"Canoe with wings" Culebra Transportation Tip by maharaja_joe

Puerto Rico is one of the better countries in the region. Getting out of the airport, renting a car, and driving toward Fajardo on the East coast, was a cinch. We waited at a tiny little airport to catch a plane to Culebra. I don’t know if one can call it an airport. Another way of describing it would be a single building with a huge parking lot, on which teensy-weensy airplanes landed and took off.

When the time comes, you walk up to the plane, climb in through the back door (just like you would climb into a car) and dump your bags in the back. The plane can seat about 10 people, including the pilot. Is it too hot in the plane? Just crack open the window a wee bit! On-board refreshments ? Sure … just reach into your backpack and pull out the munchies you had bought at the airport. If you are lucky, you could call shotgun and sit next to the pilot. Culebra was half an hour away, and our eyes were riveted to the window as we passed the beautiful beaches of mainland Puerto Rico, flew over the sea with its little islands and boats, till we saw the mountains of Culebra looming in the distance. It is kinda noisy in the plane, so conversations may be limited. Every once in a while the plane may hit an air-pocket, so you have to be careful with your drink, if any. The plane has to maneuver between two mountain peaks during its descent, which can make some people nervous.

We landed at the airport, pulled our backpacks from the “trunk” and simply walked up to the terminal, making sure the rotating propellers were a safe distance away. We thought it was a pretty cool ride. Once there, you have a choice of renting two wheelers or 4-wheel drives. There are also some vans that ply across different parts of the island.

Mode: TO
Type: Airplane