Experience the best of Culebra

Culebra lies about twenty-seven kilometres off the east coast of Puerto Rico, one of the small Spanish Virgin Islands. Its only town, Dewey, sits beside a sheltered harbour, with a few guesthouses and restaurants, and golf carts are the usual transport. For decades the United States Navy used the island for target practice, and two rusting tanks still sit on the sand as a reminder.

Playa Flamenco, a long crescent of pale sand and clear shallow water, is often listed among the best beaches in the world. Tamarindo and Carlos Rosario have snorkelling over coral, and sea turtles nest on the island's beaches. Much of Culebra is a national wildlife refuge, one of the oldest in the country, protecting seabird colonies. Offshore cays and Culebrita island, with its old lighthouse, are reached by boat.

Fresh fish and lobster are on the menu of the small waterfront restaurants, and the cooking is simple and Puerto Rican. There are no large resorts or high-rises, and the days pass slowly. The water is calm and clear in the drier months from December to April.