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Dive Review of Aquatic Adventures /Villa Boheme in
Puerto Rico/Culebra

Aquatic Adventures /Villa Boheme: "No crowds, great sites", Nov, 2021,

by Emmette Murkett, AL, US (Reviewer Reviewer 6 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 11787 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Most of my dives were just captain/guide Taz and me. Three divers were the most we had at a time, though the boat will accommodate six. Taz has been diving in Culebra for over thirteen years and does a great job in selecting the best site based on the conditions. We never had any current to contend with and rarely had surge, even when it was windy. I saw more than one flamingo tongue on every dive. There were large schools of huge yellowtail snapper at many sites. Equipment is included in the dive price and he rinsed and stored my equipment every day. His equipment is mostly Scubapro and is in excellent shape. Boarding is usually at 10AM, with sandwiches, chips, fruit and a good selection of beverages during the surface interval. Arrival back at the dock is usually between 2:45 and 3:15PM.
The dive office is two doors down from Villa Boheme, and the boat dock is a two block walk, just past the main grocery/liquor store on the island. A hardware store is across the street from the dock and next to that is the only working gas station on the island. The best restaurant on the island, Dinghy Dock ([urdmenu.com link]), is below the dive office on the water, where a school of huge tarpons hang out, day and night.
Although the rooms are rather spartan at Villa Boheme, they are clean and well maintained, with daily housekeeping service. Each room has A/C, a small fridge and satellite TV and there is a full community kitchen in the courtyard along with a bbq grill.
Finding a taxi at the airport was frustrating but having a phone with SMS is helpful at finding one from the list at the airport. Once I got to Villa Boheme, I was able to walk everywhere I wanted to go, but I rented a Ford Bronco with 22 miles on the odo for $75/day for the last two days, since my flight back to SJU was after 3PM and checkout was at 10:30AM. Covering every road on the island only put about 20 more miles on the Bronco, but it was worth doing once.
Most sit-down restaurants are closed on Monday and Tuesday and take out/delivery choices are not outstanding. The restaurant Harspoons is a good choice for a sit-down meal but it is not always open and is a 1.1km walk. The Pandeli/bakery has a good breakfast, coffee and lunch sandwiches, but can get busy at certain times of the day.
The ferry dock is “downtown" and taxis tend to show up there more frequently than at the airport. The cargo ferry will take cars, but will charge you $25 for a non-refundable ticket before telling you that they don't allow rental cars. Many businesses take vacation for the whole month of October, so check ahead. Weekends are a bit more crowded as Culebra is a popular spot for residents of the main island.
The only pharmacy is at the "hospital" but closes at noon on Fridays and is closed on weekends. The hospital has an emergency room, but has no one to maintain or operate the xray equipment. Locals usually go to the main island for medical care and to shop. I tried to find a pair of cargo shorts to no avail. Amazon Prime does deliver free to Culebra, but deilvery time is about seven days from the US mainland. US postage rates apply to Culebra.
Websites Aquatic Adventures   Villa Boheme

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Caymans, Cozumel, Xcalak, Banco Chinchorro, Bimini, Southern Bahamas, Red Sea, Gulf of Mexico, US rivers and springs, Florida Keys, Belize, Culebra, Roatan
Closest Airport Benjamín Rivera Noriega (CPX) Getting There Cape Air, ferry from Cieba

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 84-90°F / 29-32°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 1 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments There are no dedicated camera tables at the inn and the boat has no fresh water for rinsing. I had to use the shower and lavatory to rinse my gear.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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