Punta Tamarindo Grande
Also known as: Tamarindo Grande · PTG zone · former name, per Corales del Este · Punta Tamarindo Recostao · Tamarindo II
Dive siteFrom Puerto Rico Dive Sites, the sourced field guide
Punta Tamarindo Grande
| Region | Culebra |
|---|---|
| Municipality | Culebra |
| Island | Culebra |
| Access | Shore or boat |
| Site type | Not established |
| Depth (reported range) | to 40 ft (12 m)Single source (current tier 3) |
| Snorkel | Snorkel-friendly |
| Protected area | Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve |
| Location | Pinned on location: a DRNA mooring buoy at the site.Location evidence: Official GIS[6] |
| Confidence | Moderate confidence |
| Last researched | 2026-10-17 |
Overview
Punta Tamarindo Grande, on Culebra, is a zone of the no-take Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve, where fishing is prohibited and anchoring is restricted; check current DRNA rules. A conservation group's reserve map describes rocky bottom with some of the reserve's highest relief, high fish densities and 64% of its recorded species, in a zone reaching about 40 ft. A 2003 survey and the 2008 reserve plan list diving here as only occasional, and the survey notes the zone was a US Navy practice area for decades. Access is by boat or a long beach walk; a travel guide points to a very nice reef at the end of the trail.[1][2][3][4][5]
Habitat & marine life
- colonized rocky bottom predominant; one of the reserve's zones with the highest topographic relief[2]
- high fish densities; 64% of the reserve's total species richness recorded in the zone[2]
Marine life is what sources report having seen or commonly seeing — not a guarantee.
Access
- Shore or boat[5]
Snorkeling
- snorkeling: a very nice reef to the left, at the end of the trail[5]
What sources say about snorkeling here. Conditions change — check the sea state before you go.
Recent diver reports
Dived here recently? Share a quick report
First-hand reports from divers, reviewed before they appear. Conditions change daily; a report describes one day.
Safety considerations
No site-specific hazards are recorded in our sources. That does not mean there are none.
Ocean conditions change daily. Dive within your training, plan with current local information and consider a local professional guide. Water safety guide.
Protected area
Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural Canal Luis Peña)
Natural Reserve · Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources · Site position falls inside the official boundary[1]
NOAA's MPA Inventory classifies this area's protection level as "No Take"; fishing: commercial and recreational fishing prohibited. Anchoring: restricted.[1]
Regulations change. Check with DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) before diving.
Depth reports by source
| Reported | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| to 40 ft (12 m) | Corales del Este PR[2] | Current source |
See also
Straight-line distance only — not travel time, and not necessarily reached from the same departure point.
- Chutes and Ladders — 0.1 mi
- Carlos Rosario — 0.2 mi
- Tamarindo — 0.7 mi
- Tamarindo Chico — 1.0 mi
- Playa Flamenco — 1.0 mi
- Devon's Drop — 1.1 mi
Sources & verification
Last researched: 2026-10-17 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Moderate confidence
- 1.NOAA Marine Protected Areas Inventory 2024 (feature service NOAA_MPA_Inventory_2023), State = PR — NOAA NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries - MPA Center (2024) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2.Mapas / Costas de la Reserva (Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve zones) — Corales del Este PR · Other · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-10-11
- 3.Usos y arqueologia, Reserva Natural Canal Luis Pena (Informe 03, zonificacion RNCLP) — Hernandez-Delgado et al. (hosted by Coralations) (2003) · Scientific publication · Tier 2: Specialist · accessed 2026-09-25
- 4.Plan de Manejo de la Reserva Natural Canal de Luis Peña, Culebra, Puerto Rico — Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios del Litoral, UPR-Mayagüez (Valdés Pizzini et al.) for DRNA / Sea Grant / municipio de Culebra (2008-09) · Government · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-10-17
- 5.Beach Snorkeling Spots in Culebra — PRDayTrips (puertoricodaytrips.com) (2026-08-15) · Travel resource · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-10-11
- 6.Noreste Mooring Buoys3_WFL1 (layer pr_mooringbuoys2) - Boyas de Amarre — Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA); published on ArcGIS Online by a DRNA Northeast Ecological Corridor reserve management officer (2021-06-10) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-10-17
- 7.Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) — Domestic Names, Puerto Rico — U.S. Geological Survey (2026-08-28) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-10-17
Facts are summarised in our own words from the sources above; we do not reproduce operators’ or publishers’ descriptions. How confidence is assigned.