Puerto Rico is a diverse travel destination. It has everything — from serene beaches with transparent turquoise water, to pink colored salt flats, to waterfalls and window caves, to mountains covered in a dense rainforest.
In this post, we focus on Vieques — an island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
How to get there?
The most affordable way to get to Vieques from Puerto Rico is through a ferry. It runs between the islands several times a day, as per the schedule listed here.
If you plan to catch the ferry early in the morning, staying the previous night somewhere in or around the town of Ceiba can be a good idea.
The prices are quite cheap ($2 per person in Aug ’22), so a much cheaper alternative to taking flights from San Juan to Vieques.
It is recommended to buy the tickets in advance online. There are tickets available on the port as well, however, it may create uncertainty in your travel plan depending on the rush.
I spent a couple of nights, but people also take a day tour. However, if you want to do a Bio-Luminescence tour, you would have to spend at least one night because of the ferry timings.
How to get around?
One of the options to explore the island on your own is a rental car. Google search will come up with several rental car options, and most of them offer a Jeep because of the terrain. Make sure to ask the rental car company for a pickup from the ferry location to the rental car center.
Rental golf-carts are also pretty popular, and is a cheaper option. They also seem to work well with the terrain.
Note: Be wary of taking your Puerto Rico rental car to Vieques because (1) usually rental companies have hefty fine associated with doing this and (2) the terrain on Puerto Rico is more suitable for something like a jeep.
Uber/Lyft are pretty much non-existent here, so if you are not renting, check with your hotel to make sure you have some form of transportation to get around.
Where to Stay
Isabel Segunda (North) and Esparanza (South) are the two areas where you can find most of the locals, hotels and restaurants.
As a tourist, I found Esparanza to be more charming, and had several relatively cheaper options for accommodation with great views. Also, it is closer to the some of the most amazing beaches on the island.
However, don’t sweat it too much, it’s just a 15min drive between the two areas.
What to do?
Now, to the most interesting part! Let’s take a look at experiences in Vieques!
Bio-Luminescence Bay Tour
This is a MUST on your trip to Vieques.
The Mosquito bay in Vieques has micro-organisms that emit blue lights at night, when physically stressed. So if you put your hand in the water and wave it around, you would be able to see your hand shining in blue florescent light!
Take a kayak tour with one of the local companies that takes you in the bay at night in kayaks.
Try to schedule your Bio-Luminescence Bay tour as far as possible from the Full Moon. The best time to visit is around New Moon — as the bio-luminescence looks prettier without the moonlight.
If you’re in Esparanza, the Biobay tour operators typically pick you up near the El Blok Hotel. They usually have another pick up location in Isabel Segunda as well.
I went with Black Beard tours, they were great!
Parque De La Ceiba
When you are in the northern area, the old Ceiba tree is definitely worth paying a quick visit to. The Ceiba tree was considered sacred in the Mayan civilization. It’s Octopus-like trunk a novel and pleasant sight, especially if you haven’t seen a Ceiba tree before!
Mosquito Pier
This is a long pier located in the north part — quick 1-min drive from the Ceiba tree. This has beautiful views of the ocean, and you can see the Puerto Rico mainland as well!
Sun Bay Beach
This is a great beach for swimming, located on the south side of the island. Gorgeous views with coconut trees on the shore!
Playa La Plata … and Others
If you drive east on the gravel road from Esparanza, there’s a series of pristine beaches here, sprinkled along the southern coast. I dare you to catch ’em all!
Playa La plata, Bahia De La Chiva, Secret Beach, Caracas Beach, Punta Galindez, Blue Beach, Playa Escondida, … and many more which are not even marked on Google maps! In all these beaches, what you will find common is shallow and clear blue water, plenty of untouched patches of sand, plus long and wide horizons.
You can literally do beach hopping here! :)
Puerto Ferro Lighthouse
Along this chain of small beaches, you will find old ruins of a light house. Although there isn’t much to see in the construction itself, I’m glad I went, as it taught me a little bit more about the history of the island.
The following shows a map of the west region of Vieques. Because of the historical military activity in the area, the areas colored in “red” have potential UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) lying around, and it is not recommended to venture out on your own in the red-colored areas, leaving the main trail.
Black Sand Beach
This is a beautiful and as-name-suggests, a beach with black sand at the bottom of the cliffs. Located east to Esparanza. Make sure that in Google maps, you go for Playa Negra, instead of the “Black sand beach”, otherwise it will take you to the wrong location — with an almost undrivable terrain.
Wild Horses!
This was a surprise on the visit to Vieques. There’re just a lot of wild horses roaming around! Trust me when I say that you won’t need to find them, they will find you! And they will definitely make your photos look more appealing :)
Hope this helps with your Vieques experience!