Culebra Municipio de Culebra Isla de Culebra | |
|---|---|
Island-Municipality | |
 Ensenada Honda in Culebra | |
.svg) Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Etymology: Spanish: “Culebra”, i.e., (Non-venomous) Snake | |
| Nicknames: "La Isla Chiquita" (The Little Island), "Última Virgen" (Last Virgin), "Cuna del Sol Borincano" (Cradle of the Puerto Rican Sun) | |
| Anthem:"Culebra Isla preciosa" | |
 Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Culebra (red) | |
| Coordinates:18°19′01″N65°17′24″W / 18.31694°N 65.29000°W /18.31694; -65.29000 | |
| Sovereign state |  United States |
| Commonwealth |  Puerto Rico |
| Founded | October 27, 1880 |
| Founded by | Don Cayetano Escudero |
| Barrios | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Edilberto (Junito) Romero Llovet (PNP) |
| • Senatorial dist. | 8 - Carolina |
| • Representative dist. | 36 |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.6 sq mi (30.1 km2) |
| • Land | 11 sq mi (28 km2) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 1,792 |
| • Rank | 78th in Puerto Rico |
| • Density | 170/sq mi (64/km2) |
| • Racial groups (2000 Census)[2] | 60.6%White 20.9%Black 1.0%American Indian/AN 1.1%Asian 0.1%Native Hawaiian/Pi 13.0% Some other race 3.4% Two or more races |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| ZIP Code | 00775 |
| Area code | 787/939 |
| Major routes |     |
Culebra, officiallyIsla de Culebra (Spanish pronunciation:[kuˈleβɾa], "Snake Island"), is an island andmunicipality ofPuerto Rico, comprising theSpanish Virgin Islands together withVieques. Located about 17 miles (27 km) east of themain island of Puerto Rico, it is 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Vieques and 12 miles (19 km) west ofSaint Thomas in theU.S. Virgin Islands. Culebra is spread overCulebra Pueblo, its historic and administrative center, and 5barrios, which include the smaller islands or cays ofCulebrita,Norte, andLuis Peña. Residents of the island are known as culebrenses. With a population of 1,792 as of the2020 Census, it is the least populous municipality in Puerto Rico.[3]
Originally calledIsla del Pasaje andIsla de San Ildefonso, Culebra is also known asIsla Chiquita ("Little Island"),Cuna del Sol Borincano ("Cradle of the Puerto Rican Sun") andÚltima Virgen ("Last Virgin", due to its position at the end of theVirgin Islands archipelago).
Some sources claim thatChristopher Columbus was the first European to arrive at the island during hissecond voyage on November 19, 1493.[4][5][6] It is believed that the island was populated byCarib Indians during thecolonization. AfterAgüeybaná and Agüeybaná II led theTaíno rebellion of 1511,Taíno Indians from the main island sought refuge on Culebra and allied with Caribs to launch occasional attacks at the island estates.[7]
After that, the island was left abandoned for centuries. During the era of Spanish commerce through the Americas, it was used as a refuge forpirates, as well as local fishermen and sailors.[7] Some sources mention a black overseer from British-ruledTortola named John Stevens, who was put in charge of Culebra in the 1850s by the Governor of Vieques under theSpanish crown to protect the island from foreigners who, without proper permissions or payments of fees for despoiling Culebra, took fish, cut trees for lumber and prepared drift wood as charcoal for future sale elsewhere.[8] Appropriating the unearned title of "Captain", he began a decades-long isolated sojourn on Culebra as enforcer of Spanish interests. In October 1871, however, Stevens was found dead outside his hut, his body viciously hacked apart. His heart and entrails had been placed in clay pots, in an apparent religious ritual to curse his soul. Spanish police from Vieques tracked downTortolan foragers on Culebra who were suspected of the vicious murder. Eventually 21 of them were sentenced to forced labor on sugar plantations inVieques as punishment. The affair caused an international incident, and, to satisfy demands from theBritish ambassador inMadrid, the Tortolans were finally freed by the Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico in July 1874.[9] These events caused the government ofSwitzerland in June 1876 to recall an expedition destined for Culebra to establish a warm-weather sanatorium there. Fearing further foreign encroachments, the Spanish government decided to populate Culebra with its own subjects.[10]
Culebra was then settled by Cayetano Escudero Sanz on October 27, 1880, when he completed his survey of the island that included subdivisions into usable lots. The Spanish government offered these parcels of land to anyone who would move to the island. The first settlers depended on rain for drinking water, as the island has no natural streams.Subsistence farming andcattle raising were established and a cistern was built for common use at one end of a natural harbor orEnsenada Honda in Spanish.
