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See a Doctor on Culebra by Video: CDT, Pharmacies and Ferry

If you need a doctor on Culebra, the island's only emergency room is at the Centro de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento (CDT), run by the Puerto Rico Department of Health; we found no published hours or phone number. In an emergency, call 911. For common problems, Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, sees patients of any age by video from your guesthouse or rental, as long as you are physically in Puerto Rico.

Culebra, Puerto Rico$79Doctor visit

Can we help by telehealth?SometimesIt depends on the evaluation.

Is it an emergency? Call 911.

Doctor visit: $79 — Book See prices and what each includes

Pay now, then choose your time right away. Full refund if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.

See the cancellation policy

You can cancel for a full refund or change the time up to 24 hours before your visit. Within 24 hours you can't cancel and there's no refund. If you don't join in the first 10 minutes, there's no refund.

If you choose a time less than 24 hours away, it can't be cancelled or changed.

If the clinic can't see you, for example because of a technical problem on our side, we refund you in full.

Telehealth only

We are a telehealth-only service: we have no office or clinic in this area or anywhere else in Puerto Rico. If you need to be seen in person, this guide shows where to go.

Is this an emergency?

This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:

Chest pain, trouble breathing or stroke signs
A swimmer rescued from the water who keeps coughing, is short of breath or confused
A coral or rock cut that won't stop bleeding, or spreading redness with fever
An allergic reaction with swelling of the face or throat

Call 911

Help lines

Warning signs: when to go to the ER

On this page (9)

Culebra's CDT: who runs it in 2026

Culebra had 1,792 residents in the 2020 Census. What some guides call "Hospital de Culebra" is the CDT de Culebra (Centro de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento, a diagnostic and treatment center). According to El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora, its emergency room is run by the Department of Health's field-medicine division. Since September 2, 2026, the nonprofit HealthProMed has run the lab, the pharmacy licence, a general practitioner and an obstetrician who comes once a week, under a temporary three-month agreement that replaced the Menonita health system, per El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora.

The handover has been rocky. On September 18, 2026, The San Juan Daily Star reported that island organizations said nursing staff fell from five nurses to a supervisor and two nurses and that vaccinations stopped, and they asked for a guaranteed doctor in the ER. We could not confirm the CDT's phone number or hours: ask your host and save the number on day one.

Before you leave home

Why a video visit

For anything that isn’t an emergency, compare what each option takes.

Why a video visit
Comparison	Video visit	Emergency room	CDT or doctor’s office
Getting there	From home: join from your phone, tablet or computer.	Drive and find parking.	Drive and find parking.
Waiting room	Skip the waiting room: join from wherever you are in Puerto Rico.	Yes, a waiting room.	Yes, a waiting room.
Hours and time	Every day, any time (Puerto Rico time). Video doctor visits 24/7 — book online and choose your time right away.	In Puerto Rico, a median of 4 h 52 min from arrival to departure for patients sent home (US: 2 h 42 min; Oct 2024–Sep 2025).^1,2	An in-person visit takes about 2 hours on average, including travel.³
Price	$79 visit · $49 follow-up · $35 forms. You see it before you pay; no insurance needed.	Depends on your insurance and on what is done.	Depends on your insurance and on what is done.
Language	Spanish or English, with the same doctor.	Depends on the place.	Depends on the place.
Prescriptions	If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.	Yes, if needed.	Yes, if needed.
When to go in person	If the doctor needs to examine you in person or run a test, she tells you and guides you.	In an emergency: chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side or bleeding that won’t stop. Call 911.	If you need stitches, an X-ray or a test on the spot.

For problems that are not emergencies. In an emergency, call 911.

Table sources

1. CMS Care Compare, “Timely and Effective Care – State”, measure OP-18b: median time in the emergency department, arrival to departure, for patients sent home (opens in a new tab), data for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (accessed 2026-10-02)
2. CMS Care Compare, “Timely and Effective Care – National”, measure OP-18b (US figure) (opens in a new tab), data for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (accessed 2026-10-02)
3. Ray KN et al., “Opportunity costs of ambulatory medical care in the United States,” Am J Manag Care 2015;21(8):567-74 (US data, 2003–2010) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)

We found no published source for what a patient pays at an ER or a CDT in Puerto Rico, so we give no figure.

