My wife and I spent 5 nights at Culebra Beach Villas (CBV) from 1/12/08 to 1/19/08 in unit #16, a studio efficiency for $125/night.

Here are my thoughts on CBV and I wish that I had a reco for another place, but all I really saw enough of to review was the villas.

The one big pro:

1) If you really want to be very near Flamenco beach, there are only 3 options: the campground, Flamingo Beach Villas(right next to CBV) and CBV. So the location is primo for this and there aren't many options.

Flamingo beach really is gorgeous, but without much shade during much of the day and crowded :) (I know I'm jaded when I write this --10-20 people on the beach during the week) compared to Zoni or Rosario which we really had to ourselves.

However, it's worth mentioning that there are very few amenities at the beach (we were only able to buy water at the office) and so rented a jeep. Since Flamenco is only ~5 minutes from Dewey (the only town and where the ferry docks), and as we visited most of the other beaches listed in the travel guides instead of spending all our time on Flamenco, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to spend ~$85 and stay closer to town, but as I say, I only know about CBV from my stay.

And now the several cons:

1) Although the studio was clean, the appliances didn't work properly.

- Our refrigerator didn't cool and our freezer was (we think) the temperature of a fridge. Despite some tries, management never fixed it.

- The electric range gave bad shocks if one wasn't insulated from the floor.
Management’s suggestion was to cook in shoes.

- The wax seal on the toilet leaked on the final day after clogging for the 4th or 5th time which was really gross.

- This isn't really an appliance issue, but the kitchen area is very small, so the sink is actually a bar sink and very hard to fit pots into.

2) Normal sorts of supplies that one expects with an efficiency were lacking. So we received 2 bath towels and one bath mat and 2 pillows and 2 sheets and a blanket, but no wash cloths, no sharp kitchen knives--only butter knives, no utensils for the barbeque, no hand towels for the kitchen, no normal sorts of leftovers like coffee filters, salt and pepper. Also sheets and towels are only changed 1 every 4 days (supposedly) and for us never during our 5 day stay (I had gotten tired of talking ineffectually to management by then).

3) Roosters, Chickens, and Cats: the whole compound is full of roosters, chickens and cats. I found that unless I ran the air conditioner (which cut out the sound of the surf or a huge reason to sleep near the beach), I would be awakened by roosters at first light and then continuously until about 9 unless I got up sooner.

The porch attached to the studio is very pretty with hammocks and plenty of lounging chairs etc, but they are also covered with chicken droppings and the smell is noticeably barnyard like and makes everything dirty.

4) The 'villas' are each independently owned and the manager on-site doesn't seem to have the concern that an 'owner operator' might (of course they have a near lock on accommodations on the beach). Also the office is open very short hours 10am-1 (I think) and then 2-5, so one has to wait around or come back early to find the manager.

So overall, I gave it a 2 because the location is very good and the unit is clean. But for people who intend to cook in the unit or who care much about chicken droppings on the porch or roosters crowing at dawn, I cannot recommend CBV.

My wife felt that it was the type of rental one might expect to pay 45/night for on the North Carolina coast (without the roosters) if this helps anyone get an impression of CBV.

Just a few comments on Culebra:

-The island is absolutely stunning and incredible.
-I would highly reco renting a vehicle and budgeting accordingly.
-Like everywhere in the Caribbean, the coral is mostly dead, but if one can look beyond this, the snorkeling at Rosario is great.
-If you can bring food to the island, do.

Just to set the context, I'm a woman in my mid-30s who travels for pleasure frequently and lives in NYC. Just got back from a stay here over xmas 2007.

