Fajardo Ferry

If you have no tickets already (as in have island reservations or booked with an excursion company) and want to just wing it through to see if you can get tickets in the line… I caution you to either go with a relaxed mindset or fly. I got up at 530, left at 6 and arrived at 7. It was a Tuesday June 21^st. No tickets. Culebra had no return ferry to Fajardo unless you told the officer guy u had reservations and showed it to him. Then went to vieques line (opp of culebrA line) and waiting from 730−750am. Announcement came that 9 am ferry was sold out. Next one was 11am.
Yea. I had a relaxed mindset. Next time I shall fly. Got back to my my hotel at 9am and decided to enjoy the 5 star resort there instead. Day was still young.

Alright, I was just here last week and will give you the full scoop on the ferry situation.
1. They are using a 200 passenger ferry vs the old 400 passenger ferry. The old ferry is down for repairs and should be up and running by the end of July, per the local newspapers.
2. The online system does in fact work, which is why there are limited tickets. Many people are reserving online in order to avoid getting up at 430am to go get in line. I was there at 530am, and there were already people in line. When they opened, they announced they were sold out for the am ferry and would only sell tickets for the 3pm ferry with proof of reservations on Culebra since there was no return ferry that day.
3. Use the online system and make sure to book more than 10 days in advance. It has never worked until this year, but yay! Its going to be the only way to go. They will even take the conf# at the window if you cant print then give you the tickets.
4. Another tip***Don’t get discouraged if you get tickets in person for a later time. Don’t leave the ferry area with your tickets. Instead go and wait in the standby line next to the dock. They will direct you. After a headcount, if there are empty seats, they will let 3pm ticket holders on board. You’re kinda sailing standby… we were able to get to the island earlier rather than later due to this.
5. Culebra residents and business owners get priority. They have a separate line. If they can validate with proper ID, that’s one less seat for a tourist.
6. You can only buy up to 10 tickets per person. If you have a big party, make sure you have enough purchasers. There’s no need for everyone to go and wait in line. They will kick out the people who are not purchasing to make the line smaller.

Worst transportation terminal I’ve ever been to. Even when you are here 3 hours before the ferry leaves you can’t get on. Even with reservations at Culebra and even with a one year old. Worst experience ever. Save your money, save your time

I know Flamenco beach is nice. But DON’T come try going in a long weekend. This is the absolute WORST experience I have had IN MY LIFE!
I love flamenco beach BUT I will never go again! The people who run the ferry and incompetent and stupid! Mind you, I was born & raised here. They can’t do 2 things at once. They have to sell tickets first, then load those people, then get backi to selling tickets for the next ferry. Mind you, no one tells you what is going o and even when they do, it’s bullshit. Everything is «an opinion».
Complete chaos, please spend your day at another beach unless you are going during a weekday where there is no one else going. I got here at 7am for tickets for the 3pm ferry. 4 hours later and I am STILL in the same spot waiting. They told us 9am, then 10am, then something happened, and it’s 11:30am and still nothing has happened.
So please save yourself the trouble and don’t go.

If you can get on the ferry then you are golden. The online ferry times were not the same as the current times so check with the desk to make sure you have it right! We missed the ferry because we thought we would take a 6pm, it was actually at 4:45. There was another one at 8:15 so we spent 2 hours wandering around Fajardo. This place is desolate and not a good place to walk around in at night. Lots of wild dogs. We ended up at the fajardo inn for a drink. The hotel was nice and the sunset view was amazing!
The ferry is divided up between residents, seniors and tourists. If you are in peak hours you may not get on. That sucks so plan ahead! The late ferry on Saturday was empty so we got on no problem. The ride was about 1 hr 15min.
The lot next to the ferry is 5 every day so we left our rental there for a few days, super cheap. There are other lots that charge more so check before you pick a lot. Rental cars can’t go over to the island :(.

