Hoping to do some horseback riding on upcoming anniversary trip. For those who have been: was it worth it? Any recommendations on company based on prices, locations and time slots available? Anyone with regrets about this? Is it worth it to give up beach time for this activity?

Hi everyone - thank you for all the advice on this board and on the PR board. We visited Vieques last month and stayed there for a week. I wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone else. For reference we stayed in the northern part of the island - Isabel Segundo.

Getting there - we flew from San Juan using Vieques Air Link. Yes, much more expensive but I didn't want to deal with the ferry. The plane was super tiny!! It was a 30 minute flight and we survived! Luggage can be the regular 50 lbs but you have to pay $2 a pound after 25 lbs. It was pretty pricey for us. So if you have a tight budget, keep it under 25 lbs.

Housing - we stayed at a house rented from VRBO. It looked great on the VRBO site and nearly all of the reviews gave it 5 stars! Had about 60-70 reviews. I thought that was great. Upon arrival it wasn't as nice as the pictures and the AC situation was ok - only had AC in the bedrooms. A few things were not working like lighs and fans. The owner was responsive but it was disappointing. I would have preferred something nicer.

Mosquitos - we lived doused in mosquito repellent. We used the natural kind only and they worked but if we missed a spot or we forgot to put it on, then the mosquitos were all over us. Its no fun having mosquito spray on you all day, every day. In addition, there were lots of tiny bugs outside and inside the house. I'm not sure what they were but it was super annoying - then again, we were in the jungle!

Rental - We rented a vehicle from a local and highly recommend them. The owner was amazing at giving us recommendations and was easily accesible via text. Considering the amount of potholes and unfinished roads I highly recommend a vehicle and not a golf cart. Reach out to Richard at VQS Speed Shop (also known as Vieques Speed Shop) https://www.vqsspeed.shop/

Driving - its perilous! The roads are extremely narrow. We had to drive through the back roads to get to some of the beaches and other areas and many times it was pretty darn scary because they are two way roads but there isn't enough room for two cars! I experienced hills and hairpin turns and prayed every time that there wasn't another car driving fast on the opposite side. A few times there were some close calls.

Roads - the roads are in terrible disrepair. I live in NJ and we are always complaining about the roads here but wow, I was so glad to be back in NJ! There are many large potholes and you need to becareful when driving. Some roads are not paved also. Once in a while we would drive and see road markings and modern roads which was nice to see! Driving to La Chiva was an experience! Road was not finished and super bumpy.

Church - Being Catholic we needed to find a church for our Sunday obligation. Yes, you should go to mass on vacation! We went to Parroquia Santiago Apostol e Inmaculada Conception. Its in Isabel Segunda, right in the middle of town. They have Sunday mass at 11am. That's it! Its a beautiful little church. Had no AC so it was open air and quite warm. We really, really enjoyed it (and by "we", I mean "me" only). https://www.facebook.com/people/Parroquia-Santiago-Ap%C3%B3stol-e-Inmaculada-Concepci%C3%B3n-Vieques/100069538903167/

Horses and more horses - they're everywhere! It was like living in a giant farm! Chickens are everywhere too. They're on the roads, on the beaches, everywhere. For pet lovers- cock fighting is a thing there! That was truly surprising to see but its very much a part of their life.

Food - delicious. We didn't eat out a lot but the few places we went to had amazing food. We purchased groceries at the local grocery store - its not like the U.S. though. You are not goig to find a brighly lit Shoprite with lots of aisles but you'll find enough food to cook. We shopped at Family Market and Supermercado Morales.

Locals - easily the most helpful and kind people I've ever met! Pretty much anyone we met always gave us recommendations and were extremely kind. Truly enjoyed the locals. They are very loyal to the island specially those who have a family history there. It was great to hear their stories and their perspective of their home land.

Beaches - Many had beautiful clear water with little to no waves. Water was warm and easily to get into. It was like swimming in a giant pool. We were often the only ones at the beaches. Not much of sand real estate and they were not maintained. We never needed an umbrella because we could just sit under a tree or large bush and there was shade. Some beaches had a nasty sewer smell but that's kinda how it is. We went to La Chiva (#15 (its stinky but nice water)), Sun Bay, Caracas, Sea Glass beach (no sea glass lol), Bastimento. My favorite was Sun Bay - that has more sand and beautiful palm trees. That beach also had horses that wanted our food - so keep your food well hidden. There are no food vendors and no boardwalk! So be prepared and bring food and drinks!! Many had no parking lots like in the U.S. You just find a nook and park wherever you can. Very rustic! I used this website to get info on the various beaches https://www.viequesbeachmap.com/

Favorite places - the Ceiba tree! Its beautiful!! Its not just a tree!! Its an amazing natural wonder that everyone should see! Highligh recommend it. Crab Island distillery - that was fun! They have their own rum so make room in your luggage for it. Biobay - that was pretty neat! Go on a night with no moon otherwise its not worth it. It was muddy and messy but overall a pretty cool experience. We went to Finca Victoria for massages and it was well worth it. Its also in the jungle but the grounds were well curated. It was nice to walk around. Highly recommend it for couples.

