Both islands are reached the same two ways: a cheap ferry or a small plane. Here’s the current reality — and the single biggest mistake to avoid.
The ferry
Buy tickets ahead at puertoricoferry.com or on the City Experiences app. Non-residents get a limited number of advance seats per sailing; the rest are released same-day at the terminal window. Book as early as you can — weekends and holidays sell out, and if the website shows nothing left for your date, showing up early at the Ceiba window for the same-day release is the fallback.
The fine print that matters: be at the terminal an hour before departure (boarding closes 10 minutes before the boat leaves), the name on the ticket has to match your photo ID, and all sales are final. Check the current fare on the site — prices have been in flux in 2026. Passenger boats run about 45 minutes to Vieques and about an hour to Culebra (the slower cargo runs take longer).
One more note: Ben’s 6am-panadería-breakfast ritual (see the Culebra page) belonged to the old Fajardo terminal. The Ceiba terminal has only a small snack stand — eat before you come.
The little planes
If you’re willing to spend more, fly. From Ceiba’s small airport it’s roughly $40–50 each way — the short, cheap hop. From San Juan (Isla Grande or the main airport) figure $100–190 one-way depending on airline and season (Cape Air from SJU swings widely by date — roughly $90–190 one-way; Vieques Air Link and Air Flamenco from Isla Grande run cheaper). The airlines are Vieques Air Link, Air Flamenco, and Cape Air. The views alone are almost worth the fare, and Vieques Air Link also flies the ten-minute Vieques–Culebra hop if you want both islands in one trip.
Once you land
On Vieques: rent a jeep — much of what you came for is down gravel roads. Book before you come; the fleets are small. Currently active options: Vieques Car Rental, Maritza’s Car Rental (they’ll meet the ferry), Island Car Rental (the bright yellow jeeps), Island Jeep Rental.
On Culebra: you generally can’t bring a rental car over on the ferry — cargo space is for residents. A taxi from the dock runs about $5 a person, golf carts rent for $50–60 a day, and jeeps are available from Carlos Jeep Rental or Jerry’s. Ben’s take: the jeeps are fun — and he actually prefers the golf carts, “kinda slow” and all.
Phones work now
Cell coverage on both islands has genuinely improved — T-Mobile covers the whole municipality and AT&T/Verizon work fine on Vieques’s north side. The far south beaches still drop out, which honestly suits them.