[7] Some sources mention a black overseer from British-ruled Tortola named John Stevens, who was put in charge of Culebra in the 1850s by the Governor of Vieques under the Spanish crown to protect the island from foreigners who, without proper permissions or payments of fees for despoiling Culebra, took fish, cut trees for lumber and prepared drift wood as charcoal for future sale elsewhere.

[8] Appropriating the unearned title of "Captain", he began a decades-long isolated sojourn on Culebra as enforcer of Spanish interests.

Spanish police from Vieques tracked down Tortolan foragers on Culebra who were suspected of the vicious murder.

The affair caused an international incident, and, to satisfy demands from the British ambassador in Madrid, the Tortolans were finally freed by the Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico in July 1874.

[9] These events caused the government of Switzerland in June 1876 to recall an expedition destined for Culebra to establish a warm-weather sanatorium there.

[10] Culebra was then settled by Cayetano Escudero Sanz on October 27, 1880, when he completed his survey of the island that included subdivisions into usable lots.

Subsistence farming and cattle raising were established and a cistern was built for common use at one end of a natural harbor or Ensenada Honda in Spanish.

It was completed on February 25, 1886, which made it the oldest operating lighthouse in the Caribbean until 1975, when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard finally closed the facility.

[11] Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States.

In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Culebra was 704.

[6][7] The United States Navy cited the 1900 Foraker Act to expropriate the land surrounding the natural harbor and in 1902 ordered the removal of all settlers so that a base for the South Atlantic fleet could be erected.

[16] With the agreement reached with a new Cuban government to lease Guantanamo Bay as a naval base, in 1911 the U.S. reduced the size of its forces on Culebra and turned the installation to training purposes.

[17] In 1924, the U.S. Navy began annual maneuvers on Culebra taking advantage of its deep-sea waters to practice coordinating amphibious landings on its beaches.

[22] Ensenada Honda is the largest inlet on the island and is considered to be the most hurricane secure harbor in the Caribbean.

One of the oldest bird sanctuaries in United States territory was established in Culebra on February 27, 1909, by President Teddy Roosevelt.

It is native to Culebra Island and was named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who was the governor of Puerto Rico at that time.

However, a population of white-tailed deer introduced in July 1966 (one male and three females) can be found on the eastern region of the island.

[34][35][36] Culebra is a popular weekend tourist destination for mainland Puerto Ricans, Americans and residents of Vieques.

The beach extends for a mile of white coral sand and is framed beautifully by arid tree-covered hills.

Culebra and Vieques offered the U.S. military training areas for the Fleet Marine Force in amphibious exercises for beach landings and naval gunfire support testing.

Of the smaller islands, only Culebrita and Luis Peña permit visitors and can be accessible via water taxis from Culebra.

Because of the "arid" nature of the island there is no run-off from rivers or streams, resulting in very clear waters around the archipelago.

The Culebra page lists Playa Flamenco, Faro de Culebrita, and Reserva Natural del Canal Luis Peña, as places of interest.

The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Señora del Carmen is a religious and cultural celebration in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.

[20] Other festivals and events include: In 2020, the descendants of Pedro Márquez erected a plaque commemorating the centennial of his death at the original site of his butcher shop, built on the main street that bears his name.

At some point, the following products were produced and exported from the island: wood, turtle oil, shells, fish, tobacco, livestock, pigs, goats, cheese, plantains, pumpkins, beans, yams, garlic, maize, tomatoes, oranges, coconut, cotton, melons, mangrove bark, coal, and turkey.

The laurel cross refers to the civic triumph reached when Culebra obtained the evacuation of the United States Navy.

The United States Naval exercises reached a peak in 1969, as many ships and air units were attached to the Atlantic Fleet for gunnery and aerial ordnance proficiency prior to their ultimate assignments to naval task forces stationed in Southeast Asia.

The case against the Navy was led by Washington lawyer Richard Copaken as retained pro-bono by the people of Culebra island.

At the end of 2016, the United States Army Corps of Engineers sent letters to the residents of Culebra citing active removal of undetonated explosive material still present on the island.