Fajardo · Ceiba ferry · San Juan
Seven ways onto the water, from a $109 Icacos half day to a private boat for your whole group. Pick by what you want from the day, compare the facts side by side, and book the one that fits.
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All seven, side by side
Three all-inclusive boat excursions from Fajardo, a ferry day trip to Culebrita, helmet diving in San Juan, and two private charters. Prices are per person unless a boat is quoted.
Best for first-timers
4 hours
For families, first-timers and anyone who wants a half day without the early alarm.
Afternoon departure only
Flamenco Beach stop
6 hours
For the Flamenco Beach bucket list without the ferry line, on a roomy 46-foot boat.
Flamenco stop is weather permitting
Ferry + Culebrita island
Full day
For the best turtle odds we run and the most beach hours: two islands on one ferry ticket.
Ferry seats are scarce, so we buy them ahead
Turtle territory
6 hours
For the day our own guides pick: seagrass beds where green sea turtles feed, then a beach lunch.
Select days only, tends to sell out first
No boat, no swimming
1.5 hours
For non-swimmers, cruise days and anyone who wants the ocean floor without leaving the city.
Wait 4 hours before flying afterward
Up to 40 guests
4, 6 or 8 hours
For reunions, bachelorettes, company days and any group that wants the boat to itself.
Quoted per boat, not per person
Up to 12 guests
4, 6 or 8 hours
For up to 12 who want shade, a cabin, a shower and the flattest ride on the water.
Two catamarans, one of each per date
Compare at a glance
Boat trips leave from Villa Marina in Fajardo, the day trip rides the ferry from Ceiba, and helmet diving walks in from the beach in San Juan.
| Tour | From | Time on the water | Boat or ferry | Best for | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icacos Afternoon Snorkel | $109 | 4 hours, 2:00 to about 6:00 PM | Boat from Fajardo | First-timers, families, half day | Online |
| Culebra All-Inclusive Excursion | $160 | 6 hours | 46-ft boat from Fajardo | Flamenco Beach, lunch and drinks included | Online |
| Culebra Day Trip | $160, $210 with hotel pickup | Full day: about 5 hours on Culebrita, then Flamenco | Public ferry from Ceiba plus shuttle boat to Culebrita | Playa Tortuga turtles, most beach hours | Online |
| Vieques All-Inclusive Excursion | $160 | 6 hours, back around 3 PM | Boat from Fajardo | Sea turtles, beach lunch, karaoke | Phone or WhatsApp |
| Helmet Diving in San Juan | $119 | 1.5 hours total | No boat, beach entry at the Caribe Hilton | Non-swimmers, cruise days | Phone, WhatsApp or form |
| Private Boat Charter | Quote per boat | 4, 6 or 8 hours | Your own crewed boat from Fajardo | Groups up to 40 | Call or quote form |
| Private Catamaran Charter | Quote per charter | 4, 6 or 8 hours | 47-ft power or 42-ft sail catamaran | Up to 12 guests, comfort first | Call or quote form |
Stated plainly
Send your dates, group size and who is coming, and a person who runs these boats answers. Same number for calls and WhatsApp.
Packing for the boat? Our what-to-bring checklist is free and six items long.
We will point you to the right boat, honestly, even if that means the cheaper trip. Replies come from the crew, not a call center.
Questions
The Icacos Afternoon Snorkel is the tour we recommend most often to first-timers and families. It is a 4-hour, $109 trip from Fajardo with two guided stops, calm shallow water at the second stop, a flotation device for everyone and a guide in the water. Kids from age 3 can join, and infants ride free.
Helmet diving is the only one inside San Juan itself: it enters the water from the beach at the Caribe Hilton, about 15 minutes from most San Juan hotels. Every snorkeling boat trip leaves from Villa Marina in Fajardo, about an hour's drive east, and Icacos is the shortest and easiest of those days.
Both, depending on the tour. The Icacos, Culebra and Vieques excursions sail on our own boats from Fajardo, and so do the private charters. Only the Culebra day trip rides the public ferry from Ceiba, with round-trip seats secured in advance and a shuttle boat out to Culebrita. Helmet diving involves no boat at all.
On the Icacos, Culebra and Vieques boat trips the price covers the guided snorkeling, mask, snorkel, fins and flotation device, food and drinks on board, and free parking at Villa Marina. Icacos serves sandwiches and snacks, Culebra a light lunch, and Vieques a deli lunch on the beach, each with soft drinks, water and rum drinks.
Icacos welcomes children from age 3, with infants riding free. The Culebra excursion, the Culebra day trip and the Vieques excursion take guests 5 and older. Helmet diving requires both a minimum age of 8 and a minimum weight of 80 pounds. Private charters are open to all ages, and pregnant guests are not permitted on the boat excursions.
The Icacos, Culebra and Culebra day trip tours book online through FareHarbor, straight from this page. The Vieques excursion and San Juan helmet diving are booked by phone or WhatsApp at (787) 209-2127, and the helmet dive also has an inquiry form. Private charters are quoted per boat once you send your date and headcount.
On a scheduled tour you share the boat and the stops with other guests; the Culebra excursion runs on a 46-foot boat with room to stretch out. For the water to yourselves, a private boat charter takes up to 40 guests per boat, or 80 across two boats, and the private catamaran takes up to 12.
Bring a swimsuit worn under your clothes, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and a dry change of clothes. Gear, flotation, food and drinks come with the all-inclusive boat trips. The Culebra day trip also needs closed shoes for Culebrita's rocky walks, plus food and water from the Culebra market stop.
Pick Vieques for seagrass beds where green sea turtles feed, a deli lunch on a white-sand beach and a return around 3 PM; it runs on select days. Pick the Culebra excursion for the Flamenco Beach stop, weather permitting, reef gardens around uninhabited cays and daily departures. Both are 6 hours, $160 and ages 5 and up.
No, Icacos runs as an afternoon tour only. Check-in is at 1:15 PM at Villa Marina in Fajardo, the boat departs at 2:00 PM every day, and you are back around 6:00 PM. If you want an early start, the Culebra day trip leaves on the morning ferry and a private charter runs on your own schedule.
Private charters are quoted per boat, not per person, and the boat type sets the price: the center console is the most affordable, the private yacht is mid-range, and the catamarans are the flagship tier at roughly twice the price of a comparable powerboat charter. Charters run in 4, 6 or 8 hour blocks; call or send the quote form.
Yes. You do not need to know how to swim on the boat excursions: every guest gets a flotation device and a guide stays in the water with the group. If you would rather keep your face out of the water entirely, the San Juan helmet dive feeds you air while you walk the ocean floor, no swimming skills required.
Still deciding?
We run boats to both islands. The honest head-to-head on water, turtles, beaches and crowds.
Read the guide →The real cost, time and hassle comparison before you choose between our two Culebra days.
Read the guide →How to do it from a San Juan hotel or a cruise ship, with honest timing math.
Read the guide →The full packing checklist, what to leave behind, and the reef-safe sunscreen question.
Read the guide →