WOW! This was one of my favorite lifetime experiences. It's worth the effort to get to Culebra to experience the SEAVenture Tour with Culebra Island Adventures.
Starting from the beginning: You need to take a ferry from Fajardo to Culebra to access the tour. CIA makes sure that your ferry tickets are reserved in advance. (When you arrive at the ferry terminal in Fajardo, you will quickly realize that this is CLUTCH. The ferry terminal is an absolutely disorganized hot mess.) I would recommend arriving at least an hour early. Even though you get to skip the very long line of people waiting to buy tickets, it's still a bit confusing to find the correct (shorter) line and get your tickets. Damian, one of our tour guides, was in touch with us consistently by text message to make sure we got our tickets and boarded the ferry.
The ferry ride is about an hour long, and please prepare in advance if you get seasick, and bring your sunscreen and hat! It's a rough ride over to Culebra. The way back is far smoother. I would recommend getting a seat on the top and toward the middle, under the awning. That way you get a cool breeze and still enjoy the views without getting splashed by ocean water.
That being said....all of this is more than worth it to experience the untouched beauty of Culebra. The waters are a clear, turquoise blue. Laura greeted us at the ferry terminal in Culebra and immediately took us on a brief walk to the van. We took a short ride to Tamarindo Beach, where the tour began. My husband and I appreciated the efficiency and the fact that NO time was wasted on the tour. It was extremely well-organized.
We had a relatively small group of folks. Damian gave us a thorough explanation of the tour agenda (kayak, snorkel over one reef, return to shore for snack, more snorkeling, trip to Flamenco Beach.) This was the first time I have had a tour guide explain how to kayak in detail. Damian's tips were very helpful in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable kayak ride.
We snorkeled over a beautiful coral reef for about 45 minutes and saw a puffer fish, eels, and vibrantly colored coral and fish. If you follow the guide (Laura) closely, you won't miss any of the wonderful marine life!
We then returned to the shore by kayak for a delicious snack (homemade ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, apples, soda/water.) Then came the highlight of the tour--swimming with the sea turtles! We walked into the water directly from the beach this time. It wasn't long before we spotted several turtles, and they are a sight to behold. These gentle giants will allow you to swim directly over top of them and alongside them, making for excellent photo opportunities. This was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Speaking of photos, Laura chronicled our journey in detail using her underwater camera. Within days, she posted almost 400 pictures of our snorkeling tour on Facebook. We were able to download photos directly from Facebook for free. The pictures are AMAZING. This is one of the best perks of the tour! I love that they weren't trying to make us pay an extra $10 per picture, which they easily could have done.
The last stop on our tour was the stunning and serene Flamenco Beach. Ahhhhhhh. The sand is white, the water is crystal blue, and it's not crowded. My husband loved body-surfing in the huge waves. We were able to purchase some beers at the refreshment area, and we sat on our towel and enjoyed the scenery.
I would do this tour again and again if I could. It was so well-organized, the guides were knowledgeable, and the price is very reasonable. Make the effort to do this if you are in Puerto Rico! Thank you, Damian and Laura! read more