Terrible experience at this ferry for the second time. Not friendly staff. I arrived to ferry around 10 am to buy tickets and ended up waiting until 3pm unfortunately there is no ferry leaves before that. I thought there should be one that leaves at 1pm. So I have to stay over night in Culebra so that I can at least something there. :). I suggest not to wait for ferry because flight would be better option and hassle free.

My girlfriend night got up at four in the morning to drive from old San Juan to the ferry terminal. We ended up getting our tickets about an hour after they opened. Then, we proceeded to wait for about an hour and a half for our ferry to board at 9 o’clock. The ride was unbearable. It just so happened we’re going to Culebra and the seas were very very rough that day. Unfortunately, the only return for the boat was at 9 PM. Our day on the island ended up being not so great. What we ended up doing was booking a $ 95 ticket for two people on one of the small aircraft back to the mainland. We wished we had done that round-​trip. It was absolutely worth the extra few dollars, and the flight was beautiful and only lasted 15 minutes. We booked the day of on our flight and had to wait almost no time to get on board. We saw people from our ferry ride doing the same thing. The plane was not nearly as scary as the boat. Spend the extra money and get round-​trip tickets. That’s the way to go. Skip the ferry

We were in line at 5:45 on a Friday for tickets to Culebra, we were 12^th in line (bring bug spray). Decided to get there early based on our experience two days earlier, when we arrived at 8 and it sold out. Sales begin at 730ish. They took three people in line before announcing it was sold-​out. BEST BET BOOK A TOUR. You cannot make reservations or pre-​order tickets as the website suggest.

this is quite literally the worst part about our puerto rico trip. even though culebra is beautiful, if i had to do this again, i would not. and here’s why.
to get to culebra, you have to line up (tickets cannot be sold in advance except extremely small quantities online, and actually can run out) at Fajardo ferry to buy a ticket starting at around 6am, which means waking up at 4am, and leaving the hotel at 5am. the window supposedly opens at 7am to sell tickets. nope. more like, starting at 7am, they can show up whenever they feel like it (ours finally showed up around 7:40am).
aside from the extremely poor organization and signage, the attitudes of the staff is really bad as well.
oh, and while we were waiting, it started raining, so the staff let people way back in line behind us get in front of us to avoid the rain (which is fine), but subsequently those people got them tickets ahead of us, as per instructions from the staff. wtf?
when you finally get your ticket, you enter the dock area and wait another hour for the ferry to arrive. the ferry leaves port at 9am and get to culebra at around 10:30am depending on wind conditions.
this means to get to culebra takes a total of about 6 hours of your vacation time just waiting.
it completely boggles my mind why this process isnt more streamlined and why they can’t add another ferry boat. maybe instead of 9am 3pm and 5pm departures, add a noon departure as well?

0 Stars!
Tip: Purchase flights in advance or go through the snorkeling company.
The first day my BF and I went to Culebra, we got our tickets through Culebra Island Adventures (separate review). This guaranteed us ferry tickets without having to wait in line. Once you get your ticket, you wait to board. There are several lines, but they all go to the same ferry. The ferry is air conditioned (freezing!!) and quite spacious. If you already have your tickets, boarding and unloading is easy. If not, Fajardo Ferry can be a nightmare.
After our snorkeling adventure, we were able to relax at Flamenco for an hour and a half. We loved Flamenco so much, that we decided to come back the next day.
We were told although we visited during the off season, we would have to line up 2 hours prior to the departure time. Planning to board the 7 AM ferry, my SO and I arrived and lined up at 4 AM. We were 8^th in line, however, to our dismay, we DID NOT get tickets.
The first 12 in line were placed in a separate line and informed that we would get tickets. However, when 7 AM rolled around, the ticket booth remained closed. All of the ferry employees were «too busy» fiddling with their thumbs and fooling around on their phones to address any concerns. Each time you asked them something, they would just yell at you and tell you to wait in line.
8:30 AM rolls around and the ferry still has not left. There is one guy who comes to the line and brings each resident to the ferry one by one. When I finally chased him down before he left the ticket booth area, he told me that tickets were sold out and that the next ferry is at 3 PM. There were no announcements that tickets were sold out and no one ever told us to leave. I asked a local if he had any information and it was then I learned that if you had hotel reservations, that is the only way to get on the ferry.
The line for Vieques is generally shorter, but those in the Vieques line weren’t able to get their tickets either.
This establishment is a complete joke. It is unorganized, inefficient, and non transparent. Residents of the Island are guaranteed a seat –understandable – but others have to wait for a ridiculous amount of time. There is obviously a discrepancy in who actually gets a ticket, regardless of how long and patient you are.