This first settlement was calledSan Ildefonso, to honor the Bishop ofToledo, officiallySan Ildefonso de la Culebra. Two years later, on September 25, 1882, construction of theCulebritalighthouse began. It was completed on February 25, 1886, which made it the oldest operating lighthouse in theCaribbean until 1975, when theU.S. Navy andCoast Guard finally closed the facility.[11]
Puerto Rico was ceded bySpain in the aftermath of theSpanish–American War under the terms of theTreaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of theUnited States. In 1899, theUnited States Department of War conducted acensus of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Culebra was 704.[12]
In 1902, Culebra was integrated as a part ofVieques. One year later, on June 26,President Theodore Roosevelt established the Culebra Naval Reservation. A bird refuge was established on February 27, 1909.[6][7]
TheUnited States Navy cited the 1900Foraker Act to expropriate the land surrounding the natural harbor and in 1902 ordered the removal of all settlers so that a base for the South Atlantic fleet could be erected. Antonio Lugo Suarez, a Puerto Rican who had made his fortune inSt. Thomas then part of theDanish West Indies and Pedro Márquez Morales, aSpaniard who had married aPuerto Rican woman from Vieques, were successful ranchers on Culebra. Each offered an alternate site to the displaced Culebrenses, so as to prevent the total abandonment of the island. The location identified by Márquez on Playa Sardinas became the town ofDewey.[13][14]
A new church was built with materials taken from San Ildefonso and a customs office was constructed.[15]Pedro Márquez (1850–1920) was appointed the first mayor under U.S. rule in 1905, replacing Leopoldo Padrón, the Special Delegate appointed for the transition from Spanish rule. Pedro Márquez was succeeded as mayor in 1912 by his son, Alejandro Márquez Laureano (1912–1914) who erected the first docks for the new town and installed electric lighting on the town's streets. He was succeeded as mayor in 1914 by Claro C. Feliciano, the first mayor who had been born in Culebra.[16]
With the agreement reached with a newCuban government to leaseGuantanamo Bay as a naval base, in 1911 the U.S. reduced the size of its forces on Culebra and turned the installation to training purposes.[17] In 1924, the U.S. Navy began annual maneuvers on Culebra taking advantage of its deep-sea waters to practice coordinating amphibious landings on its beaches.
In 1939, theU.S. Navy began to use the Culebra Archipelago as a gunnery and bombing practice site. This was done in preparation for the United States' involvement inWorld War II. In 1971 the people of Culebra began protests, known as theNavy-Culebra protests, for the removal of the U.S. Navy from Culebra. Four years later, in 1975, the use of Culebra as a gunnery range ceased and all operations were moved toVieques.[18]
Culebra was declared an independent island municipality in 1917. The first democratically elected government was put into place in 1960. Prior to this, the government of Puerto Rico appointed delegates to administer the island.
On September 20, 2017,Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Culebra, whereHurricane Irma had caused major damages a week prior, Hurricane Maria caused more destruction.[19]
Culebra is anarchipelago consisting of the main island and twenty-three smaller islands that lie off its coast. The largest of thesekeys are:Culebrita to the east,Cayo Norte to the northeast, andCayo Luis Peña andCayo Lobo to the west. The smaller islands include Cayo Ballena, Cayos Geniqui, Arrecife Culebrita, Las Hermanas, El Mono, Cayo Lobito, Cayo Botijuela, Alcarraza, Los Gemelos, and Piedra Steven. Islands in the archipelago arearid, meaning they have no rivers orstreams. All of thefresh water is brought from Puerto Rico via Vieques by undersea pipeline.[20]
Culebra is characterized by an irregulartopography resulting in a long intricateshoreline. The island is approximately 7 by 5 miles (11 by 8 km). The coast is marked by cliffs, sandy coralbeaches andmangroveforests. Inland, the tallest point on the island isMount Resaca, with an elevation of 636 feet (193.9 meters),[21] followed by Balcón Hill, with an elevation of 545 feet (166.1 meters).[22]
Ensenada Honda is the largest inlet on the island and is considered to be the mosthurricane secure harbor in the Caribbean.[23] There are also severallagoons on the island, like Corcho,Flamenco, andZoní. Culebrita Island also has a lagoon called Molino.