Emergency room on Culebra: call 911

For chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, a severe allergic reaction, a near-drowning or a serious injury, call 911 right away; that is an emergency. The island's ER is the one at the CDT. We could not verify how emergency transfers from Culebra to the main island work, so we won't give details that might be wrong. On the main island, the nearest verified hospital ER to the Ceiba ferry dock is Caribbean Medical Center in Fajardo, about 5 miles away in a straight line, open 24 hours per its site: see Fajardo and Ceiba.

Is there a 24-hour pharmacy on Culebra? Not one we could confirm

According to The San Juan Daily Star, Culebra has two pharmacies. We found hours for neither, so don't assume either is open at night:

Farmacia Cristina, inside the CDT: it has operated there since 2020 and, according to island organizations, has a pharmacist and fills prescriptions the same day.
HealthProMed's pharmacy at its Culebra health center.

Call ahead to check they stock your medication. Once across: Farmacia Caridad Fajardo, 9 Calle Igualdad, 787-863-1880, has a pharmacy counter open Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The nearest 24-hour counters the Walgreens locator returns are 101 Carr 1, Caguas (787-744-2905) and 2505 Carr 841, Guaynabo (787-287-0528); both close 1:30–2 a.m. If you only need a refill of a medicine you already take (non-controlled), see prescription refills.

Sick at night on Culebra: what to do

At night Culebra has no pharmacy with confirmed late hours, and crossing depends on the ferry or small planes. Work through it in this order:

Is it an emergency? Call 911. The island's ER is the one at the CDT.
A child with a high fever, trouble breathing or who cannot keep fluids down? That is for the ER or 911, not for waiting until morning.
Run out of a daily medication? Call your host or the CDT pharmacy first thing in the morning; do not count on a counter being open overnight.
Something common that can wait a few hours? Video doctor visits 24/7 — book online and choose your time right away. If the doctor prescribes something, we send your prescription to your pharmacy.

Urgent care on Culebra by video: a doctor for all ages

For in-person urgent care on Culebra, the nearest emergency room is the CDT's, run by the Department of Health; on the main island, Caribbean Medical Center in Fajardo is open 24 hours per its site. For anything that is not an emergency: a doctor online 24/7 by video. We offer urgent care in Puerto Rico by video from your guesthouse or home on Culebra: fever, a cold, a sore throat, UTI symptoms, diarrhea, ear pain after swimming, a sting that swells, or a daily medicine you ran out of. Dr. Diana Nieves Castro is a general practice physician with several years of emergency-department experience, and she sees adults and children of all ages, in English or Spanish.

We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. Patients under 21 have a parent or legal guardian on the video, showing ID.

We send you a secure video link that works on your phone, tablet or computer. We provide telehealth in Puerto Rico with no office on Culebra, so the visit happens wherever you are, as long as you are physically in Puerto Rico.

What it costs: three prices, no membership

You pay by card through secure checkout; you are charged when you request the visit, with a full refund if the clinic can’t see you. The same price for every age:

Doctor visit: a new problem, urgent care (non-emergencies), children, visitors and tourists. A doctor's note is included if you need one.
Follow-up visit: a refill of a medicine you already take (non-controlled), or a review of your lab results if you are an existing patient.
School and university forms: the medical form your school or university asks for, when the video evaluation supports it.
If a follow-up or forms visit turns out to need a full visit, the doctor explains why and, with your consent, you pay the difference. Full details on our pricing page.

Leaving Culebra: the ferry to Ceiba, or a small plane

The Culebra ferry crosses to Ceiba, not Fajardo, and takes 1 hour 30 minutes, per Puerto Rico Ferry (opens in a new tab). The Ceiba terminal is at Marina Dr. Roosevelt Roads; the Culebra terminal is on Calle Pedro Márquez. Arrive an hour early; boarding closes 10 minutes before departure. All ticket sales are final, with no refunds, and residents on the reduced fare must show photo ID. Times are in the official itinerary for August 1 to November 30, 2026; we don't copy them here because they change.

By air, the Ports Authority lists Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX) for commercial and charter passenger flights, and José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba. Per Wikipedia (a secondary source), Air Flamenco flies to Ceiba and Isla Grande, Cape Air to San Juan and Vieques, and Vieques Air Link to Ceiba, Isla Grande and Vieques, on aircraft with 10 seats or fewer. If you are crossing for a medical appointment, confirm times the day before.

