Anchorage

Bahía Tortuga

4.8Puerto RicoPuerto Rico

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Shelter: W, E, SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Bay on the north side of Culebrita, the cay off the east coast of Culebra, 4.2 NM from Dewey.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Sand bottom. Sheltered from W through S to E, exposed to the north: northerly ground swell, passing tropical waves or a strong trade wind make it uncomfortable. Bahía de Almodóvar is the overnight fallback. Culebrita belongs to the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge and is open to visitors in daylight only.

Practical

Free DRNA mooring buoys for day use, and anchoring permitted on sand. Busy with Puerto Rican powerboats at weekends.

Ashore

Natural rock pools at the north end of the beach. A trail climbs to the Culebrita lighthouse, built by Spain between 1882 and 1886 and closed in 1975.

History

The lighthouse was one of the oldest working lights in the Caribbean until the US Navy and Coast Guard shut it. It was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and has since suffered from hurricanes.