Cayo Norte
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Aerial view of Cayo Norte (foreground) off the eastern coast of Culebra Island (background), 2010 Aerial view of Cayo Norte (right) and Culebrita (left) off the eastern coast of Culebra Island (background), 2010 | |
 Map of Culebra by barrios | |
  Cayo Norte  Cayo Norte  Cayo Norte | |
 Interactive map | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 18°20′N 65°15′W / 18.333°N 65.250°W |
| Archipelago | Puerto Rico Archipelago, Greater Antilles |
| Area | 1.2 km2 (0.46 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 103.6 m (339.9 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Commonwealth | Puerto Rico |
| Municipality | Culebra |
| Barrio/Ward | San Isidro |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
Cayo Norte (Spanish for "North Cay" or "North Key"), also historically known as West Key[1] or North East Key, is the largest privately owned archipelago and island of Puerto Rico. Currently the property of Google co-founder Larry Page[2] via SVI Investments, Inc,[3] the island is located about 0.6 nautical mile (1.0 km) northeast of island-municipality of Culebra Island,[4] about 21 nautical miles (36 km) east of the main island of Puerto Rico and 12 nautical miles (20 km) west of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The island is part of the municipality of Culebra and therein of the barrio San Isidro. It is the only privately owned island in the Culebra archipelago,[5] and is not part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge as are most of the other nearby islands and keys.
Cayo Norte is the first island to starboard when traveling through the Virgin Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. It is somewhat oval in shape, with hills gently sloping to the sandy beaches on the south coast. The north coast is a rocky cliff. The highest elevation, located in the middle of the western half of the island, is at 340 feet (104 m). Its area is about 300 acres (121 ha).[6] The hills on the eastern half of the island are mostly covered with bushes (croton rigidus). There are wooded zones along the south coast, in the valleys and on the western slopes.[7]