We came on a Thursday. We arrived at 730 for the 9am ferry. We were 25^th person in line. We got 2 tickets no problem. The ride to the island was very wavy. Lots of people getting sick. They do have throw up bags on hand if needed. The ride back the water was much calmer and quite enjoyable. I ordered coffee from the next door place. It was terrible! Bring your own. Overall it was an experience and we had a great time.

We came during off season! Cannot imagine this place during peak.
Ferry was amazing. Takes over an hour to get to Culebra which is worth it.
We got there 30 mins before the ticket booth opened for the 9am trip and we were 3^rd in line. No problems! They take credit cards! Under 5 bucks for a round trip ticket? How amazing.
On the boat itself.
Upstairs is an outdoor experience. Wear sunblock! My whitey girlfriend got fried. Haha.
Downstairs is fully air-​conditioned but not as fun. There are a few outlets downstairs to charge your devices and I noticed one in the men’s bathroom too.
Just like all the reviews say, run to your car so your not stuck trying to exit. I found street parking, which was closer than the paid parking, plus it was free for me. Again a perk for being there off season.
If you’re afraid of birds BEWARE! The pigeons are not shy and will try to eat your snacks right outta your hands! It’s both cute and disgusting.

Flamenco Beach en Culebra PR es la 2da playa más bella del mundo. Por lo tanto miles de turistas tienen que tomar el ferry para llegar a tan deseado lugar. Muchos llegamos a las 730am a pesar de q se aborda a las 840am. Son las 9:11am y todavía estamos esperando porque los empleados estan en una reunión. No entiendo mi PR! Por qué no se pueden copiar de las cosas buenas y adoptan malas practicas. Dónde esta el Dept. De Turismo? Si gozamos de promoción mundial, vamos a comenzar la experiencia desde q se compran los tickets! Ah trata de buscar el letrero escondido q te dice los precios. Si te llevas mas de un bulto tienes q pagar extra! #muymalpr #prturismo

Listen! Plan and pack your patience. Respect the island and its culture… Nothing moves like lightning here. I visited Puerto Rico for the 3^rd time July 17 – 21. This was my first time at the Ferry. I heard so many horror stories about the Ferry experience. But understand this … We were determined to get that ferry on the first try. And not die/​hurt anyone in the in the process (lol I kid) Then we thought to ourselves… wait we“re two chicks from Detroit we got this. And we did. After our flight arrived late, waiting for luggage claim to open up to retrieve our luggage, picking up a rental car, and went grocery shopping, we Made it to the Ferry at almost 7 am .(our goal originally was 330 – 400)
I knew what we were in for a helluva long line and the sun/​heat. But hey keep calm its okay! Yes there are tons of locals who hold spaces in line for their fam to join in later and tons of things like coolers, bags, beach stuff folks lug with them to trip over but hey u have locals selling water, food, u have outside music, and u get to people watch. Enjoy the experience. Don’t get too relax though focus on that line! The employees at the ferry were cool and laid back as can be. I’m not sure what folks on here were talking about when they mentioned they were rude. Learn how to communicate with folks in ur time of stress, annoyance, and keep ur sense of entitlement at home… Or atleast in your pocket. I speak no Espanol and manage to get everything I needed done and communicated with everyone effectively with no stress… well not that much stress and next thing you kno I was headed to Culebra to start my vacay! Oh one more thing you will have to pay extra if u want to bring coolers, cases of beer, and extra luggage from the standard 2.50per person. And it’s not steep maybe $ 2 per item if that. Ask questions often, pay attention things are subject to change at any moment, the change again

