and blankets.
So come ready carrying not less than a comfy sweater.
Experience the Passenger Ferry
The web site advertises a ferry time of 45 minutes, however what it doesn’t point out is that the cargo ferry takes for much longer. The passenger ferry takes round 45 minutes, however many of the ferries are passenger/cargo ferries, which take round 1 hour half-hour to achieve Culebra.
When the ocean is tough, 1 hour half-hour looks like a lifetime, so attempt to get a ticket on the passenger ferry if you wish to get there rapidly.
Contemplate Dramamine
I received’t lie, the ferry journey on the way in which to Culebra was fairly tough and we felt tremendous sea sick. Because it was the midnight we couldn’t sit on deck, and the rocking motion inside made us really feel actually nauseous. Should you get sea sick and don’t wish to throw up, contemplate taking dramamine earlier than you go. On Culebra island, quite a few outlets by the terminal promote dramamine.
Pack Snacks & Line Your Abdomen
We had empty stomachs once we boarded the ferry, which made us really feel fairly nauseous when the ocean bought tough. I’d advocate packing some snacks and a few ginger sweet to stop movement illness.
Sit on Deck
Should you undergo fairly badly from movement illness, attempt to sit outdoors on deck, particularly if it’s a pleasant sunny day. You’ll really feel rather a lot higher in case you can see the horizon and get some recent air. It’s additionally a lot hotter outdoors than inside – simply be certain that to place some sunscreen on so that you don’t get burnt earlier than you get there.
We sat on the highest deck on the way in which again from Culebra and had a gorgeous view of the sundown.
Is Taking the Ferry to Culebra Price It?
If I have been to journey the Culebra ferry once more I might undoubtedly do issues a bit in another way. I’d purchase tickets on-line effectively prematurely so I might catch probably the most handy ferry. I’d additionally decide to take the passenger ferry over the pax/cargo ferry because it takes solely 45 minutes to get there. 1.5 hours felt a bit too lengthy, particularly with the 1 hour 15 min drive to/from San Juan.
Our day journey to Culebra was fairly tiring, involving a really early begin and a late end. It was a protracted day, and subsequent time I’d most likely take the flight over the ferry for comfort. Another choice can be to take a flight there and the ferry again, though you’d need to organise a taxi between the ferry terminal and airport to select up your automotive afterwards.
Culebra was cool, however I felt like Flamenco Seashore was a bit overhyped. Sure it’s a beautiful seashore with stunning turquoise water, however I’ve seen even whiter sands and bluer waters in locations just like the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. A day journey to Culebra was sufficient for me, and I undoubtedly wouldn’t keep on the island for a couple of night time. Lodging/restaurant choices are restricted and there’s simply not rather a lot occurring there in comparison with San Juan.
Puerto Rico’s predominant island has tons of lovely seashores and cities to find, so I most likely wouldn’t head over to Culebra a second time. It’s a type of locations I’m comfortable to have ticked off my bucket record for the expertise, however it may be pricey and includes numerous effort to get there.
We picked our rental automotive up at 2pm on a Wednesday and returned it round 9pm the next day. The entire was $120 with insurance coverage, plus round $12 in fuel, $11 in parking and the ferry ticket of $4.50 every spherical journey. If we took a airplane it might have price round $120 every spherical journey.
The automotive journey from Isla Verde took round 1 hour quarter-hour, then we waited round 1 hour on the ferry terminal, and spent round 1.5 hours on the ferry. In order that’s a complete of round 3 hours 45 minutes in journey time in every course.
Should you get seasick. I like to recommend flying to Culebra or ensuring you sit on the highest deck. The water could be uneven and the boat strikes round rather a lot, so in case you’re sitting inside it’ll most likely make you’re feeling sick!
I hope these Culebra ferry suggestions assist! Additionally try a few of my different Puerto Rico articles, together with this 3 day Puerto Rico itinerary and a listing of all of the issues Puerto Rico is legendary for!
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