![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/20211111_072647-1024x462.jpg\")
Bienvenidos a Vieques!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Getting to Vieques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vieques<\/a> is located just 7 miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico. You can take a ferry to get there, but we opted for a ten-minute flight on Vieques Air Link from the east coast airport of Ceiba. The flight was $80 round-trip, much more expensive than the $4 R\/T ferry ride. But the ferry can be unreliable, waits can be long, and the water can get very rough, inducing seasickness \u2013 unless you\u2019re truly unlucky and can\u2019t get on board at all. Get more info here.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We chose comfort, convenience, and guaranteed seats \u2013 which meant packing like sardines into a tiny 8-seat plane for the eight-minute flight. There are also flights to Vieques from two airports in San Juan, but which are more expensive. There are also several air providers, but we chose the local one, Vieques Airlink. Get more info here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/13_view-from-plane-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>View from the plane<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/12_plane-1024x561.jpg\")
<\/a>Getting our luggage<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Exploring Vieques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
People don\u2019t go to Vieques for nightlife. They go for the nature. The island is quiet, lush, and uncrowded, with unmatched natural beauty. Vieques is home to the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, Mosquito Bay. Travelers will discover countless undeveloped beach coves, as well as the largest natural wildlife refuge in the Caribbean. They\u2019ll also discover rough, bumpy roads, which is why renting a 4WD vehicle is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vieques is 20 miles long and four miles wide. The Atlantic Ocean crashes against its rocky shore on one side, while the Caribbean Sea gently laps the golden sand beaches on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Map](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/vieques-map.jpg\")
https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The island has two main towns — Esperanza on the Caribbean coast and Isabel Segunda on the Atlantic coast. Between them, stretching west to east, are lush mountains crisscrossed by narrow dirt roads, with a jumble of colorful concrete houses built to weather hurricanes and the beating sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isabel Segunda<\/strong>, to the north, has all the resources islanders need for their day-to-day lives — a couple of small supermarkets, a few gas stations, Town Hall, the main Plaza, the Ferry Terminal, and a bunch of restaurants and shops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/23_isabel-segunda-1024x501.jpg\")
<\/a>Isabel Segunda main drag<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/24_isabel-segunda-1024x572.jpg\")
<\/a>And side street<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Esperanza<\/strong>, to the south, has a more bohemian island-life vibe, with a number of open-air bars and restaurants boasting overprices pina coladas and American barmaids, facing a malecon (kind of a boardwalk, only built Caribbean-style with concrete instead of wood) along the coast with spectacular views of Esperanza Bay. Esperanza has a beach within walking distance, making it possibly a better choice if you choose (or are forced) to come to Vieques without a vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/32_esperanza-malecon-firshing-pier-old-pier-1024x461.jpg\")
Esperanza by day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/16_esperanza-1024x461.jpg\")
And by night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n All over the island, businesses and homes are painted with colorful murals featuring mermaids, iguanas, horses, and tributes in memory of lost relatives. It\u2019s a truly charming place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting Around<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There is no public transit on Vieques, and we read that taxis don\u2019t like going to the deserted beaches, and may not be available to bring you back at the end of the day. So unless you stay in Esperanza, which has lots of restaurants and several beaches within walking distance, you need to rent either a golf cart or a 4WD vehicle. Why 4WD? Because some of the roads to the beaches, like the one to Black Sand Beach, are car-swallowingly big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The biggest piece of advice we got about rental cars was to book your car first, then build your vacation around it, because there are a limited number of vehicles available. So the availability of this red jeep at Island Jeep and Coqui Car Rental for Nov. 9-11 pretty much decided our timing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn\u2019t regret the expense. A golf cart would have been cheaper, but they only go about 15 mph, and you have no protection from the tropical heat or sudden rainstorms except the small roof. We experienced some very bumpy roads, and Bob enjoyed tooling around in the jeep on them, while I clenched my teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Lodging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are no big chain hotels on Vieques. You\u2019ll find a choice of boutique hotels, guesthouses, Airbnbs, and hostels for the backpacking crowd. We stayed at the Bravo Beach Hotel<\/a>, a boutique hotel located on the edge of Isabel Segunda. For just $90 a night, we had a spacious room with a queen bed, refrigerator, large bathroom, and little porch with a bench. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/25_bravo-1024x461.jpg\")
<\/a>The entrance to the Bravo Beach Hotel<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n This boutique hotel also had two swimming pools, one of which was right next to the ocean, where I was able to witness a couple of stunning sunsets and one incredible rainbow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/10_bravo-sunset-view-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Sunset view from the pool<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11_bravo-Rainbow-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Rainbow behind<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The hotel also gave us the use of beach chairs, swim towels, and even a cooler, which turned out to be really useful since the beaches we visited had no amenities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hotel wasn\u2019t serving breakfast because of COVID, but we found a place called El Caf\u00e9 de Rincon (Coffee Corner) in a food truck park on the other side of town that we really enjoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Horses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Horses roam freely throughout the island, thousands of them. Everywhere you go you will see them: mothers feeding foals on the roadside, herds hanging out in the nature reserve, horses strolling down the main street or passing through a food truck park, islanders riding horses in a choppy trot up hilly, narrow streets. Their omnipresence feels like a return to a simpler time. Learn all about them here<\/a>; it\u2019s hilarious! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7_horses-1024x1011.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/27_horses-1024x669.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1_horse-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe also saw many roosters, a couple of wild pigs, a couple of huge green iguanas, and countless snowy egrets, pelicans, and other seabirds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Up next in Part 2 … Beaches, spectacular snorkeling, and the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Who would expect to have to stop for wandering horses when driving along a dirt road on a Caribbean island? Or to see swirls of neon blue when you dip your kayak paddle into an inky bay at night? Or to see a cluster of plants and rocks on the seafloor start moving, only to … <\/p>\n