Hiking on Culebra
As time goes on, it seems more and more changes happen. Land gets sold, trails become roads….Maybe some of the excitment of the hidden trails is gone, but the beauty at the end of the trail is always there!
While Culebra is known for its beautiful beaches, great sea life, and relaxing lifestyle, there are also some hiking trails for those times you want to get away from the beach. Some hikes are an easy walk on the beach, and others are longer and more difficult.
While not hiking per se, if you don’t want to rent a car, it is possible to walk all over Culebra. We saw one woman walk from the Punta Soldado area to Flamenco Beach within a few hours! There aren’t a lot of cars on the roads in Culebra, but it is sunny and hot!
We rented a Jeep during a recent multi-day trip to Culebra, so we were able to drive to the starting locations for each of our hikes.
Flamenco Lagoon
For a nice easy walk, we followed the dirt road around the Flamenco Lagoon. Unfortunately, it is across the street from the dump, and people have dumped trash at the beginning of this road when the dump is closed. But after the initial 50 yards, it is nice.
We stayed on the dirt road, and we occasionally caught a glimpse of the lagoon through the trees and could do some bird-watching. We followed the dirt road for about 0.6 miles, and it eventually came out on the northeast end of Flamenco Beach, near the Shark Cages or Muellecito. Once on Flamenco Beach, there are picnic tables where you can enjoy the great view.Note- from time to time there is a “rights fight” and someone puts a gate across. But this should be open for public use.
Playa Carlos Rosario
Carlos Rosario Beach is considered by many to be the best snorkeling spot on Culebra. In order to get to this beach, we had to hike for just under 1 mile.
Starting in the Flamenco Beach parking lot, we went to the back corner, where there is a chained gate. Though it has a keep out sign, lots of people have gone through the gate, and followed the path (which is well-used, and easy to follow). It is about a 30-minute walk, up and down hills in the full sun from the parking lot to Carlos Rosario Beach. Note- last time we went, the gate was open. Just make sure to stay on trail.
Road to Punta Soldado
During our trip to Culebra, we rented a Jeep, but the contract said we could only use it on paved roads. We wanted to snorkel at Punta Soldado, and the road to the beach is a loose gravel surface. So we had to park at the end of the blacktop and walk to the beach.
The walk to the beach is about 0.3 miles, on a pot-hole filled dirt road, in the full sun. Easy downhill walk to the beach, harder uphill walk back to the car. We were happy to have drinking water with us! With a Jeep, driving down is possible (we have even seen regular cars go down, but no golf carts please!).
Trail to Playa Brava
The hike to Brava Beach is a moderately difficult hike, downhill most of the way to the beach, and then back uphill back to your car.
To get to the trail head from Road 250, we turned at the Culebra Museum, and followed the road until it ended. We parked on the side of the road, being careful not to block either of the two gates. The trail to Brava Beach is through the gate at the end of the road (heading in the exact same direction as we were driving). There is a no pase sign, but obviously lots of people use this trail.
The first part is easy walking, up and then down, down, down. Then it goes to the left and we started going through bushes and down a dry stream/river bed. The path is well-used and well-marked, so it was easy to follow. It was obvious that there must have been some serious rains and flooding in the past couple years, even though Culebra is a relatively dry island. Update note 3/18 from a post on Culeabra Fb page – “Tip: There’s a new trail most of the way down. It’s to your left as you begin going down the big hill. Orange rope hanging there. Cloth straps marking the way. Gets a little hairy but made it with an 8 yr old. Pay attention. If you take the old path all the way down it ends in a huge jumbled mess. Bring a trash bag, it needs some attention. “
After hiking approximately 0.75 miles, we emerged on Brava Beach. Being on the north side of the island, Brava Beach is not a swimming beach. So we spent time walking on the beach and taking photos, before starting our hike back to the car.
Trail to Playa Resaca
The hike to Resaca Beach is a difficult hike, downhill most of the way to the beach, and then back uphill back to your car.
To get to the trail head from Road 250, we took the road that goes "behind" (or on the north-east side of) the airport. We followed the road until it ended, and then parked at the little roundabout at the end of the road. When we got out of the car, we noticed two paths. One had a big gate, and was more like a road. The other was a tiny path behind a large rock, and marked with a little official “tortugas marinas” sign. It’s the little path that leads to the beach, not the gated path.
This path starts fairly easy and degrades quickly. The path was steep in places, and we found ourselves basically climbing down rocks. Then the path turns into a maze of trees/roots through a (thankfully) dried mud marshy area. Luckily, the path was well marked with blue tape marker flags when we went in April 2012.
After hiking approximately 0.5 miles, we emerged through the sea grapes onto Resaca Beach. Much like Brava Beach, Playa Resaca is not a swimming beach. So, again, we spent some time on the beach taking photos, then started our difficult hike back uphill to our car.
Important Stuff
If you plan to do any of these hikes, make sure you have plenty of water, something to eat, and shoes with sturdy soles. We hiked in Teva and Keen sandals.
Parking for most of these hikes are in remote areas. Don’t leave any valuables in your car.
Watch out for thorns, razor grass, and loose gravel along the trails.
These hikes describe hikes we did. You need to decide if you want to ignore any “no trespassing/no pase” signs.
Click on a placename below to view the location on Google Maps ...
- Brava Beach
- Brava Beach, parking
- Carlos Rosario Beach (end of trail)
- Carlos Rosario Beach (trailhead in Flamenco Beach parking)
- Flamenco Lagoon, parking
- Helicopter Pad, Old Navy
- Resaca Beach
- Resaca Beach, parking
- Shark Cages at Flamenco Beach
- Soldado Beach
- Soldado Beach, parking
PuertoRicoDayTrips.com assumes no responsibility regarding your safety when participating in the activities described in this article. Please use common sense! If your mother or that little voice in your head tells you that you are about to do something stupid … then don't do it!
