While in Puerto Rico, our boys were delighted by the idea of taking a snorkeling day trip. Following a friend’s recommendation, we decided to book a 6 hour tour with Tobias Snorkel and Beach Tours to the beautiful Culebra Island.

The Logistics

Pickup Location

To take the Tobias Snorkel and Beach Tour, you will either need to drive to Villa Marina in Fajardo on the northeast side of Puerto Rico, or arrange for transportation from your accommodations, as indicated on their website. Since we were staying in Luquillo and had a rental car, it made perfect sense for us to drive 20 minutes to the marina and park on the street.

Day Trip Location

Culebra Island is located about 20 miles away from the Villa Marina in Fajardo, about an hour by powerboat. Typically, this tour will make one stop at a reef and one stop on Flamenco Beach on Culebra Island, but apparently the conditions were not very good, so they alternatively took us to Culebrita Beach, also known as Playa Tortuga or Turtle Beach, on the nearby uninhabited island of Culebrita. This remote beach, only accessible by private boat, is good for both swimming and for snorkeling.

Tour Inclusions

Our tour included:

• The ride to and from Culebrita, about 1-1.5 hours each way.
• 3-4 hours dedicated to beach time and snorkeling.
• Snorkeling gear.
• A mediocre lunch with basic sandwiches, chips, and cookies.
• Drinks.
• Fresh fruit for the return ride.

Note: An emergency onboard bathroom is available; however its use sounded a bit complicated and unpleasant, so we did our best to avoid it.

Costs

For current costs and availability for this excursion, visit the Tobias Snorkel and Beach Tour website. See the site for terms, e.g. no children under 5.

Our Experience

We were told to arrive at the marina at 7:30am for an 8:30am departure, which ended up being quite ridiculous since no one was there yet. Most people seemed to take this advisory with a grain of salt and arrived between 8-8:15am. The check-in process included receiving a wristband and trying on snorkeling fins, the sizes of which were then written on the wristband so that we could then receive them at our destination.

As we boarded, the crowded seating situation became apparent. Opting for a seat in the shaded area of the bottom deck, we strategically avoided potential seasickness on the top deck and sunburn in the unshaded section closest to the stern. A cautionary tale unfolded as one passenger indulged in complimentary rum punch drinks, leading to an unfortunate bout of seasickness. Note: Ginger ale proved a wiser choice while the boat was in motion!

The journey there was 1-1.5 hours and offered pleasant, if repetitive, views. It was too bad that the hard and cramped seats diminished comfort, but they were adequate and easy to clean in the case of seasickness. No one wants to sit on that! Arriving at Culebrita, we were equipped with well maintained snorkeling gear and briefed on the beach and snorkeling areas.

Underwater Experience

While the snorkeling waters were a tad murky, offering glimpses of only a few fish, it fell short of our expectations set by a previous experience in Hawaii. Some of the other passengers reported spotting a ray and a turtle, but these eluded us. Local reports suggested rougher waters than usual, potentially impacting the day’s snorkeling conditions. A tip for future travelers: Plan your snorkeling excursion on the calmest days for an optimal experience.

Note that I really hate snorkeling goggles – I get panicky when my nose cannot bring air into my lungs, so I brought my own swim goggles. Unfortunately, there was no way to detach the breathing tube from the provided snorkeling goggles, so I had to go without and lift my head whenever I wanted to breathe. On the plus side, this organization also required the use of a flotation belt while snorkeling, which also made relaxing in the deeper water quite pleasant.

Despite the underwater murk, our time was well-spent strolling along the beach and floating in the inviting waters. A word of caution: Despite multiple sunscreen applications, a burned neck, shoulders, and back served as a reminder of the Caribbean sun’s intensity.

Thankfully, the island’s name, Culebrita, meaning “snake,” didn’t reflect its residents – my research seems to indicate that these creatures have not made it to this island. Named after the Bishop of Toledo, San Ildefonso de la Culebra, the island instead delighted us with a sighting of an iguana.

We did see the US Virgin Islands from the boat, given Culebra’s proximity – that was kind of interesting. We also did look into taking ferry-type rides to Culebra or Vieques, though this was a much simpler option.

Conclusion

In retrospect, our snorkeling day trip to Culebrita was enjoyable, and a way to see the east side of the island. We do wish the snorkeling conditions had been better that day – though when planning a trip in advance, it’s hard to predict this.

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