Vieques baby!
Written: Sep 24 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesome beaches, beautiful scenery, easy to get to/from main island
Cons: Must rent a car, protesters may mess up your travel plans
The Bottom Line: Paradise next to a bombing range. Say what??
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| pprintz's Full Review: Puerto Rico |
Vieques has got to be the most talked about little island on this planet. As the news of protester arrests on the island's bombing range made national headlines earlier this year, the only remarkable outcome of this unprecedented media coverage was the fact that 5% of the American public can now spell Vieques correctly, up from about 0.01% a year ago. Apart from their educational value, the news stories did little to help the island's floundering tourist industry. From anonymity to infamy and stereotypes, Vieques just can't seem to get a fair deal. "Where did you go on vacation?" "Vieques." "Wow. What was it like? Were you ok?" (I notice a concerned look on my colleague's face). "Yeah, I had a fantastic time!" -- I answer without hesitation.
Our morning ride from San Juan to Fajardo lasted a pleasant 40 minutes and cost $60. Our cab driver, upon learning that we were heading to Vieques, declared categorically: "Vieques has the best beaches in Puerto Rico." That was cool with us. San Juan was fun for a few days but we wanted to get away from it all and an escape to Vieques sounded like a great idea. Luckily, everything is very near in Puerto Rico. The island of Vieques is no exception -- it lies only a few miles to the south east of Puerto Rico. There are two ways to get there: by air and by ferry. You can fly directly out of San Juan (it takes only 20 minutes) or Fajardo (a small town on the main island's eastern tip -- a mere 7-minute flight). We opted for a bumpier ride on one of the ferries that leaves from Fajardo for Vieques four times each day. Just under an hour, it was also a mercifully short trip. A word of advice here: as the people start boarding the ferry and rush for the seats, head to the open air deck and take seats in the middle section (unless you want to get wet). The inside cabin was stuffy and filthy.
Our ferry dropped us off in Isabelle Segunda, a fishing village and a local port on the northern side of Vieques. Since most hotels and pristine beaches are strewn along the southern shore, we needed a ride to get to the other side of the island. We did not have a problem finding someone to take use there. There were a few publicos waiting for the ferry passengers -- these are vans operating as local taxis which can take you pretty much anywhere on the island for under $10. Another word of advice: rent a jeep which is by far the best way to get around the island and to get to those hard-to-find beaches.
We arrived in Hacienda Tamarindo, a beautiful B&B inn which looked a lot like a stylish Spanish villa. Located on a hilltop one mile away from Esperanza (a fishing village on the southern shore and a major tourist hangout), it is perhaps the best place to stay on the island. The view from our room was, as they say, breathtaking: the ocean, palm trees and a group of smaller islands in the distance. We also had a private patio which was perfect for sharing a bottle of fine wine in the early dusk hours. And then there was the lighted pool open late into the night, where you can just lie on your back and stare up at the stars. It was a perfect abode for a couple stranded on the island, and it was air-conditioned too! The staff at the Hacienda were most helpful. Our $170 room rate included a delicious breakfast in the morning. They also have an honor bar and can pack your lunch in a coolpack which comes in handy when you get hungry on some far away beach.
We arrived in Vieques in June 2001. By that time the protesters were gone, but so were the tourists. I was still getting over the fact that Al Sharpton got a free ride back home to New York. But the moment we stepped on the Sun Bay Beach (just outside of Esperanza), I realized that it would be very hard to leave this paradise. It is perhaps the island's most popular beach. But "popular" is an overstatement. Picture a mile long stretch of sand, turquoise water and NO ONE else around. Well, there was another couple about a football field away from us but that was it. Not just paradise, but your own private paradise.
While on the island, make sure you take a trip to the bio bay. You must experience swimming in bioluminiscent water at night -- you whole body will glow in the dark water. One thing the tour operators don't tell you until you board their boat is that there is a 70% chance that you will be bitten by jelly fish. I was and I have never been the same since (if you believe my girlfriend). So be prepared to pay the price for the fun.
Food choices are limited but you won't go hungry on this island. The Inn on the Blue Horizon just down the road from the Hacienda is home to the best restaurant on the island -- Cafe Blu. It's pricey (our dinner cost $230 for two, including a $50 bottle of champagne) but satisfying. The Bananas guest house in Esperanza serves good cheap food in their outdoor restaurant facing the ocean.
For more information about Vieques, check out these two websites which I found most helpful when planning my trip:
http://www.islavieques.com/vieques.html
http://www.enchanted-isle.com/vieques/
For reservations and more information about Hacienda Tamarindo, go to their website at:
http://www.islavieques.com/tamarindofront.html
Final tip -- call well ahead of your travel dates and specify if you want a room facing the ocean, on the top floor and air-conditioned (some of them are not).
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
pprintz
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Location: NYC
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
27 yrs. | male
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