Venture into Vieques!
If
you’re like me, you’ve never heard of Vieques, but I guess that I’s been a
favorite stop for people “in the know” for some time. I found out about it
because we were heading for Puerto Rico, en route to Nevis, West Indies, and
I wondered what all we could do there. Both Vieques and Culembra (with one
of the US’s top 10 beaches) are favorite escapes for Puerto Rico’s citizens.
And I can see why…for about $15, you can ride the ferry from Puerto Rico to
either island. Because of the time it takes to get from the San Juan International
airport to the ferry stop (watch out for traffic—and a taxi ride for a family
can be about $150), we rode on a tiny charter plane called Vieques Air.
Vieques Air is a very low-key operation. The same guy who takes your luggage
(and usually they’ll charge you for anything over 25 lbs, but they didn’t
for us), will take your ticket stubs at a tiny corner gate. We climbed aboard
and made the short hop over the water to Vieques, and our stay at Inn
at the Waves, on the north shore. Ian Macintosh runs a lovely villa there,
with three spacious condos, perfectly maintained grounds, a pool and access
to a beach that offers terrific snorkeling. It’s a bit hard to find, so take
down good directions and pay attention to landmarks. Ian directed us to a
good grocery store and we left to get our provisions for our four-night stay
(he usually only rents by the week, but if he has room, he might accept your
reservation).
One
of the main reasons we chose to go to Vieques is because they offer the world’s
best bioluminescent bay, a fabulous experience for anyone! Pay attention to
the moon’s cycle, because if the moon is too full, they won’t be running trips.
We only had one possible night we could go, and we were so glad we did! We
drove over to the other side of the island to meet up with Island
Adventures, and shared some nachos and a drink before we left on the tour.
The company takes you by bus to Mosquito Bay and then out on a pontoon boat.
You learn what factors help this bay—and its bioluminescence—to flourish and
our guide was pointing out constellations with a hand-held lazer our 5-year-old
wanted to steal. In the middle of it, they stop, letting you get out and swim
for about 20 minutes. It’s otherworldly…the bioluminescent algae (invisible
to the naked eye during daylight hours), glow every time you move. Everyone
looks like space aliens and even fish and boat waves glow with a neon blue!
Our kids (13, 10 and 5) were a little nervous about getting in the water at
night, especially with jellyfish possibly being about, but we coaxed them
in and it is now a favorite memory for them. (No jellyfish stings on our trip,
and there were about 40 people!)
Other
than that, we hung out for two days at the fantastic Green Beach, where you
have a fantastic view of Puerto Rico. You take a VERY rough dirt road that
isn’t clearly marked, but just keep moving; the good part about an island
is that you can’t get too lost! There is lovely snorkeling and beaches here,
too. A 4-wheel drive with good clearance is worth the extra bucks here. And
make sure you pack food and beverages in a cooler so you can settle in and
enjoy for hours. (Lawn chairs and floating devices are nice too!)
| Warning: We parked and walked down to one beach and came upon a couple…ahem…"coupling." Send a parent scout down first! |
We never ate out, electing to make all our own meals. But it was a great stay
and one we’d recommend to other families, especially those heading to Puerto
Rico. Don’t just stay on PR! Venture out beyond!