Vieques Island

A nice quiet, laid back island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. Nearby is the smaller & even more laid back island of Culebra. This is a nice place to chill, enjoy beaches, take boat rides & be away from it all. Must visit the bioluminescent bay. There are decent vegetarian food options available. We rented a jeep. We stayed at El Blok, though felt it was over priced. Though the W is way more expensive.

Vieques is a little known gem of an island… but not for long ! It came recommended by friends who had visited several times over the past two years so we gave it a try as the spot to celebrate a 65^th birthday and retirement! Perfect choice! We spent three days in old San Juan first, then rented a house in Vieques. The flights over are frequent and brief. If you are renting a house, we suggest shopping in San Juan for meats or specialty items unavailable in Vieques. The variety and quality of restaurants is remarkable for such a small island but our favorites were Bili in Esperanza, Conuco in Isabel secundo, and Tin Box for BBQ. Do not miss the SOL FOOD truck at the entrance to the wildlife preserve beaches… it looks a little sketchy but the food is delicious. Best chocolate brownies and pork carnitas we’ve ever eaten! Only operate fri/​sat/​sun until around 1:30 or they run out of food. Don’t miss the bio bay tour if it’s happening (they don’t operate around a full moon) and book with Abe’s; a sunset drink at Al’s bar next to the ferry landing in Isabel; salsa dancing at la nasa in Esperanza on sat night with the locals; snorkeling anywhere and a different gorgeous beach every day. Our favorites we Carracas, La Chiva and Navio. Horses roam the island freely as do iguanas… makes driving in the narrow roads a little interesting. I would recommend less than a week or 10 days here is you really want to experience all the Vieques has to offer. Decent hotels recommendations are the W (beautiful but pricey), Bravo Beach Hotel (Isabel side), and Blue Horizon (Esperanza side). come and enjoy ! But shhhhh… keep our secret

Underrated island of Puerto Rico! We were unlucky to have been a few people behind in the Culebra line when they sold out of tickets, so we jumped into the Vieques line to get ferry tickets instead.
When we got there, we just asked a taxi drive to take us to a beach and were pleasantly surprised with the beaches/​culture! I loved seeing wild horses everywhere as well.
Be safe with your belongings, but have fun as well!

Simply amazing. Great beaches, super laid-​back, and if you’re lucky, the bio bay tour is running. This is a hidden gem that I fear won’t stay hidden for long. Because it’s not overly developed, there aren’t overwhelming options of things to do — but you will only be as bored as you allow yourself to be! There is swimming, hiking, biking, horseback riding, sailing, fishing, paddle boarding, bioluminescence bay, endless beaches, and plenty of food & drink!
Most of the restaurants are run by mainlanders who needed to get away. We spent 3 night in Esperanza & it was heaven on earth!

Vieques… what an I say? I have been to Mexico many times, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and big island Puerto Rico, all have their virtues but Vieques is a special gem. Quiet, easy, beautiful, ecologically amazing, cool, easy to navigate. What more can I say. If you want ‘Beaches’ or ‘Club Med’ don’t come here. If you are looking for margueritaville, go some place else. This is about as mellow as it gets — and no passport is required!

Vieques Island is our favorite vacation spot. We spent 4 days on the island in 2013 and returned for 6 more in 2014.
The W is probably the best place to stay on the island. You need to rent a Jeep, you need a map and you must explore the island. The island is very rustic and undeveloped. There are no traffic lights. There are plenty of beaches and you will not have a favorite, they’re all favorites.
The people of Vieques are friendly and welcoming.

Vieques is luckily, still a relatively unknown gem. Where else can you lay on pristine beaches and possibly see no one else all day long. Add to that wild horses sauntering along the beaches and streets, a bio– luminescent bay and a few unbelievable restaurants and you have a rare combination unlike anywhere else on the planet. shhhhhhh!

Awesome place, truly a hidden Gem.
I am reluctant to write this review, one part of me wants to be selfish and keep it to myself and another part wants to share this beauty with others.
Where do I start? the beaches are majestic, truly a virgin island, I;ve been to hawaii and I honestly think Viequez is better, in the sense that its not heavily commercialized.
The people here are super friendly, (except for some american expat living here, I reviewed their businesses in here).
Definitely checkout La chiva beach.

Puerto Rico — Easy to drive around the island, once you’re out of city limits. Even without GPS, you cannot get lost in this island if you’re from USA and driven there a lot as this whole island is too small for a car (110 Miles X 40 Miles) 3,500 sq miles ! You can get lost and then get to your destination. People are mostly friendly and eager to help you, unlike some other Caribbean places where poverty produces some natural hustlers …
A rental car ($ 14 per day on budget, Oct 2012 + $ 4 approx per gallon gas) takes you to Fajardo, and standing in line fetches you a $ 2 one way ferry ticket to this wonderful island. Vieques — Went to the island and took a ride from a local to get to a beach, before stopped at a bar to each lunch. Playa Esperanza it was, very nice tranquil and Caribbean waters. Did not try to suck us in unlike the bigger Atlantic waves! A line again one hour before the ferry departure again fetches the return ticket … and back to Fajardo Inn which was very nice and the nearby avenidas were full of nice food, party & driving around options in the weekends. Left luminescent bay, snorkeling, scooter-​ing around the island, and other pleasures were tucked away for the next time.

$ 2 ferry ride and $ 3 taxi ride to your room? Not bad at all! If you’re here overnight, you MUST do the bio-​bay tour. It’s a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience. Do some homework on who you go with for the tour though; some of the operators are shady and not very reliable. We used Abe’s and they were great, and there are others as well. Check out tripadvisor for their list, as that’s what we used.

I fell in love with Puerto Rico. The list of reasons why is long, but near the top of the list?
: Vieques, definitely the Isle of Vieques.
Whether it was the beautiful white-​sanded beaches, the sleepy chill feel of life here, or the feeling of «undiscovery» here, it’s not a wonder how this island is love-​inspiring.
One can travel to this small Island by ferry (from Fajardo), or plane from San Juan. I went with the latter. With the drive to Fajardo, and the ferry’s reputation with unreliability, the risks clearly outweighed the slight savings. If you fly, be sure to fly out of Isla Grande (
) — the flights are surprisingly cheap, and the tiny planes start your trip with a sense of adventure.
This island is a step back in time. You will not find tons of luxury hotels here (the only one is W on the north shore), but if you search you can find some decent accommodations. No fancy restaurants, but there are certainly some cool options. Nightlife is limited, so you won’t have many, if any, salsa dancing options.
But you know what? That’s alright.
Vieques makes up for it with the relaxation it delves in droves… along with killer beaches.
Yeah, you have to unplug here, to have a true Vieques experience. Whether you make it here for the world famous bioluminescence bay, or just to discover your own secluded stretch of sand, your heart will thank your feet for taking you here.