DO. NOT. WASTE. YOUR. TIME.
You’ve been warned. We planned on being on the 9am ferry to Culebra. Got here at 6am and still weren’t able to get tickets! The missed ferry left at 9:45am!
Got in line for the 1pm to Vieques instead because my feet were going to be on one of those islands no matter what. Waited 1 hour to just BUY the tickets because they can’t sell the tickets until the ferry leaves the port. SO POINTLESS.
Finally, the 9am Vieques had 8 seats left and luckily our party of 4 was able to get in. We sat on the floor and there’s no deck.
Probably the worst system for tourism ever. Who would want to endure this again?! These beaches better be worth it.

Third time’s a charm… that’s right, it took us three times to get the ferry to Culebra.
I have never experienced such inefficiency. Take a note, Fajardo Ferry People, there’s this thing called TECHNOLOGY. Get a couple of machines and have the passengers buy their tickets for whatever day/​time they want to go or do it online. This archaic ritual of standing in line for hours on end is ridiculous. It needs to be privatized.
The clerk didn’t even bother to show up until 10 minutes after opening! There were so many people taking cuts and the police just let them. If you want to avoid the headache, take the plane. The ONLY saving grace was the price ($ 4.50 R/​T) but I say, the hassle ain’t worth it. The time from start to finish? 5 hours.
It may be worth it another time of year (i.e. not so crowded), but avoid it during the summer.

Plan your trip right and you’ll get on the ferry. I visited Puerto Rico June 3 – 9 and was able to get ferry tickets to both Culebra and Vieques during this time. As of June 2015, a one-​way ticket to Culebra is $ 2.25 and to Vieques is $ 2.00. It takes approximately 1.25−1.5 hours each way, and the ferry is sometimes 15 – 30 minutes late.
I took the 4am CARGO ferry to Culebra on Thursday morning– got there at 3am and there was NO line. People were still buying tickets at 3:30 — 3:45. Yes, it’s super early in the morning but it beats waiting in line for a few hours and still not be able to go on the 9am ferry. The ferry ride is about 1.5 hours and by the time you get there, it’s time for breakfast! Head to Flamenco Beach and take a nap, it’ll be pretty empty compared to when the 9am ferry comes in. I know people complain about the locals having first dibs on the 9am ferry, but a TON of them were on the 4am ferry. I spoke to a few of them who informed me that the 9am line goes around the block and they knew better than to try for that, so even locals have trouble getting tickets to that ride. A majority of the 4am passengers were locals on vacation.
I took the 4:45pm ferry to Vieques on Monday afternoon– got there at 4pm and again, no line and they were still selling at 4:30pm. Purchased a round trip ticket to get back at 11am the next day.
Both times I purchased round trip tickets. I was planning to stay at Culebra until 5pm, but did all I wanted to do and easily changed my return trip to the 1pm ferry. Just go and ask and they will edit your ticket. Notice that I planned to go to these islands on weekdays. I’m sure it’s a hot mess on weekends.
The Fajardo Ferry restrooms were surprisingly clean and well-​maintained. They have a little store that sells pizzas, snacks, drinks, and more. ALSO, it’s important to know that they BLAST the AC inside the ferry– bring blankets or a a jacket to keep yourself warm.

