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Puerto Rico

The current weather in Culebra

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COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: JEFF DOUCETTE (---.PortFord.com)
Date:   03-31-05 08:04

WE ARE LOOKING INTO STAYING AT COSTA BONITA IN APRIL. WE HAVE
HEARD GOOD AND BAD THINGS ABOUT IT AND ANY INFO WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

JEFF

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: JoseGuzman (---.87.109.17.netdial.caribe.net)
Date:   03-31-05 16:21

All I can say it is very expensive, all other remarks I heard are good.

Capt. J.Guzman
USCG 100GT

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Peter Bowden (---.alb.choiceone.net)
Date:   03-31-05 16:41

Um, the place is very unpopular with the locals for various political and environmental reasons which we found out after our "visit".

We were staying elsewhere but we tried to go there to eat a month or so ago and the place was deserted...and I mean DESERTED. It was actually kind of freaky...no guests, no staff...no one at the reception area...no one to tell us to leave or where to eat...it was like a ghost town.

It reminded me of a Steven King novel or a bad horror movie. The pools were clean and the hot tubs were running the ice machines in the outdoor bars were making ice but there wasn't a soul to be found anywhere and this was on a sunday night at sunset. It was supposed to be Mexican food night according to flyers we'd seen in town.

It doesn't appear to have been completely finished...I looked through the window of the gift shop and the shelves were half stocked with the boxes of merchandise. There were no cars or people to be found. Needless to say we beat feet out of there before it got too dark. It was one of the strangest experiences I've ever had.

Perhaps things have changed since then.


I suppose that, if you want a nice, quiet place to stay then it would be perfect.

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: ron (---.columbus.res.rr.com)
Date:   03-31-05 16:43

Jeff,
Just a little warning; they had a website showing a beautiful beach in front of their property . This is not the case. There isn't a beach. I rented a boat to go fishing just two weeks ago and coming out of Ensenada Honda I was closely checking out Costa Bonita. The reason I was so curious is that for five years that I have gone there it has been under construction and the locals never talked well of the new development. Remember you are at the mouth of the harbor. I don't think I would swim there. You do have pool and an expensive restaurant. I don't know what they charge per night but there are other options.
Ron

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: fernando (---.dyn.sprint-hsd.net)
Date:   03-31-05 21:13

really bad experience ,stayed there for one night 200.00 per night,restauranr very expensive and bad food,they dont have an idea of how to manage a resort,no transportation,people at the lobby dont have an idea of what to do,those are my 2 cents

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: roger (---.bay.webtv.net)
Date:   04-01-05 08:59

When I was in Culebra last December I went to visit the place. It was also deserted except for the construction crew. I was amazed at how big it was. I was amazed at how ugly it was.
The pools were nice but pools are always nice. There was no beach. Why would anyone go to Culebra to swim in a pool when it has some of the most beautiful (empty) beaches in the world? I'm totally at a loss for why this place was built. None of the locals wanted it or will benefit from it.
Someone had a very bad idea and threw a lot of money away. It also operates as a time share I hear and is very expensive to buy in. I'll stick to the guest houses and hope Culebra doesn't sell it's soul to the devil.

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   04-01-05 09:38

I've been holding my peace on this thread, up to now. Having been on the island at a peak time when there was zero water pressure, I couldn't help wondering how these folks planned to provide water enough for this many guests to brush their teeth, much less showers and run a laundry to support a resort. Then there is the problem of what building and operating a business of that size would do to the heart and soul of Culebra's primary asset, it's draw as an eco-tourism destination. Runoff from large scale construction, both here and elsewhere, has not been controlled and the resulting plume of mud has done untold damage to coral reef, which had shown significant rebound in recent years, thanks to the efforts of concerned Culebrenses and environmental organizations.

Lastly, many have written about the logistics problems, trying to service the needs of Culebrenses and tourists on certain peak weekends; shortages of food, water, restaurant supplies and labor, and transportation. When I first laid eyes on CB, I couldn't believe my eyes. How was the fragile infrastructure of Culebra going to not collapse under its porcine weight?

I think the comments seen here may point to the answer. Darwin's laws may rule in the boardroom just as they do on the beaches at Resaca and Brava. Time will tell.

Doug

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Re: COSTA BONITA
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank (---.cbcads.com)
Date:   04-01-05 14:20

Peter's post sums up our experience perfectly.

Since we've been watching it's progress (or lack thereof) over the last few years, my wife and I stopped by one night at sunset to check it out.

It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. This was the 3rd week of February (fairly busy on the island) and "deserted" is an understatement. I kept wondering where the staff was. Or the guests.

If Stephen King had set "The Shining" on Culebra, this would have been the place.

Frank

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