Club Seabourne is the closest thing Culebra has to a boutique hotel. For most honeymooners it is the best place to sleep on the island if you want a hotel rather than a rental. It sits on a green hillside above Fulladoza Bay on Route 250, a short drive from the little town of Dewey. Rooms are spread through gardens of palms and mango trees around a pool, with hammocks strung in the shade and a 110-foot dock on the water below.
It is a small, relaxed place. Breakfast is cooked to order on an open porch each morning and is included in every rate, as are transfers from the airport or ferry and the use of kayaks and bikes. The best rooms are the Deluxe Villas, which have balconies looking out over the bay.
Couples who expect a full-service resort should adjust their expectations: there is no big spa, no nightly entertainment and no beach on the doorstep. Club Seabourne suits couples who want a comfortable, friendly base with air conditioning, a pool and a view, then spend their days at Flamenco, Tamarindo and Culebrita.
Highlights at a glance
- Deluxe Villas with balconies over Fulladoza Bay
- Daily à la carte breakfast included
- Airport and ferry transfers included
- Free kayaks and bikes
- Pool, garden hammocks and a private dock
Why Couples Choose Club Seabourne
Culebra has very few hotels. Most visitors stay in guesthouses in Dewey or in private rentals, which can be lovely but leave you sorting out keys, breakfast and transport yourselves. Club Seabourne takes care of those small things. Someone meets you at the airstrip or the ferry dock, the front desk can book a water taxi or a snorkel trip and breakfast arrives without you having to find a café that is open.
The setting is quiet. The hotel faces Fulladoza Bay rather than the open sea, so the view is of calm water, moored boats and green hills. Evenings are for the pool, a book on the balcony or a drive into Dewey for dinner. The hotel calls its style Caribbean chic, which in practice means bright, simple rooms with good beds rather than designer flourishes.
Which Room to Book
Book a Deluxe Villa. These sit on the hill with a private balcony or deck facing Fulladoza Bay, a queen bed, a lounge area, air conditioning and a bathroom with a rain shower. They are the rooms with the view and the most privacy, which is what you want on a honeymoon.
The Family Villas have two bedrooms and suit two couples traveling together. The basic rooms are cheaper and look onto the garden rather than the bay. The Nest is on the second floor of the main building, the Cottage sits behind it and the Pool Cabana is beside the pool with accessible facilities. They are fine for a short stay but you give up the balcony view.
For more space, the hotel also rents Oceania Villas, a renovated house about five minutes away at Punta Aloe.
Breakfast, Dinner and Downtime
Breakfast is served à la carte from 8:00 to 10:30 every morning on the open porch of the main building. It is included in your rate. It is a good start to a beach day: eat, grab the cooler and go.
For dinner, plan on Dewey and the island's scattered restaurants. Culebra's dining scene is small and casual, with seafood shacks, a few bars on the canal and one or two places that take reservations. Hours are short and some places close on certain weekdays or for part of the low season, so ask the front desk what is open before you head out.
Back at the hotel, the pool and the garden hammocks are the main amenities. There is complimentary Wi-Fi in the main building and in the rooms, plus a lounge with books and magazines for rainy afternoons.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do From the Hotel
Kayaks are free for guests. The hotel suggests paddling Fulladoza Bay or out toward Dakiti Reef. Adult bicycles are available too, although Culebra's hills make a golf cart or jeep the more relaxing way to get around.
The front desk can arrange snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and day trips to Culebrita or Luis Peña Cay. Flamenco Beach, the island's famous mile of white sand, is the obvious first stop. Tamarindo and Melones on the west side are better for snorkeling with turtles. A water taxi to Culebrita gives you a ruined lighthouse and beaches you may have to yourselves.
If you are arriving by private boat, guests can dock free at the hotel's pier. Moorings can be arranged in advance for a nightly fee. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums can bite at dusk, so pack repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Puerto Rico before you go.
Getting There
Most couples fly from the mainland into Luis Muñoz Marín International (SJU) in San Juan, then take a small plane to Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX) on Culebra. The hop takes about 30 minutes and gives you a fine view of the reefs on approach. Luggage limits on these small planes are strict, so pack light.
The alternative is the public ferry from Ceiba on the main island, which takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes. It is cheap but can sell out and schedules change, so book ahead and build in slack.
Either way, Club Seabourne includes transfers from the airport or ferry dock. You will still want your own wheels for beach days. Rent a golf cart or jeep well in advance in winter and on holiday weekends, when the island's small fleet goes quickly. Puerto Rico is a US territory, so flights from the mainland are domestic.
Is It Worth It?
For Culebra, yes. Deluxe Villa rates run roughly $299 a night from May to mid-December and about $345 from mid-December through April, before the 9% room tax. Breakfast, transfers, kayaks and bikes are included, which makes it fair value on an island where a decent rental can cost as much without any service. Treat those prices as approximate and check current rates when you book.
What you will not get is luxury in the big-resort sense. Rooms are comfortable rather than lavish, there is no spa and dinner means going out. Couples who want a beach butler, several restaurants and a kid-free pool should look at the larger resorts in Dorado or on Vieques instead. Couples who want a calm, friendly base on one of the Caribbean's least developed islands will find it does the job well.
Insider tips
- Ask specifically for a Deluxe Villa when booking; the basic rooms face the garden, not the bay.
- Reserve a golf cart or jeep at the same time as the room, especially for winter and holiday weekends.
- The front desk closes at 9:00 pm, so call ahead if your flight or ferry is running late.
- Book stays of a week or more directly; the hotel advertises a 10% saving on longer stays.