Reading all of the reviews about this ferry literally stressed me out. Was this the ONLY way to get to Culebra?! I NEEDED to go to Flamenco Beach, and was passionate about taking my group there.
From asking locals, to reading Unilocal/​tripadvisor I really did not think that I would ever board this mythical ferry.
What you need to know:
I was told by some locals that to get on the ferry you have to be there at 2AM, 3AM or 5AM, 6AM, I asked a lot of people, and everyone gave me different answers.
My mission was to get on that 9AM ferry and we succeeded.
We drove from San Juan to Fajardo (1 hour), and parked in the lot nearby, and then proceeded to wait in line for tickets to Culebra. We arrived at around 7:10am, and finally got our tickets around 8AM. There were TONS of people in line in front of us, and yes the ferry does sell out, which they will announce to everyone. After the ticket line, you wait in line to get on the ferry. In the meantime, feel free to get coffee or breakfast from the little café next to the ticket line, the sandwiches were actually really good.
We also went on a Tuesday after Memorial Day Weekend, so I’m not sure if that makes a difference– but the earlier you get there the better.
The tickets are so cheap, I think it was about 5 dollars round trip. MAke sure you get a round trip ticket, because you have to have a ticket to ride the ferry back!
The ferry leaves at 5PM, but everyone gets to the ferry around 4PM. Which when you get off the ferry there will be tons of drivers who can take you to Flamenco Beach. I took Willy’s transportation and it was $ 5 dollars round trip.
Overall the ferry was a journey but going to flamenco beach was worth it to suffer through the public transportation.

We drove from San Juan to Fajardo to take the ferry to Culebra. We arrived at the ferry at 8:30am, got our ticket for parking ($ 5 plus tax), and made our way to the terminal to purchase tickets ($ 2.25 pp one way). There was a line, we purchased our tickets, made it onto the ferry, and found two seats by 8:50am. The ferry left at 9:03am.
The ferry was full, but we didn’t have a bad experience at all. We went on a Thursday in March.
Depending on the day of week and time of year, plan your arrival time accordingly. We arrived 30 minutes in advance with no issues. I would suggest (to be safe) arriving an hour in advance.
We didn’t have any issues with the bees either. So I guess we lucked out overall :)

³⁄₅ solid with quirks.
y’all. the hating on this needs to stop. this is *public* transportation. you are tryna holler at some cheap means of getting to some lovely, lovely beaches: it is what you are paying for. on the second note of public transportation: this is also how locals (i.e. not your vacationing butt) get to their destinations (read: work and home), so keep that in mind as its primary purpose is not your princess über service.
the how: early. the game is to get there super, duper early. this means in line by 7am at the latest if you are trying for culebra. as we learned, vieques (red beach) was not a bad alternative, though the times are different. the first time we tried, we missed and ended up having a lovely day-​trip to VQ. a couple days later we came back with a game plan and got our tickets and then went back for a short nap. apparently if you’re clever and plan ahead, you can try to reserve, but if all else fails just come early. this means on the road from san juan by 5ish at the latest. unless you plan on staying at either island over night, the afternoon rides don’t matter, so if you miss morning spots just come back if you can the next days. also, sometimes they’ll release tickets that may have been reserved but not claimed, so if you have the patience to wait go ahead and stick to the line.
the trick: oh goodness. you may need to pack some dramamine or something. i dunno if we just got particularly bad waves, but we were definitely getting tossed around. i tried my best to sleep, but a few friends traveling definitely had rough rides.
the additional: there’s flat-​fee parking for your car, and a few food spots for breakfast. so pack it all the night before, heck maybe even sleep in your car, and then head out. tickets first, and then you can squeeze in some eggs before the boat.

We arrived at 7:30am in Fajardo, parked our car in the lot ($ 5.35 for the day), bought our tickets ($ 18 for 4 adults, round trip), and were on our way to Culebra by 9:00am.
We took the 1pm ferry back from Culebra to Fajardo. My only complaint is that our only option was to come back at 1:00pm or at 5:00pm. I wish there was a 3:00pm because for us 1:00pm was too early and 5:00pm was too late.
I did go on a weekday in September so it was not busy. I would recommend slow days for Culebra.
And when you arrive in Culebra, my advice is that you take the $ 5 per person round trip taxis/​buses to Flamenco.