Culebra Beach Villas
I have to agree with the other reviewers, that when you go to Culebra Beach Villas, you should go into it knowing what to expect - and you will not be disappointed. These are clean places to sleep, somewhere to keep your beer or beach drinks cold and to hang your snorkeling gear or bathing suits to dry - but not much else. You don't need anymore as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world sits feet away. You definitely stay here for the location. The villas are very basic. We stayed in #10, which was a 1-bdroom. Paid US$175 per night. The outer room had 2 twin beds and since there was only 2 of us traveling, we were able to spread out our stuff. Our villa was complete with microwave, fridge, stove, sink, etc. -- what you need to put together a snack or lunch. The bedroom was fine, the sheets and pillowcases appeared to be clean - athough if you have dust mite allergies as I do, best to bring your own pillow/sheet dust mite covers - I could tell there were a lot of dust mites in the bedroom. Our villa didn't have a hammock but there were several nearby and they are big enough for two. Although we would've loved a little more water pressure in the shower, we had plenty of room, hot water, in the bathroom etc. If you desire large bath towels, bring your own. The ones they give you do the trick, but they are small and they are not changed during your stay (the sheets/pillowcases are not changed either unless you are there longer than 4 days). Ditto on beach towels as they are not provided. All other places to stay are in town or by the harbor - this is the only place steps from the beach. Our front door lock was squeaky and the AC in the bedroom wasn't as strong as we'd like, but hey, you're in Culebra!

Beach
I've been to a lot of beaches around the world - this one is truly breathtaking. Pristine white sand. Gorgeous blue water with mild surf and no condos or other buildings anywhere in sight. Very few people as well. . Definitely walk the beach at night - the stars are amazing.

Other stuff
Tony, who runs the front desk, is helpful and responsive. He set us up with kayaks and made some local calls for us (our cells didn't get any reception at the Villas, only in town). We rented beach chairs for $5 each per day (though they take them back at 4pm). We saw some people bbq-ing, but we thought the grills were a bit spartan and dirty and ours was missing the grill part. Lots of beach cats, hens and roosters and a friendly but nosy beach dog at the Villas - we had fun with them as they are relatively clean and tame and we even bought some cheap chicken feed in town. While the road to the villas is bumpy as it is unpaved, we preferred being able to "get away" even from the small town in Culebra so we were really alone. The Villas runs on cisterrn water - better to be safe than sorry - drink only bottled water, you can buy it by the gallon relatively cheaply in the supermercado in town. Snorkeling by the hotel is not great, the reefs are pretty dead. If you check the threads for Culebra, you'll learn there are closeby snorkling sites that are excellent.

Make sure you buy what you need in town - sun screen, snacks, mosquito/bug spray (a MUST) etc as there are no amenities like this at the villas. Strongly recommend you rent a car if you are staying more than a day or two.

I recommend eating at Barbara Rosas - great home cooking, right on her porch. Mamacitas was good for breakfast and dinner as well, and had a live drum band playing at night.

My Family and I stayed at Culebra Beach Villas last summer, and was amazing, the place is so fresh, the room was very clean and the peole are very friendly. We waked up and went directly to Flamenco Beach, that was awesome. That does not have comparisson, you "are" in the best beach. And during the night, you can see the most wonderfull sky with a million of star, because there is no light contamination. I want to return the next winter.

Our family of 5 stayed in 3-bdrm unit #4-A for 4 nights in March. My expectations were low after reading the reviews. But we had a fantastic stay and would probably return. The location right on Playa Flamenca is unsurpassed - pristine and private. Even on the weekends, it wasn't that crowded (I know that may be different in summer when Puerto Ricans vacation there).

Our unit was on the 3rd floor - lots of stairs, but that wasn't a problem for us. The balcony overlooked the beach - the views were fantastic. The unit was spartan, but extremely clean. The beds were OK, linens were basic. The kitchen was stocked with all the basic essentials for cooking, but nothing else was supplied except sponge and soap (e.g., no paper towels). We used the BBQs downstairs. Tony, the property manager, was friendly and helpful. He gave us his restaurant recommendations and happily fixed a A/C unit in one of our bedrooms. Ice and water are available for sale from the office. A car is a necessity here, in my opinion, for grocery shopping and restaurant meals in town.

If you want to be on one of the most spectacular beaches in the Caribbean, you like privacy and peace and you don't mind self-catering, Culebra Beach Villas is for you. If you expect ANY amenities, don't consider it.