Things to Do
- Consult:
- https://viequesinsider.com/ (This was a publication in print, and then online. Sections are still very useful, and the online version will be returning soon.)
- Pristine, beautiful beaches rim the island – a new one for everyday! Snorkeling is good off most beaches.
- Esperanza waterfront offers a local beach with kayaking to the island off the Malecon and good snorkeling under the piers.
- Sun Bay, the main beach on the island, is accessible by foot from the Esperanza waterfront. Paso Fino horses graze in the fields near the beach and wander along the paths.
- The U.S. Department of Interior maintains the 8 beaches off Garcia Gate.
- Horse-back riding on the beaches is available from the center of Esperanza, along with snorkeling, kayaking, diving, fishing, trekking to the sugar plantation ruins to the west of Esperanza.
- The Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (VCHT) is located on the Malecon.
- It offers exhibits of archaeological finds from the many earlier inhabitants of the island
- It sponsors historical tours and house tours.
- Visit: https://www.vcht.org/about_us
- The Bio Bay (for “bioluminescent bay”) is the main attraction for evening tours; watch microorganisms light up at night when touched! (The Biobay is very close to Esperanza; tours start and leave from town and enter through the Sun Bay gate.)
- No tours are offered around the time of a Full Moon. (Check your calendar if you are only planning on staying on Vieques for a few days.)
- Advance booking is recommended
- Fishing tours run from Esperanza daily. (Advance booking recommended at peak times of the year.
- Golf: There are no golf courses on Vieques, but many residents take the 5 minute flight from Vieques to Ceiba and then play on one of the several courses in the Fajardo area. (See "Travel to Vieques" In this section for flight directions.)
- Baseball teams in the adult island leagues often play nightly on the large field in the center of Esperanza, complete with announcer, refreshments, and good cheer. Stop and watch and join the fun on your stroll home from the Malecon!
- Sipping a coffee or a Medalla (pronounced, “Ma-dye-ah”), the local beer, on the front deck of one of the Malecon cafés and watching the sun on the water is a pastime to be enjoyed at any time of the day!
- For young children, there is a playground in the park in the center of town...if the beach is not enough!
- To learn more about the island's history, you can visit the fort and the lighthouse in the Isabelle Secunda, near the ferry.
- Periodic art show openings, at the fort or other galleries on the island, are open to all and announced in Vieques Events.