Puerto Rico's
Vieques
Puerto Rico / Vieques
What are the SVIs (Spanish Virgin Islands)?
Did you know that Puerto Rico is made up of multiple islands? Vieques and Culebra make up a grouping of islands known colloquially as the Spanish Virgin Islands or SVIs. Our visit to Vieques or “Crab Island” was one of our favorite experiences in Puerto Rico. Vieques lies southeast of mainland Puerto Rico, approximately 20mi/32km long and 5mi/7km wide.
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What happened on the Island of Vieques?
Vieques was occupied by the US military starting in the 1940s. It was used primarily for weapon’s testing and military exercises. But after many years of protest, the military vacated the island in 2003. All the land the military owned is now in possession of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Unfortunately, most of the areas are still closed off as they need to be combed through for unexploded ordinances. On a positive note, this also means the land and magnificent beaches will be preserved for people to enjoy!
Are the horses in Vieques wild?
Something else Vieques is famous for, are their horses! They may seem wild but every horse is owned. They are just rarely corralled. You will see these beauties wandering around the island, swishing their tails and grazing to their heart’s content!
Sailing from Patillas to Vieques.
As we made our way E, we departed Patillas at approximately 0600 for Punta Arena, Vieques. This was my cousin, Kristian’s first experience sailing, and as usual we were beating into 15-20 kts winds right on the nose.
You can imagine, as a “landlubber”, I was quite nervous he would get seasick. Boy did he prove me wrong! Not only did he not get sick, oh no, he slept through most of the sail! That’s what a red eye will do for you! He awoke after we were in the lee of the island, how convenient right? 
Renting A Car
Something important to keep in mind is that upon arrival to the island, you will want to rent a car or golf cart. It is possible to get around the island with “publico” or taxi van. But, if you want to explore any areas outside of Esperanza and Isabel Segundes, you WILL want your own vehicle. Make sure to book early if you can, because it is an island and they frequently sell out.
Playa Punta Arenas
After dropping anchor, we decided to go for a swim as Green Beach, Punta Arenas has a beautiful reef to snorkel. In addition to the reef, you’ll also find ruins! This area was once used to transport sugar cane and as sea levels have risen, some of the tracks are now underwater! Green Beach is also part of Vieques National Wildlife Refuge which is the largest Wildlife Refuge in the Caribbean. Anchoring here will also provide you the perfect place to witness a gorgeous Caribbean sunset.
After a full day of snorkeling, I started making dinner while the boys dinghyed to the NW point of Vieques known as Playa Punta Arenas. This is where the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet. But during their explorations, they were attacked and I mean ATTACKED by every sailor’s bane, the no-see-ums!
Puerto Mosquito
(Bioluminescent Bay)
What exactly is bioluminescence? Well, that beautiful glow comes from microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates which glow blue when agitated. A combination of factors such as, temperature, depth, and lack of modern development provide the perfect environment for these creatures to flourish. Motorized vehicles are greatly discouraged in the area as the fluorocarbons can negatively impact the dinoflagellates. Another thing to be aware of, is swimming is not allowed as bug repellants, lotions can harm this delicate ecosystem. A visit to Puerto Mosquito is best during a new moon phase so the light pollution from the moon is at a minimum. We were able to visit just 3 days after a new moon and even better, the moon was obscured by clouds during those couple hours.
By far the most famous thing about Vieques is the bioluminescent bay! In 2006, the Guiness Book of World Records named Puerto Mosquito the brightest bioluminescent bay in the World. Located on the central Southern Coast adjacent to the city Esperanza, this bay is truly astonishing and MUST be seen!
There are plenty of companies that offer tours of the bay via kayak. But in true GoofyBoots form, we decided to forgo the tour and explore it on our own with our 2 SUPs. The only word to describe this experience is MAGICAL. But of course no adventure is without its difficulties. While we were out in the bay a small squall came through. Although it did not feel small to us! With winds that felt like 20 knots and it lasted approximately 15 minutes, we were paddling as fast and as hard as we could while making no headway. Thankfully, we all stayed afloat on our SUP and after the storm passed, paddled back to where we launched. Whew!
