CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons (Breezy Baldwin)Snorkel· Cayo Norte· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Cayo Norte
18° 20.0′ N · 65° 15.5′ W
A privately owned, scrub-covered island half a mile off Culebra's northeast shore, with a white beach on its south side and clear water for snorkeling; day-trippers come by water taxi from Zoni.
Practical
Position: OpenStreetMap 'Playa Cayo Norte' (way 426930534) on the south side. Coast Pilot 5 (ch. 13): oval island with a 338-ft peak; Cayo Sombrerito, a 59-ft rocky islet, extends 300 yards north of its southeast end; rocky islets run up to 1 mile northeast (Cayo Ballena, Cayo Tiburón, Cayos Geniquí). Wikipedia: Cayo Norte is private and not part of the wildlife refuge. Anchor only in settled weather off the south beach in sand; Canal de Cayo Norte between the cay and Culebra carries 28 ft through the middle with a current of about 1.5 knots near Cayos Geniquí. Within the green sea turtle critical habitat (50 CFR 226.208).
Best for
Day snorkel off a private island