Vieques
Vieques is a Caribbean island belonging to Puerto Rico, also known as Isla Nina or Little Girl Island. It is a relatively small, rural island about 18 miles east of Puerto Rico. It is about 22 miles long and 4 miles wide.
Vieques maintains a rural character, despite increasing tourist interest. Horses and chickens run wild in the streets. Expect to hear chickens and dogs during the night and morning while you're trying to sleep.
Cities
Vieques is an island municipality of Puerto Rico with two main towns.
- Isabel Segunda or Isabel II is where most of the island's population lives. Isabel II is on the northern side of Vieques.
- Esperanza is a smaller town which caters more to tourists. It is on the southern side of the island facing the Caribbean Sea.
Understand
Until May 2003 about one-third of the island was controlled by the US Navy. The US Navy used it as a bombing range and training facility. After the accidental bombing death of viequense David Sanes in 1999,a massive protest and civil disobedience movement sparked in Vieques and in the mainland. Reports of environmental contamination and high percentages of cancer compared to PR mainland caused great concern. The Navy left the island for good in 2003 and the land was turned over to the US Department of the Interior for environmental clean up.
Get In
Vieques has ferry service several times a day from Fajardo and once a day on weekdays to Culebra. It is also serviced by an airport with service to Fajardo and the Isla Grande and LMM international airports in San Jaun.
The ferry from Fajardo will cost about $2 per person and takes about 1 hour. Airfare from San Juan runs between $50 - $90 per person and the flight lasts about 15 minutes.
See
- Esperanza's tourist attractions are mostly arranged along "The Strip". Here you will find *Banana's*, the first guesthouse on the island. There is also a small museum.
- Isabel Segunda has the last Spanish fort built in the Caribbean (an interesting contrast to El Morro in San Jaun).
Sleep
- Wyndham Martineau Bay Resort & Spa, State Road 200, Km 3.4, =>. Located on the north shore of the island and close to plenty of activities such as horseback riding, snorkeling, or just lying on pristine beaches.