By air
Antonio Rivera Rodríguez (VQS), a short flight from San Juan; the ferry sails from Ceiba
North America · Puerto Rico
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Wild horses and a glowing bay
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April; the bioluminescent bay is best on moonless nights
Don't miss
Mosquito Bay
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge
Playa Caracas
Sun Bay
Fortín Conde de Mirasol
Esperanza
Playa Negra
Things to do
A kayak on Mosquito Bay at night
Beach-hopping in the wildlife refuge
Snorkelling
Horse riding
The fort at Isabel Segunda
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
What to pack
Reef shoes, a dark-coloured swimsuit for the bio bay, cash, a rental jeep booking
A quieter corner
Playa Negra, a black-sand beach reached by a short walk down a dry streambed
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Vieques?
December to April; the bioluminescent bay is best on moonless nights. What to pack: Reef shoes, a dark-coloured swimsuit for the bio bay, cash, a rental jeep booking.
How do I get to Vieques?
Fly into Antonio Rivera Rodríguez (VQS), a short flight from San Juan; the ferry sails from Ceiba.
What is there to do in Vieques?
A kayak on Mosquito Bay at night, beach-hopping in the wildlife refuge, snorkelling, horse riding, the fort at Isabel Segunda. A quieter find: Playa Negra, a black-sand beach reached by a short walk down a dry streambed.
What should I eat in Vieques?
Fresh fish and lobster, mofongo, empanadillas, rum cocktails, fruit from roadside stands.
About Vieques
- Island
- Coastal
Where it is
Vieques is an island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, about thirteen kilometres across the Vieques Passage, with two small towns and a long protected shoreline.
History
Settled by the Spanish in the nineteenth century around sugar plantations, Vieques had much of its land taken by the US Navy in the 1940s for training grounds, which were used until protests ended the exercises in the early 2000s. The former naval land became a national wildlife refuge, which is why its beaches are so undeveloped.
People
Around nine thousand viequenses live from fishing, tourism and small farms; the island's free-roaming horses belong to families who leave them to graze, and life moves slowly.
Known for
- Mosquito Bay's bioluminescence
- Wild horses on the roads
- Empty refuge beaches
- Esperanza's seafront
Did you know?
Mosquito Bay is often ranked the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.