Flamenco Beach is a public

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

on the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

island of Culebra (). It is known for its shallow turquoise waters, white sand, swimming areas, and diving sites. It stretches for a mile around a sheltered, horseshoe-shaped bay. Playa Flamenco is a popular beach destination for both Culebra and Puerto Rico. In March 2014, Flamenco beach was ranked 3rd best beach in the world with a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award. In August 2016, it was announced that Flamenco Beach had regained its

Blue Flag Beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-gov ...

international distinction.

Geography

Flamenco is located on the northern shore of Culebra. Its name in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

(''flamingo beach'') comes from the numerous Caribbean flamingos ('' Phoenicopterus ruber'') that were once common in

Flamenco Lagoon Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extrema ...

. The beach lies on a half-mile-wide, horseshoe strip of coast. The beach is bordered by the

Culebra National Wildlife Refuge The Culebra National Wildlife Refuge (Spanish: ''Refugio nacional de vida silvestre de Culebra'') is a National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is a unit of the U.S. Fis ...

, which is of itself one of the oldest wildlife preserves in the United States. Off the coast of Flamenco, approximately a quarter mile, is a reef where the surf breaks. Characteristic of Flamenco is the beach's white sand and shallow clear waters.

Flora and fauna

The waters off Flamenco beach are home to species of

parrot fish Parrotfishes are a group of about 90 fish species regarded as a family (Scaridae), or a subfamily (Scarinae) of the wrasses. With about 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, ro ...

, blue tang, multiple species of

wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them le ...

, and other

Caribbean sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

fish species. Crustacean species such as

Ghost Crab Ghost crabs are semiterrestrial crabs of the subfamily Ocypodinae. They are common shore crabs in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, inhabiting deep burrows in the intertidal zone. They are generalist scavengers and predators ...

are also observed. Some 50,000 seabirds visit Culebra’s Flamenco Peninsula each summer to nest—mostly

sooty terns The sooty tern (''Onychoprion fuscatus'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans, returning to land only to breed on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Taxonomy The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeu ...

and other migratory species. Summer visitors to Flamenco Beach are familiar with them as they often feed in the area in large numbers. By September, the birds have gathered up their broods and flown out to sea only to return home the following summer. Occasionally,

leatherback The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...

and

hawksbill The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...

sea turtles Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...

may be seen as the beaches of the Culebra archipelago are also a major breeding ground for them and the adjacent sea grass beds provide shelter and food for green sea turtles.

Rusting tanks

One of the most distinctive views of the beach include two rusting carcasses of old

M4 Sherman tanks M4 or M-4 most often refers to: * M4 carbine, an American carbine * M4 Sherman, an American World War II medium tank M4, M04, or M-4 may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''M4'' (EP), a 2006 EP by Faunts * ''M4'' (video game), a 1992 ...

that were left behind by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

after their departure from Flamenco Beach in 1975, which was used as a weapons-testing ground by them for more than 30 years. While the salty winds from the sea worked on the metal, causing it to rapidly rust and crumble apart, the locals and visitors often decorate them, covering the badly corroded hulks in layers of colorful graffiti. Today, the tanks still remain and have become a unique feature of the otherwise pristine and beautiful beach.

Gallery

Diving Culebra.jpg, Dive sites at the beach Culebra - Playa de Flamenco.jpg, Isolated part of Flamenco Beach Beach at Culebra Island, Puerto Rico.jpg, General view Tank on Flamenco Beach 2.jpg, " WTF?" spray painted on the rear of a

Sherman tank } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It w ...

left over from U.S. military shelling practice Sunaddict-de-culebra-puerto-rico-2015 – 06.jpg, Bird's eye view of Flamenco Beach Flamenco Beach Puerto Rico Camping.jpg, Camping Site at Flamenco Beach Campsite at Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico.jpg, Campsite at Flamenco Beach Seascape of Flamenco Beach, Culebra (Puerto Rico).jpg, Beachgoers walk on Flamenco Beach

Tourism

Flamenco Beach is the top ranked beach in Puerto Rico and one of the top beaches in the world. The beach has available lifeguard towers, kiosks selling food, beach accessories, and easy access from the town of Dewey (where the

ferry boat A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

arrives).

World ranking through the years

*3rd in 2014 by TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards *8th in 2015 by Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards *6th in 2016 by TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards *13 in 2017 by TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards

Facilities

The beach has bathroom facilities, showers, and bathrooms. There are about a half-dozen kiosks selling local food. This include

piña colada The piña colada (; es, piña , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple w ...

, mango smoothies, rice-and-beans burritos and all manner of seafood, from conch salad to fish skewers. Flamenco Beach has a designated camping area for a fee which provides potable water, bathrooms and shower facilities.

Recreation

*Swimming: Areas designated with buoys. Shallow waters allow a safe environment for swimmers and non-swimmers. *Sunbathing: Excellent conditions year-round but beware of the tropical sun as exposure without proper sunblock may create uncomfortable situations such as sunburns and moderate to extreme itching when healing. *Scuba and snorkeling: There are reefs, urchins, a variety of fish species and other marine wildlife. *Sand: white sand receives the shallow turquoise waters. *Walking and hiking: The horseshoe bay provides a walk path and surrounding trails are another way to look for bird-watching opportunities or photograph surrounding nature.

References

External links

Flamenco BeachCulebra Island InformationFlamenco Beach Information
at Playas de Puerto Rico
Culebra Island Wave Forecast
at NOAA National Weather Service {{Beaches in Puerto Rico Culebra, Puerto Rico Beaches of Puerto Rico