We took an amazing trip to a small island off of Puerto Rico called Vieques.  We’ve always wanted to visit the island but felt that we needed more then a week so we took advantage during spring break this year.   Our kids had a day off the Friday before so we decided to take them out of school on Thursday to make our spring break a 10 day vacation.  Boy was the trip worth it!

To get to Vieques you can either take a 15 minute flight from San Juan airport or drive to Fajardo and take a ferry.  We decided to take the short flight over since we wanted to get there as soon as possible and also heard that the ferry can be difficult.  The plane was a small 6 passenger propeller airplane.  The view from the air was breathtaking!  You fly by El Yunque Rainforest which is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. Forest Service and is a must see from air and ground.

Once arriving on the island we noticed a lot of wild horses roaming around the island.  The locals are friendly and enjoy engaging with the tourists.  The food is simply amazing.  We ventured out of the hotel so we could enjoy real local home cooked meals.

Where We Stayed

Although there are a lot of small hotels in the island the only well known one is The W Hotel.   We were a little nervous since people I talked to were  concerned that we were taking 2 kids to an adult resort which simply is not the case.  We were excited to see a bunch of kids running around the hotel once we got there.  They even have a family pool and a adult pool side by side.  We were happy to see a kids menu as well (yay) since our kids are picky eaters!  We decided to rent a Jeep and explore the island since we knew it would get expensive having 3 meals a day at the hotel.

History

Vieques was a bombing station for the US Navy up until 2003.  The island was internationally known because of the protests for the Navy to free the island and give it back to the locals.  Certain areas on the island are still prohibited due to possible unexploded ordinance.  There were also cluster bombs and depleted uranium used so there is a lot of clean up work to do on much of the island.  However an entire section of the southern side of the island has been cleaned up and there are at least 5 beaches that are pristine and part of a natural preserve.  These are some of the finest beaches we have seen in the Caribbean.  See below for further details.

A must see is the Forte Conde De Mirasol Museum which displays the history and the struggle the people of Vieques have endured to free the island from the US Navy.  My son and daughter thought it was the coolest thing!

What To Do

There is plenty to do in Vieques.  The Bioluminescence Bay is a must but, I must worn you about the mosquitos and no see-ums-they are awful! My daughter and I were covered with bites all over our body but it was worth it.  Our guide suggested Eco friendly bug spray so as not to harm the water.  Full clothing is suggested as well.  The bay is beautiful and even though we had an almost full moon our guides manage to get us out there and see how magical the water can be.  I think it’s one of those once in a life time experiences!

We also went horse back riding which I suggest to do early morning since it gets really hot by mid day.  The view was incredible!  Esperanza Riding Company was the company we used.  Their horses were beautiful and smart!  Our guide even stopped to take a photo of us.

Of course you can’t forget about the beaches! Still referred to their Navy names;  Red beach,  Blue beach and Green beach, they are considered some of the top beaches in the Caribbean for their beautiful sand and blue colored waters.  Some beaches were calm and others had rough waves but overall, this is the south side of the island so it is calmer than the Atlantic side on the North.

OverAll

This was one of our favorite trips!  With so much natural activity, great food and sightseeing I can’t wait to go back.  We even dream and look at properties in Vieques, that’s how much we loved it!   I hope you get a chance to experience all the beauty this island has to offer.