Culebra’s Best Snorkel Beaches & Dive Sites Culebra, the jewel of Puerto Rico, has some of the Caribbean’s easily accessible Snorkeling on the western shoreline from the northern most point on the Flamenco Peninsula to the southern most western shoreline ending at Punta del Soldado. As for Culebra’s best diving starting with the reefs that begin at the shoreline on the leeward side and slowly slopes away or forms walls with dramatic drop offs to any of Culebra’s barrier reefs or smaller Cayos (keys) which offer health coral colonies from depths of 25ft to 90ft. All are accessible by vehicle, foot, or a short boat ride . Once you arrive at your choice of Culebra’s Snorkel / dive site (beach) you find that all offer an easy entrance with a short swim to the reef ( 2 minutes on average ) or a mooring location with a minor swim for divers.

The range of Culebra’s snorkeling & diving will impressed all with its diversity. Snorkeling on Culebra’s western shoreline offers different reef settings from barrier mini walls with depths of 15-25ft, shallow sloping shoreline reefs ranging 15-35ft depth to dramatic 60-75ft shoreline reef walls all with diverse aquatic wildlife also suitable for shore diving. There are sites perfect for beginners or experienced Snorkelers and Divers; from those who want to take it easy, as well as a more challenging, experienced or adventurous dive/snorkel day swimming thru caverns or poking into the caves. The challenge may take the forum of shallow underwater terrain requiring excellent buoyancy control to basic navigation knowledge around surface growing coral. Equally, if your idea of heaven is a 60-plus minute dive in shallow water crowded with marine life that abound amongst huge health coral heads then many areas offer multiple choices. The coral diversity will impress you with multiple coral species living side-by-side on the shoreline areas of Culebra.

Select the link below for a detail reef / beach description.

WEEK OF SNORKELING or DIVING ON CULEBRA
Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 1
Playa Melones (Beach) Common Name – “the barrier reef” [am]
Average Depth: 15ft-25ft Visibility 45ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral barrier wall bordered by a Dense Sea Grass Field
Sites Use – Melones: Shore Diving / Shore or Boat Snorkeling / 3 sites
Punta Del Soldado Common Name – “Soldiers Point southern end ” [pm]
Average Depth: 15ft-65ft Visibility 65ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral sloping reef large coral heads in a spaced colony
Sites Use – Punta Del Soldado: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Shore or Boat Diving 3+ sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling/Diving Day 2
Playa Carlos Rosario [ AREA 2 ] Common Name – “the wall part 1 southern section ” [ am/pm ]-
Average Depth: 10ft-75ft Visibility 80ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft dense coral wall honey combed with layers
Site Use – Carlos Rosario: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Boat Diving – 5+ sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 3
Playa Tamarindo (Beach) [ Tamarindo AREA 2 ] Common Name – ” Tamarindo Proper i.e./turtle beach / turtle Area “[am]
Average Depth: 10ft-20ft Visibility 45ft+
Reef Description – Sea Grass Beds densely situated or Sea Grass fields of sparse population
Sites Use – Tamarindo: Shore Diving / Shore Snorkeling / 2 sites
Playa Cascajo South End [ AREA 3 ] Common Name – ” soldiers pt. north end ” [pm]
Average Depth: 10ft-35ft Visibility 45ft
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral wall bordered by multiple Sea Grass Fields
Sites Use – Playa Cascajo: Boat Snorkeling / Boat Diving 5+ sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 4
Carlos Rosario Beach [ AREA 1 ] Common Name – ” the horseshoe / entrance ” [am]
Average Depth: 15ft-40ft Visibility 50ft +
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral sloping reef with species reef blocks [areas]
Sites Use – Carlos Rosario: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Boat Diving 5+ sites
Playa Cascajo North [AREA 1] Common Name – “Cascajo North to Cascajo Central areas” [pm]
Average Depth: 15ft-35ft Visibility 45ft +
Reef Description – Sea Grass Beds densely situated growing in front of a barrier reef wall
Sites Use – Playa Cascajo North [AREA 1]: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Shore or Boat Diving 5+ sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 5
Playa Tamarindo (Beach) [ Tamarindo AREA 2 ] Common Name – “Tamarindo Proper i.e./turtle beach / turtle Area” [am]
Average Depth: 10ft-20ft Visibility 45ft+
Reef Description – Sea Grass Beds densely situated or Sea Grass fields of sparse population
Sites Use – Tamarindo: Shore Diving / Shore Snorkeling / 2 sites
Melones / Pt. Chico Tamarindo [ Tamarindo AREA 3 ] Common Name – “Pt. Chico “[pm]
Average Depth: 15ft-35ft Visibility 50ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral wall floating off the surface and honey combed
Sites Use – Melones / Pt. Chico Tamarindo: Shore or Boat Diving / Shore or Boat Snorkeling/ 3+ sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 6
Playa Carlos Rosario ( Beach ) Common Name – “the wall part 2 / the wall extension / north section” [ am ]
Average Depth: 15ft-75ft Visibility 75ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral within multiple layers densely situated
Sites Use – Carlos Rosario: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Boat Diving 5+ sites
Tamarindo Grande [ Tamarindo AREA 1] Common Name – Punta Tamarindo Grande (Point) [pm]
Average Depth: 15ft-35ft Visibility 50ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral wall densely situated and Sea Grass Beds
Sites Use – Tamarindo Grande [pm]: Shore or Boat Snorkeling / Boat Diving 2 sites

Culebra Beach Snorkeling / Diving Day 7
Playa Tamarindo (Beach) [ Tamarindo AREA 2] Common Name – “Tamarindo Proper i.e./turtle beach / turtle Area”[am]
Average Depth: 10ft-20ft Visibility 45ft+
Reef Description – Sea Grass Beds densely situated or Sea Grass fields of sparse population
Sites Use – Tamarindo: Shore Diving / Shore Snorkeling / 2 sites
Playa Flamenco ( Beach ) Common Name – “ del moisutio / the shark pens“ [pm]
Average Depth: 15ft-35ft Visibility 40ft+
Reef Description – Hard & Soft coral densely packed on a barrier wall
Sites Use – Flamenco Beach: Shore Diving / Shore Snorkeling / 2 sites
The western shoreline of Culebra is on the leeward side of the island and protected from the wind and swell 90% of the year. Low pressure or large weather systems will change the swell direction as it is passing Culebra. Most Snorkeling Centers on Culebra can offer daily detail information including, water temperature, swell or wave height, and visibility for all locations on Culebra. On shore and offshore conditions vary depended on location. Getting current daily conditions and best site suggestions for locations that will offer optimum snorkeling and diving conditions always increases the day’s positive activity outlook.