Flamenco Beach – Culebra, Puerto Rico – 2023 Guide

If you arrive in Culebra by plane, you’ll immediately know Flamenco Beach is special as you fly over it.

From the air, you’ll appreciate the clarity of the water, the stunning stretch of sparkling white sand embraced by green rolling hills forming a perfect backdrop to the crescent-shaped beach.

It’s hard to put into words what makes Flamenco such a special place.  Photos simply can’t capture the beauty of this place.  So take a leap of faith and come to Culebra, you won’t be disappointed.

Once you get here, just about every beach you’ll visit after, may become a disappointment, one of the reasons seasoned travelers have chosen to make Culebra their secret vacation spot for decades.

What makes Flamenco Beach so special?

The following are some of the reasons Flamenco Beach is such a special place… words and photos can’t really capture the glory of this beach.  You have to be here to experience it.

Perhaps is the crystal clear water with gentle waves tinted in unending shades of blue. Flamenco Beach provides a high dose of Chromotherapy (color therapy) to visitors.  If you were to spend the entire day at Flamenco, you’ll observe a spectacular show of color changes on the water, ranging from clear glass, soft baby blue to turquoise to deep emerald green.  Take a photo of the same spot throughout the day so you can capture the ever-changing color scene and take the memories with you.

The sand of Flamenco is light, white, and soft… making sandcastle building fun and romantic long walks on the beach a treat to your feet.  If you get there early in the morning, you may find the sand beautifully undisturbed with few or no steps…since the evening breezes erased the steps from visitors of the previous day.

Perhaps, it’s the perfectly landscaped shore with green rolling hills as the backdrop, lush tropical plants providing shade to visitors, a home to birds, and a hideout for honeymooners wishing to have a romantic kiss.   Unlike most Caribbean beaches, Flamenco is free of concrete buildings and big resorts giving visitors a sense of being in a faraway paradise.

At Flamenco, not only can you go for a wonderfully refreshing swim, but bring your snorkel gear, and explore the coral reefs below the surface.  Swim with turtles, manta rays, and a variety of multicolored tropical fish.

On the other side of the stone bridge and “natural toddler pool”, (the far right end of Flamenco), you can disconnect from the world and explore the coral reefs beneath.

Flamenco Beach feels really big, yet provides many intimate spots, perfect for love birds.  If you’re longing to feel like you have your own piece of paradise, you won’t have a problem finding a quiet spot even on a busy summer day.

Safe waters for swimming, and snorkeling, kid-friendly food, bathrooms, outdoor showers, easy beach access, and an ambiance that allows families to reconnect.  If you have small children, Flamenco’s waters are calm with gentle waves, perfect for the whole family to enjoy a day at the beach.

On the far right end of Flamenco, you’ll find the most perfect spot for toddlers.  A very shallow area with crystal clear water with spectacular views of the curvaceous landscape of Flamenco.

Flamenco beach only gets crowded during holidays and summer months, and during winter months when most islands throughout the Caribbean are crowded, Flamenco is blissfully quiet even on a busy day.   Most visitors tend to park their lounge chairs on the main beach off the main entrance if you want more privacy and quiet, just a few minute’s walk towards either side will give you more solitude.

A famous and unique landmark at Flamenco beach you won’t anywhere else is the old Navy tank parked on the sand, a reminder of the past when the United States Navy used the island as a gunnery range. The residents of Culebra protested and four years later in 1975, the US Military left the island and sadly moved to the sister island of Vieques.  Along the way, you’ll see another tank on the interior of the beach.  The Navy tank is one of the most photographed artifacts on the island fully rusted with ever-changing art by locals.  Once in Flamenco just walk west of the beach, the walk there is marvelous.

Flamenco is one of the most desirable beaches for developers, but Culebra has managed to protect this beach from commercial development.  Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a beachfront guest room, you can reserve a spot under the stars and camp at Flamenco.

News:  For those that prefer more comfort, we are happy to inform you that management is working on offering the first “glamping” accommodations on a public beach in Puerto Rico.   Management is collecting donations to help build permanent camping wooden tents for rent.

When you get hungry, you can head to the outdoor food stands serving our Puerto Rican street food so yummy that it’s worth leaving the sands of Flamenco for a little while.

Among popular food choices, are Puerto Rican favorite fritters: 

• Empanadillas (pastry-fried turnovers filled with beef, chicken, crab, shrimp, shark, and more).
• Alcapurrias – made of fried plantain or yucca dough filled with ground beef.
• Surrullos – our son calls them “Puerto Rican fries”.  At Flamenco, the big surrullos are sold.  Typically, they are finger size and dipped in mayoketchup (a delicious mix of mayonnaise and ketchup).  They are made with cornflour and filled with a string of cheddar cheese in the middle and fried.
• Pinchos (Meat Skewers / Kebabs) – Puerto Ricans love pork and chicken but they’re also made with fish and served with tostones (fried mashed plantains).
• You can also enjoy fish platters.
• Tostones – twice-fried mashed plantains.

For the less adventurous, you can also find pizza and more typical American foods.