*Sadly, we have no photos of the bioluminescence because it is VERY difficult to capture without specialty equipment. 😞*
Ruins of the Playa Grande Plantation
Vieques was once dominated by a thriving sugar cane industry. The 19th century saw the building and working of the Central Playa Grande Sugar Mill. But, as time progressed, the sugar industry in Puerto Rico declined, and the Central Playa Grande Sugar Mill closed in the 1940s.
What was once the main employer of Vieques has now been claimed by nature as her own. Reminiscent of a dystopian world, the crumbling ruins are now dominated by jungle vines and tropical growth. A visit here will reveal a glimpse into the past with deteriorating brick buildings and even rusting boilers.
It seems that the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust will occasionally do guided tours here. But, we explored these ruins on our own. There is one sign indicating its whereabouts, but after that you are on your own. We even got lost trying to find it! While stumbling along, we actually found some abandoned military bunkers! Now, it seems they are primarily used as a dumping ground, it was quite interesting to explore. Eventually, turning back thinking the ruins were beyond our reach we found them! Literally, minutes from where we parked! If you are able to find them, you are in for a treat. It never fails to impress how resilient nature is and how, in the end, it always wins.
Beaches of Vieques
This island is also well known for its beaches. We aren’t the biggest beach bums in the world but the beaches we did visit did not disappoint. The anchorages of this island are all found on a beach. After leaving Punta Arenas, we made for Sun Bay as this offered good protection. But while this anchorage was quite beautiful and protected, we grew tired of beaching the dinghy. So we moved to the more popular anchorage of Esperanza.
Esperanza Beach
This beach along the Southern coast butts up against the malecón or pier of Esperanza. Along the pier you’ll find hotels, restaurants, bars, hostels, and boutiques. You’ll also find the historic pier where locals jump in the water to cool off and snorkelers seek colorful fish. This is also where we tied up our dinghy each day to access and explore the island.
Sun Bay Beach
This beach is just E of Esperanza Beach and is a favorite amongst locals and families. The only beach on the island with a designated swimming area and facilities. Lined with trees, shade is not hard to find here so it makes the perfect place to have a beach day.
Pata Prieta Beach
This beach, also known as “secret beach” is found in Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. The road to access this beach is not paved and 4-wheel drive is recommended. That being said, we did it without. What awaits you is a small, crescent shaped cove with gentle lapping waves perfect for swimming. Not only that, the rocks on the edges of the cove are teeming with life. Manta Rays are known to frequent this cove especially in the summer months!
Puerto Ferro Lighthouse
This abandoned lighthouse was once a primary navigational aid for ships traversing to and from St. Thomas to the rest of the Caribbean. Building started in 1896 by the Spanish, but construction was halted due to the Spanish-American War. After Puerto Rico was ceded to the US, construction restarted with activation finally occurring in December of 1899. Sadly, after a couple earthquakes in 1925, cracks were found in the lighthouse and it was later abandoned in 1926. All that remains are ruins now, but a visit here will provide a majestic site of the sea crashing against the rocky cliffside.
Crab Island Rum Distillery
The first ever handcrafted distillery on Vieques, is the brainchild of Ivan Torres Ortiz. Opened in 2019, this distillery was the product of many years of hard work and it definitely shows. With a small rum tasting to start, you’ll learn all about this wonderful distillery. We can not recommend this enough!
The best part? Our friends Eric and Jami on SV Oleta joined us for some tasty drinks and Puerto Rican fare. You can follow their adventure here! We always try to support local businesses and boy were we happy we did! This is a MUST SEE while in Vieques. We ended up walking out with a few bottles that we share with new friends along the way.
Ceiba Tree
You’ll find a tree on Vieques that many consider sacred so much so that a nature park was created for it. Over 350 years old, this giant has provided many uses for humans throughout history. The indigenous peoples constructed canoes from the large trunk of the Ceiba tree. The most interesting fact is the seed pods contain a valuable fiber called kapok. Almost pure cellulose, kapok, is more buoyant than cork and lighter than cotton. It was used for life jackets, mattresses, pillows and insulation. It’s no wonder this tree is protected!
Boy were we glad we learned about Vieques! We could have easily spent more days enjoying this magnificent island! It really is a special destination and hopefully after reading this, reinforces the need to check this off YOUR Caribbean bucket list!