Almost 80% of the island's area isvolcanic rock from theCretaceous period. It is mostly used forlivestock pasture, as well as some minoragriculture.[24]
| Climate data for Average sea temperature | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 79.2 (26.2) | 78.3 (25.7) | 78.4 (25.8) | 80.1 (26.7) | 81.1 (27.3) | 82.6 (28.1) | 83.1 (28.4) | 84.2 (29.0) | 84.7 (29.3) | 84.2 (29.0) | 83.1 (28.4) | 81.3 (27.4) | 81.7 (27.6) |
| Source: SeaTemperatures.org[25] | |||||||||||||
These small islands are all classified as nature reserves and several nature reserves also exist on the main island. One of the oldest bird sanctuaries in United States territory was established in Culebra on February 27, 1909, by PresidentTeddy Roosevelt.[26] TheCulebra Island giant anole (Anolis roosevelti,Xiphosurus roosevelti (according to ITIS) is an extremely rare or possibly extinctanole lizard. It is native to Culebra Island and was named in honor ofTheodore Roosevelt Jr., who was thegovernor of Puerto Rico at that time. There are bird sanctuaries on many of the islands as well asturtle nesting sites on Culebra.Leatherback,green sea andhawksbillsea turtles use the beaches for nesting. The archipelagos bird sanctuaries are home tobrown boobies,laughing gulls,sooty terns,bridled terns andnoddy terns. An estimated 50,000seabirds find their way back to the sanctuaries every year. These nature reserves comprise 1,568 acres (635 ha) of thearchipelago's 7,000 acres (2,800 ha). These nature reserves are protected by theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Culebra has no natural large mammals. However, a population ofwhite-tailed deer introduced in July 1966 (one male and three females) can be found on the eastern region of the island.[26]
Culebra, along with its adjacent islets and cays, has been recognised as anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because they supportseabirdbreeding colonies ofbrown boobies,brown noddies, and bothsooty androyal terns.[27]
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Culebra is subdivided intobarrios.[28][29][30][31]
| Barrio | Area m2[32] | Population (census 2000) | Population density | Islands in barrio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culebra barrio-pueblo | 408,969 | 652 | 1,594.3 | - |
| Flamenco | 12,602,398 | 885 | 70.2 | Cayo Pirata, Cayo Verde, Cayo Matojo, El Ancon, Piedra Stevens, Los Gemelos, Alcarraza, Roca Lavador (awash), Cayo Botijuela,Cayo de Luis Peña, Las Hermanas (Cayo del Agua, Cayo Ratón, Cayo Yerba), El Mono,Cayo Lobo, Roca Culumna (Part of Cayo Lobito), Cayo Lobito, Cayo Tuna |
| Fraile | 8,211,978 | 51 | 6.2 | Culebrita, Cayo Botella, Pelá, Pelaita |
| Playa Sardinas I | 410,235 | 136 | 331.5 | – |
| Playa Sardinas II | 2,600,088 | 122 | 46.9 | – |
| San Isidro | 5,857,771 | 22 | 3.8 | Roca Speck,Cayo Norte, Cayo Sombrerito, Cayos Geniquí, Cayo Tiburón, Cayo Ballena |
| Total | 30,091,439 | 1.868 | 62,1 | 23 islands, cays and rocks |
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable tominor civil divisions)[33] are further subdivided into smaller areas calledsectores (sectors in English). The types ofsectores may vary, from normallysector tourbanización toreparto tobarriada toresidencial, among others.[34][35][36]
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Culebra is a popular weekend tourist destination for mainlandPuerto Ricans,Americans and residents ofVieques.Culebra has many beaches includingFlamenco Beach (Playa Flamenco), rated third best beach in the world for 2014 byTripAdvisor. In November 2017 Forbes rated it #19 of the top 50 beaches around the world.[37] It can be reached by shuttle buses from the ferry. The beach extends for a mile of white coral sand and is framed beautifully by arid tree-covered hills. The beach is also protected by theDepartment of Natural and Environmental Resources as amarine wildlife reserve.
