Lazy days on the island of Culebra

Indeed, the beach made me almost forget the adrenaline rush I'd just gotten. To our backs were palm trees and low bushes. In front was the crystal clear sea, gentle waves rolling in on soft, clean sand. The water turned out to be the temperature of a bath, and we floated languorously all afternoon.

When a neighbor asked if my husband, Paul, and I had ever been to Culebra, a tiny island 18 miles east of Puerto Rico, I responded, "Cu-what?" I had never heard of it, but it seemed like the kind of place we'd like. We had talked about visiting Puerto Rico, but our real goal was to find a smaller island with a laid-back atmosphere and an abundance of natural attractions. Our main agenda was snorkeling, and reading about Culebra revealed that there was plenty of it. I discovered that a large portion of the island is a national wildlife refuge protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Natural Resources.

Culebra, about 4 by 7 miles, is one of a chain often referred to as the "Spanish Virgin Islands," though technically it is part of the Greater Antilles and is U.S. territory. Several smaller islands surround Culebra, and St. Thomas is just 12 miles away.

En route last April, we practiced Spanish on the plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico. When we got off the ferry the next day in Dewey, Culebra's main town, we were met by Dick Schultz, our car rental agent. He had a long mustache and the laid-back attitude of a surfer, and he showed up in a bright orange Volkswagen Thing.

These vehicles from the 1970s consist of a roofless metal box with doors, huge tires and a powerful clutch. When I'd told Schultz over the phone, "I want your cheapest thing," I had no idea he'd interpret me literally. At first we had our doubts about the Thing, but it proved indispensable on Culebra's rolling terrain, taking steep potholed roads in stride.