I am interested in snorkeling on a short trip with my daughter, and thought of going on a day trip or overnight to Vieques or Culebra. Which one has better snorkeling? Coral good on both? I know that a car is necessary on Vieques. Is it needed on Culebra? Could we do it on our own, or would we be better off taking a tour, like the catamaran tours or KayakPuerto Rico tour?

I was just in Puerto Rico with husband and two daughters in their 20's. We booked the kayaking bio-luminesce tour out of Vieques. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! We went at night and kayaked from about 9-11PM. There were 2 people per kayak and we followed each other with glow sticks attached to the front and back of the kayaks through the narrow mangroves. It was amazing going at night, but it depends on the phase of the moon. On this excursion we were not allowed to get out of the kayaks. The guides were great and helpful.

There was a tour scheduled for earlier in the day which included dinner at Culebra, but it was cancelled because the waves were too rough. It is in more open water, but you are able to get out and swim.

Sorry, I forgot that you asked mostly about snorkeling. We booked at all-day catamaran excursion out of Faharta with East Island excursions. It included snacks, drinks, and lunch. We snorkeled off of a beach and at a reef. I would recommend doing this one as well for a fun day in the sun.

I lived in Vieques for 5 months last year, the beaches are amazing and the bio-luminescence is out of this world; but I must say the absolute best snorkeling I found was in Culebra at Carlos Rosario: When you get off the ferry you take a publico (they are right at the ferry dock)it costs $2 per person to be taken to Playa Flamenco: from there you take a path up a hill (it is about a 20 minute walk, the views are well worth it and the path was just cleared in April 08'. Just look for a sign saying Carlos Rosario. You can walk right into the water and then you are directly in the coral.
Hope this helps; if you have questions feel free to ask!

We were in Vieques last June and searched everywhere for ANY decent snorkeling from the beach! We loved Vieques but were very disappointed. We did finally go out on a boat to some coral but the water was very deep and we didn't have great weather which didn't help.

The best snorkeling in Puerto Rico is in La Parguera (Los Cayos). This village is located on the southwest coast in Lajas about 40 minutes from Ponce. There are about 2-3 outfits that will take you out on a boat and the snorkeling is out of this world. I have snorkeled many places around the Caribbean, La Parguera takes the cake, hands down.

I prefer Culera. there is a great hotel called Mamacitas and a lot of great things to do.