The area west of Flamenco Beach and the adjacent Flamenco Point were used for joint-United States Navy/Marine Corps military exercises until 1975. Two oldM4 Sherman tanks, which were used for target practice, can be found at the beach. Culebra andVieques offered the U.S. military training areas for theFleet Marine Force inamphibious exercises forbeach landings andnaval gunfire support testing. Culebra and Vieques were the two components of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range Inner Range. In recent years, only the shortened term "Inner Range" was used.
Other beaches are only accessible by private car or boats. Of the smaller islands, onlyCulebrita andLuis Peña permit visitors and can be accessible via water taxis from Culebra. Hiking and nature photography are encouraged on the small islands. However, activities which would disturb the nature reserves are prohibited, e.g.camping,littering and the use ofmotor vehicles. Camping, however, is allowed on Flamenco Beach throughout the year. Reservations are recommended.[38]Culebra is also a popular destination forscuba divers because of the many reefs throughout the archipelago and the crystal clear waters. Because of the "arid" nature of the island there is no run-off from rivers or streams, resulting in very clear waters around the archipelago.
To stimulate local tourism, thePuerto Rico Tourism Company launched theVoy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Culebra page listsPlaya Flamenco,Faro de Culebrita, andReserva Natural del Canal Luis Peña, as places of interest.[39]
According to a news article byPrimera Hora, Culebra has 10 beaches.[40]
Culebra celebrates itspatron saint festival in July. TheFiestas Patronales de Nuestra Señora del Carmen is a religious and cultural celebrationin honor ofMary, the mother of Jesus and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[20]
Other festivals and events include:
In 2020, the descendants of Pedro Márquez erected a plaque commemorating the centennial of his death at the original site of his butcher shop, built on the main street that bears his name.
In past centuries,agriculture was the main source of economy in Culebra. At some point, the following products were produced andexported from the island:wood, turtle oil, shells, fish,tobacco,livestock,pigs,goats,cheese,plantains,pumpkins,beans,yams,garlic,maize,tomatoes,oranges,coconut,cotton,melons,mangrovebark,coal, andturkey.[44]
Nowadays, Culebra's main source of revenue comes fromconstruction andtourism.[45]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 704 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,315 | 86.8% | |
| 1920 | 839 | −36.2% | |
| 1930 | 847 | 1.0% | |
| 1940 | 860 | 1.5% | |
| 1950 | 887 | 3.1% | |
| 1960 | 573 | −35.4% | |
| 1970 | 732 | 27.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,265 | 72.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,542 | 21.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,868 | 21.1% | |
| 2010 | 1,818 | −2.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,792 | −1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[46] 1899 (shown as 1900)[47] 1910-1930[48] 1930-1950[49] 1960-2000[50] 2010[30]2020[51] | |||
As of 2020, the municipality has a population of 1,792, making it the least populous in Puerto Rico.[53]
10.8% of Culebra's population is of non-Hispanic origin, making it also the least Hispanic municipality in Puerto Rico. This represents an increase from 2010, when only 8.3% of the population was non-Hispanic.[54]
In 1894, written reports indicated that there were 519 residents living in five communities: San Ildefonso,Flamenco, San Isidero, Playa Sardinas I y II, and Frayle. There were 84 houses built, 24 of them in the San Ildefonso community.[44]
Like all of Puerto Rico's municipalities, the island of Culebra is administered by amayor, elected every four years in general elections. The current mayor of Culebra isEdilberto Romero Llovet, of theNew Progressive Party (PNP). He was first elected at the2020 general elections.
