About Culebra

When Columbus discovered Culebra in 1493, the Taino Indians resided there.   For the three centuries after his arrival, however, the island remained largely untouched, and pirates used its secluded harbors for sanctuary.   The first settlement was founded later in 1880, in which it was given the name "Culebra" or "serpent."   The name refers to the Spanish bishop of Toledo, San Ildefonso de la Culebra.  Culebra became property of the United States in 1898 with the conclusion of the Hispanoamerican War.   In 1939, the American military began using the island to test artillary.   It was not until 1975, after the avid protests of the native inhabitants, that this practice ceased.  You can see the remains of one of the original tanks to your right.   Today, Culebra is mainly a natural preserve, it's closely knit population bent on maintaining the island's uncultivated beauty and simple way of life.