Dengue, snorkeling, sea urchins and seasickness

The Puerto Rico Department of Health's weekly report for week 37 (published September 23, 2026) counts 1 dengue case in Culebra for weeks 1–37 of 2026, and 8 in the Fajardo health region, which covers Ceiba, Culebra, Fajardo, Luquillo, Río Grande and Vieques. Few is not zero: use repellent and read the dengue guide. At the beach and in the water:

Sea urchins. The Merck Manual says soaking in vinegar dissolves most spines and hot water eases the pain; deeply embedded spines may need to be removed in person. See sea urchin stings.
Coral and rock cuts. We found no reputable medical source with coral-specific first aid, so we don't give any. If the cut is deep or won't stop bleeding, get seen in person.
Beach sand. According to the CDC, walking barefoot or sitting on sand with dog or cat feces can cause cutaneous larva migrans: very itchy red tracks that creep through the skin. Wear sandals and sit on a towel.
Ear pain after swimming or snorkeling. It may be swimmer's ear, which the doctor can assess by video.
Jellyfish and sargassum. See our jellyfish sting guide. The University of South Florida, which has a monitoring station off Culebra, reported in August 2026 that sargassum was declining but still above normal.
Ferry seasickness. The CDC says medication for seasickness works best taken before you sail.

Visiting Culebra

Pack medication for your whole stay plus a margin: crossings depend on the weather, and hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per the National Hurricane Center. A video visit needs a decent signal, so find the corner of your rental with the best Wi-Fi or data; if the clinic can’t see you, you get a full refund. Coming from the mainland or abroad? See care for visitors. Heading on to Vieques? It has a rebuilt hospital.

The facts on this page were last verified on 2026-09-30.

Urgent care by video in Culebra

For urgent problems that are not emergencies, the doctor evaluates you by video from wherever you are in Puerto Rico, without driving or looking for parking. If appropriate, she prescribes and we send the prescription to your pharmacy, or she gives you a lab order.

The doctor can see you by video for:

Fever in adults and children without warning signs
Sore throat, sinus infections and colds
Urinary tract infections
Rashes, bites and sunburn
Vomiting and diarrhea without severe dehydration
Ear pain and pink eye
Mild sprains (if you need an X-ray, we refer you)

Call 911 or go to the emergency room for:

Chest pain or pressure
Trouble breathing or bluish lips
Face drooping, weakness on one side or trouble speaking
Bleeding that will not stop, a deep wound or a hard blow to the head
Fainting, confusion or seizures
A baby under 3 months with a fever
Thoughts of harming yourself: call or text 988

For problems that are not emergencies. In an emergency, call 911.

When to go to the ER: full guide · Video, CDT or ER?

How we care for you

We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a 24-hour pharmacy on Culebra?

Not one we could confirm. The island has Farmacia Cristina, inside the CDT, and a HealthProMed pharmacy; we found hours for neither. Bring your medications. The nearest 24-hour counters on the main island are the Walgreens in Caguas (101 Carr 1) and Guaynabo (2505 Carr 841).

Where is the nearest ER on Culebra?

At the CDT de Culebra (diagnostic and treatment center), run by the Department of Health. We found no published hours or phone number. In an emergency call 911. On the main island, the nearest verified hospital ER to Ceiba is Caribbean Medical Center in Fajardo (787-801-0081), open 24 hours per its site.

Is there urgent care on Culebra?

We found no urgent care center on the island; Culebra's only ER is at the CDT (call 911 in an emergency). For fever, a sore throat, UTI symptoms, ear pain after swimming or a medicine you ran out of, the doctor sees adults and children by video wherever you are on Culebra, as long as you are in Puerto Rico. See urgent care in Puerto Rico by video.

Can a doctor see me at my hotel or home on Culebra?

Yes, by video. We are a telehealth service with no local office: the doctor sees you by video wherever you are on Culebra, as long as you are physically in Puerto Rico. She sees adults and children of all ages and offers virtual urgent care for anything that is not an emergency. If you need a hands-on exam, go to the CDT or call 911.

How much is a doctor visit without insurance on Culebra?

Each provider sets its own price. We have three prices and no membership: a doctor visit has a published price, like a follow-up visit (for example, a refill of a non-controlled medicine you already take) and school and university forms. You are charged when you request the visit, with an itemized receipt (superbill) on request. Before paying without insurance elsewhere, ask for a good faith estimate.

Can I get a prescription online while on Culebra?

Yes. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. It depends on what the doctor finds on video. Before the visit, call one of the island pharmacies to check they have what you need.

Where does the Culebra ferry leave from, and can I get a refund?

From Ceiba, not Fajardo; the crossing takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Puerto Rico Ferry says all sales are final with no refunds, though you can transfer a ticket up to twice, at least an hour before departure. Arrive an hour early.

Video visit

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