Puerto Rico - Day 3/4 - Beautiful Island of Vieques

Vieques is an island off the east coast of Puerto Rico, a scenic ferry ride away.  It is possible to fly there, but it was much cheaper to ride the ferry.  They have a huge parking lot at the ferry port which is very affordable.  I couldn't take my rental car, so I left it on the mainland. As the ferry neared the island it was clear just how beautiful it was!  

One of the first things I noticed were horses walking along the streets!  Most articles I read said the horses were wild, but the owners of the little hotel I stayed in said they are owned by people on the island, they just let them roam around freely.  Many time I saw horses grazing alongside the roads, walking on the streets, and walking on the sidewalks!  There were also chickens everywhere.  One day while driving along a deserted stretch of road I saw a few chickens and roosters standing beneath a tree next to the road.  I decided to get out and take pictures of them.  By the time I got around to the back of my car chickens and roosters were pouring out of the vegetation in the background.  It was quite funny!

The ferry dropped me off on the north side of Vieques, and I walked a short distance to pick up the car rental.  Based on what I read beforehand I rented a jeep, but I found this unnecessary.  The owners of the inn where I stayed said it makes sense to rent a golf cart (the island is pretty small). One thing to note is that gas stations expected payment in advance; this was challenging since I had no idea how much I needed!

Once I picked up my car I navigated through the tiny, narrow streets and made my way south to Esperanza, where I would spend the night.  My accommodations were at The Vieques Guesthouse, which was right across the street from the beach.  The room was very spacious, and the owners were very gracious.  They gave me lots of ideas for things to do on the island!  On the top of the building was a patio with amazing water views. The owner told me of a path right across the street to a beach where she finds a lot of sea glass.  I walked the short distance, and found a handful within minutes!  They also served breakfast and had many cold and hot options to choose from. I highly recommend this property for your stay there. Click here for more information about The Vieques Guesthouse.  Let them know I sent you!

There were several restaurants within walking distance of my hotel along with a few shops.  I found a nice restaurant with a view of the water to eat dinner before I met my excursion company.  My main purpose for coming to Vieques was to kayak in Mosquito Bay, the brightest bio-luminescent bay in the world.  I met my guide outside the restaurant and he took us to the bay.  It was quite dark, which is what you want, and I was hoping I wouldn’t be weirded out by being on water in the dark! 

Once we got into the kayaks we made our way north, paddling along.  I noticed underneath my clear-bottomed kayak it appeared as though thousands of stars were passing beneath me.  The bio-luminescence!  We stopped at a certain point, and our guide was telling us more information about the bay.  He told us to bang our paddles on the kayak, and once we did so the fish were darting away.  You could clearly see the outline of the fish, and it was so cool! I wish I could have gotten a picture of it, but our guide said that it takes a special camera to catch it.  What an experience!  Click here for more information about Mosquito Bay.

The next day I visited Black Beach.  There is a small parking area where the path begins to the beach, and about a ¼ mile walk to get there.  The path was mostly shaded, which was nice.  Once I got to the beach I discovered that what caused the black "sand" were minerals. It was a very nice beach, and I hung out for a few minutes enjoying the view.

I visited several recommended beaches on the island, and they were all beautiful, but after a short time, they all started to look the same!  I made my way back to Esperanza Beach, where I found so much sea glass I could be picky about what I chose.  I spent over an hour there.  Not only was the sea glass beautiful and plentiful, but the water views were amazing, too!

While driving around the island I came across a massive banyan tree.  This thing was huge!

Finally, I made my way back to the ferry port for my return to Puerto Rico’s mainland.  I had plenty of time waiting for the ferry to arrive to chicken watch in the waiting area.  Later, as they moved us into the queue for the ferry, I could see barracuda hanging out by the pier.  Yikes!

If you are looking for a very laid back vacation with amazing beaches, Vieques would be a great destination.  Everything is chill and relaxed. Click here for more information about Vieques, Puerto Rico