Honest thoughts - The reason we chose Vieques is because everyone says how beautiful it is and that you need more than a few days there. I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I mean no disrespect to the locals. The island is a giant jungle and farm. It is not "built up" like the Bahamas or places like Tulum. It is very much still in its very, very natural state. If you like jungle and adventure then this is for you but its not for everyone. We stayed in the northern part of the island (Isabel Segundo) which is not built up at all. We travelled through parts of the island and saw much of the same. The homes are either abandoned or in disrepair. It was sad to see. I think a recent hurrican really battered the island and not much got rebuilt. We even went to the southern part of the island (Esperanza, Malecon) to where the tourists are but it really wasn't any better. Again, this is my view and some may disagree but I think its important to voice all perspetives. One of the locals told us that the main island treats Vieques like the U.S. treats the main island (yikes). I don't think they get much help from the big island in terms of funding or infrastructure maintenance and that's pretty obvious.

Overall - I'm glad we went and had the experience! We took lots of pictures with horses and chickens. While there I read about the history of the island and its truly amazing. I recommend reading about it if you can, specially how the locals feel about tourism, the Navy, the big island. I recommend talking to the locals too - they are the best sources of their history. I loved doing that.

Anywhere on island? Tried the pharmacy.

Is midsize SUV ok for Vieques? As far as driving to beaches etc? Or is a Jeep really a necessity?

Espanol

Voy a visitar Vieques y tengo curiosidad por saber más sobre los viequenses y la comida local de allí. No me refiero a restaurantes ni a comida puertorriqueña como mofongo, alcapurrias, etc. Me refiero a algo más único y particular de La Nena.

Estoy pensando quizás en arepas o domplines, pero sé que en Luquillo hacen mucho las arepas de coco con habichuela, así que no sé si eso se originó en Vieques o qué. 😂

Me interesa muchísimo la antropología de la comida, así que me encantaría conocer más sobre la cultura e historia alimentaria de Vieques. Y, para ser honesta, no he encontrado mucho sobre esto en internet. Si hay viequenses por aquí o alguien que conozca bien la comida tradicional de la isla, los leo!

English

horror

Hello! My family and I are going to be in Vieques during the winter. We are celebrating a few birthdays. We will be there for 4+ nights and plan on visiting lots on the island but does anyone have recommendations to make this birthday super special for the 4 being celebrated?! Who can we rent silly decorations from or what would you recommend? Anything at all would be appreciated! Thanks!

Buenas! La semana que viene voy a estar en vieques con mi pareja, y planeo en proponer! Quería saber si tienen recomendaciones para restaurantes en la isla tipo sit-down con table service..? Originalmente planeaba hacer reservaciones en el restaurante El Quenepo pero sale como “temporarily closed” en google maps. Sé que muchos de los restaurantes en la isla son bien playeros, which I look forward to, pero quería saber si hay un sitio un poquito mas up-scale para esa noche que pueda llamar y hacer reservaciones, etc. Y si no, pues cualquier lugar rico. Gracias por la ayuda!

Update: Taverna is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you all for the recs, def gunna hit up the other spots that are mentioned in the comments ❤️

Looking to spend a week on the island for my honeymoon. Was looking at Airbnbs but also looking at Hix House and Finca Victoria. Would those two be good for a honeymoon? Does Finca only serve vegan food? We want chill but decently private.

We are in Vieques and despite wearing sunblock my daughter already got sunburnt :(. I gave her a moisturizer which has helped her but I wanted to get something else that is natural. Thinking of aloe vera. Anything I can buy from the local supermarkets that the locals would recommend? Would love an aloe vera plant right now.

Can you have 2 kids with you in a kayak for a biobay tour? Traveling with two 5 year olds and a 7 year old. 2 adults. Curiius if any kayak allows 3 people?

We are travelling to Vieques and I'm trying to decide if we should rent a car to go to the various beaches or pay for beach tours. The beach tours are very pricey so I'm inclined to rent a car and just travel to the beaches on our own. Car rental is also very expensive but not as much as the tours. Is there a benefit to paying someone to take you to a beach in Vieques? Are they difficult to get to? I was planning on going to Caracas, Sunbay, Esperanza and Sea Glass.

Where would you recommend for a sunset? Any specific beaches or restaurants? I heard el bloc hotel.

Hello - we are travelling to Vieques in two weeks and looking for reputable tour companies. What do you recommend?? We would like ideas on what to do - so far we are thinking the bio bay, snorkeling, culebra, getting sea glass, eating delish puerto rican food, anything else that is a must do??

Hi- we are going to Vieques in August and are planning to go kayaking at mosquito Bay to experience the bioluminescence. We know what day we are going because we have to fly back two days later.

How far in advance do we need to book a kayaking tour? We don’t want to miss out on this experience so we need to book an advance if we would like to do that ahead of time. TIA!

Hi,

My partner and I will be visiting Vieques during the first week of August, and we are considering booking a horseback-riding experience with Esperanza Riding Company for two adults.

If you have gone with them before, how was your experience? I would especially love to know whether the tour felt worth the price.

Also, do they ever offer promo codes, referral discounts, seasonal deals, or any booking tips that could help us save a little?

Thank you so much!

Looks like they're all booked up from the major websites over the July 4 long weekend.

Anyone know if it's possible to book them after I land on 7/2 or 7/3?

Are there any bookstores or libraries that I can grab a few books to read while I'm here?

Manifested the HECK out of this trip!!! Finally FINALLY found a red piece. Today’s haul was from between La Chata & Bastimento beaches. I wanted to do more, but I grossly miscalculated how long I was out and got sooo sunburnt 🤦🏼‍♀️🦞 at least it was at the end of my trip though!!