Vieques is best known internationally as the site of a series of protests against the United States Navy's use of the island as a bombing range and testing ground, which eventually led to the Navy's departure in 2003. Today the former Navy land is a national wildlife refuge, with numerous beaches that still retain the names given by the Navy, including Red Beach, Blue Beach, Green Beach and others. The beaches are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean for their azure-colored waters and white sands.
For sixty years the majority of Vieques was closed off by the US Navy, and the island remained almost entirely undeveloped for tourism. This lack of development is now marketed as a key attraction for those looking for an inexpensive Puerto Rico vacation. Vieques is promoted under an ecotourism banner as a sleepy, unspoiled island of rural 'old world' charm and pristine deserted beaches, and is rapidly becoming a popular destination.
Snorkeling is excellent, especially at Blue Beach (Bahia de la Chiva). Aside from archeological sites, such as La Hueca, and deserted beaches, a unique feature of Vieques is the presence of two pristine bioluminescent bays, including Mosquito Bay. Vieques is also famous for its feral horses, which roam free over parts of the island. These are descended from stock originally brought by European colonizers.
"Great beaches and people! The locals would offer to pick us up if we were walking, and always offered that we could call them if we had any problems. Wild horses on the roads were cool to see. Signs are lacking in many areas, so ask for directions. You'll need a rental car to get around if you want to see the entire island. Esperanza has the best restaurants (on the Malecon). Must go to the bio bay! Amazing!"
Weather: Vieques has a warm, relatively dry, tropical to sub-tropical climate. Temperatures vary little throughout the year, with average daily maxima ranging from 82 F (28 C) in January to 87 F (31 C) in July. Average daily minima are about 10 F (6 C) lower. Rainfall averages around 45 to 55 inches (1150 to 1400 mm) per year, with the months of May and September - November being the wettest. The west of the island receives significantly more rainfall than the east. Prevailing winds are easterly. Vieques is prone to tropical storms and at risk from hurricanes from June to November. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo caused considerable damage to the island.
Currency: US Dollar
Famous People:
Jaime Benitez Rexach, educator, politician and humanist
Juan Francisco Luis, Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands (1978-1987)
Esther Mari, television and film actress
Germán Rieckehoff Sampayo, a renowned president of the Puerto Rican Olympic committee.
Rafael Rivera Castaño, physician and Public Health pioneer
Vieques role in US Defense - History on how the United States Navy and the United Stated Marine Corps use the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF)...
Vieques TV - Many videos to watch about local destinations and businesses on the island...
USAToday: Vintage Vieques - Travelers smitten with this 21-mile-long island off the coast of Puerto Rico love it as much for what it lacks as for what it has...more
Vieques 10 Years After the Bombing Stopped - Ten years ago May 1, the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico and their supporters from around the world defeated the most powerful military machine ever, through mass civil disobedience and without firing a single shot...more
Food and Wine: Caribbean Sleeper - Vieques, the tiny Puerto Rican island, is so sleepy that its guard dogs often doze off in the streets. Writer Susan Choi explores its gorgeous beaches and has one of the best meals of her life...more
Experience the world's clearest bioluminescent bay - Schedule a moonless night for a swim or kayak tour and you'll be greeted by billions of micro-organisms called dinoflagellates that ignite the water with a magical blue-green glow (Aqua Frenzy Kayaks, from $30 per person). It's like swimming in a watercolor painting...more
"Dominica was another stop on our Caribbean cruise. Here's an excerpt from my blog post about our day in Dominica:
The bus departed from the pier at 10:30am and we were en route to our first stop up in the mountains for a hike to a waterfall. As we drove through town, it looked really poor - more than the other places we've visited. During our history lesson of Dominica we learned that the island is 99% volcanic rock and 1% limestone, that there are 17 dormant volcanoes and 365 rivers - one river for every day of the year, and during leap years they find another river, was the joke.
The bus stopped after the 45-minute drive through the mountains, and we were at the entry point of the rain forest for the walk to Spanny's Waterfall. A few people stopped to use the facilities but the rest of the group began their walk through the rain forest - great tour guide, just leaving us to navigate on our own. The walk was roughly 20-minutes and was a pretty substantial hike through the mud. We saw a lot of interesting and colourful plants along the way, but surprisingly no bugs. The waterfall was absolutely beautiful. Could have spent a lot more time there.
Back on the bus, we made our way down the mountain and to Mero Beach, which is a black sand beach. The drive down the mountain was a little easier to handle than the drive up. Baron sure did like to grind the gears, and take the turns pretty fast. The beach was pretty interesting, seeing that I've never been to a black sand beach before. The water looked really murky, but was surprisingly clear - the black sand makes the water clarity deceiving. Because we were with the tour group, we didn't have to pay for the chairs/umbrella, and we were given a free drink at the bar."
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.jpg "Courtesy of OceanIslandTravel.com")
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