The city belongs to thePuerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024,Marissa Jiménez andHéctor Joaquín Sánchez Álvarez were elected as District Senators.[55]
TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Culebra Post Office.[56]
Themunicipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[57]
The Culebra flag consists of five vertical stripes, three alternate yellow and two green ones. The yellow central stripe has the map of Culebra in green.[58]
The field istierced in three, in the Spanish manner,vert, argent, or. The cross and the episcopalcrozier symbolize Bishop San Ildefonso, because originally the island was calledSan Ildefonso de la Culebra. The crowned serpent (culebra meansserpent)ondoyant in pale is the emblem of its name. The mailed arm refers to the coat of the Escudero family, first settlers of the island. The laurel cross refers to the civic triumph reached when Culebra obtained the evacuation of theUnited States Navy. The crest is a coronet bearing two masts, their sails filled by the wind.[58]
Due to its size and small population, there are only three schools on Culebra, one for each level. They are the San Ildefonso Elementary School, the Antonio R. Barceló High School, and the Luis Muñoz Rivera school. Education is administered by thePuerto Rico Department of Education.
There is a small hospital in the island called Hospital de Culebra. It also offerspharmacy services to residents and visitors. For emergencies, patients are transported by plane toFajardo on the main island.[59]
On September 20, 2020, Puerto Rico's Health Department reported that in the six months of pandemic, Culebra had reported only six cases of infection and no deaths. This was the lowest rate of infection in any municipality of Puerto Rico during theCOVID-19 infections.[60]
The island of Culebra can be reached by private boat, theCulebra Ferry, orairplane. Ferry service is available fromCeiba. Ferries make several trips a day to the main island for an approximate fare of $4.50 (round trip).[61][62]
Culebra also has a small airport,Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport, with domestic service to the mainland andVieques. The airport is served by small airlines:
There ispublic transportation available in the island, through public cars and taxis.
There is one bridge on the island.[63]
TheNavy–Culebra protests is the name given byAmericanmedia to a series of protests starting in 1971 on the island of Culebra,Puerto Rico against theUnited States Navy use of the island.[64] The protests led to the U.S. Navy abandoning its facilities on Culebra.
The historical backdrop was that in 1902, three years after the U.S. invasion of Puerto Rico, Culebra was integrated as a part ofVieques. But on June 26, 1903, U.S. PresidentTheodore Roosevelt established the Culebra Naval Reservation in Culebra. The suitability of Culebra and its topography for the technical requirements of naval gunfire and aircraft weapons exercises was recognized in 1936, and the Government of the United States declared Culebra and its adjacent waters as the Culebra Naval Defensive Sea Area in 1941. This military defense area included all coastal waters from high-tide elevation to three miles off shore. The naval gunnery and aircraft weapons ranges at Culebra played a considerable role, along with other gunnery facilities near Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, in the combat readiness of Allied Naval Forces during theSecond World War. These Caribbean ranges again served as primary weapons training grounds for both Naval Gunfire Support Exercises and aircraft weapons systems proficiency during the critical period of the Korean War starting in the summer of 1950. The United States Naval exercises reached a peak in 1969, as many ships and air units were attached to theAtlantic Fleet for gunnery and aerial ordnance proficiency prior to their ultimate assignments to naval task forces stationed inSoutheast Asia.
In 1971 the people of Culebra began the protests for the removal of the U.S. Navy from Culebra. The protests were led byRuben Berrios, President of thePuerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), a well-regarded attorney in international rights, President-Honorary of theSocialist International, andLaw professor at theUniversity of Puerto Rico. An ecumenical chapel was built onFlamenco Beach, in an action led byCatholic Bishop Antulio Parilla Bonilla,Baptist minister, Luis Rivera Pagán, and George Lakey of theQuaker Action Committee.[65] Berrios and other protesterssquatted in Culebra for a few days. Some of them, including Berrios, were arrested and imprisoned forcivil disobedience. The official charge was trespassing on U.S. military territory. The protests led to the U.S. Navy discontinuing the use of Culebra as a gunnery range in 1975 and all of its operations were moved to Vieques. The case against the Navy was led byWashington lawyer Richard Copaken as retained pro-bono by the people of Culebra island.
The cleaning process of the island has been slow. At the end of 2016, theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers sent letters to the residents of Culebra citing active removal of undetonated explosive material still present on the island.[66]
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