15 Best Beaches on Vieques Island You Need to Visit

Every winter while spending a month or two on the west coast of Puerto Rico, in Rincon, Brent and I like to discover a new part of the beautiful Caribbean island. This time around I really wanted to visit the Island of Vieques located off the east coast of mainland Puerto Rico.

My mission: discover all of the best beaches on Vieques and learn more about the Island which is a part of the archipelago of Puerto Rico.

In the 1940’s the United States Military purchased more than half of the island of Vieques! It was used as a testing site for bombs and missiles.

Since May 1, 2003 the area previously occupied by the US Military is now part of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge! Some of the best beaches in Vieques are in the Wildlife Refuge – keep reading to find out which Vieques beaches make the list!

Planning a trip to Puerto Rico? Read my other guides for bar hopping in Old San Juan, visiting Flamenco Beach on Isla Culebra and Full Travel Guides to Rincon!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Have you been wondering which Puerto Rican island is better? Read my guide: Vieques vs. Culebra to find out!

Getting to and around Vieques Island, Puerto Rico

How do you get to Vieques Island?

To get to the island of Vieques you have two options: fly or take a ferry.

You can fly from Cieba or San Juan’s Isla Grande airport on Vieques Air Link on a small propeller Cessna plane. The flight only takes fifteen minutes and lands at Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport on the north side of Vieques near Isabel Segundo.

Your other, and more affordable option, is to take the Ferry for $2.00 each way from the Cieba Ferry Terminal. The Ferry ride is only 30 minutes and is on a nice and comfortable boat that docks right in Isabel Segunda. Purchase Ferry tickets here.

Pro Tip: on the ferry booking site they only sell a certain amount of tickets online. Don’t let that scare you – you can easily buy a ticket at the window when you get to the ferry terminal. I suggest arriving at least 30 minutes prior to departure and give yourself an hour if you have to park your car.

Renting a Car on Vieques Island (or Golf Cart)

Vieques isn’t a huge island but it is spread out and you will definitely want a mode of transportation. I highly suggest renting a Jeep for your time on Vieques especially if you want to explore the Vieques National Wildlife Rufuge.

You can also opt to rent a golf cart, however, if you want to be able to reach all of the beaches on Vieques you’ll want a 4×4 to drive down all the dirt roads – plus its fun! We rented our Jeep from Vieques Car Rental. They picked us up from the ferry and dropped us back off at the end of our rental!

Why are there so many horses roaming around Vieques?

You won’t really get it until you’re on Vieques but the horses are EVERYWHERE! There will be clusters of horses on the side of the road (so be careful!) and a random horse or two might come visit you at the beach.

Also, the horses aren’t so much wild but free range. According to our taxi driver all the horses have owners on the island who let them graze.

15 Best Beaches in Vieques, Puerto Rico

1. La Chiva / Blue Beach

This was our first stop within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. Playa La Chiva (or Blue Beach) is a large bay with crystal clear water that is so blue!

For parking there are many many places to pull off and park along the beach that are numbered. For a sandy bottom we pulled off at parking number 7. We felt like we were the only people on the beach.

For snorkeling keep going towards the higher parking numbers! This is one of the best snorkeling beaches in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

2. Playa Caracas / Red Beach

This was one of our top 3 favorite Vieques beaches. Playa Caracas was what you think of when you think of a perfect Caribbean beach.

The water was calm, the sand was soft, and there was some snorkeling to be done too! We spent the most time here for the chill atmosphere and the beautiful landscape.

Location here.

3. Sun Bay

This is the town beach, or balneario – and although super touristy, it really is one of the most beautiful beaches on Vieques. There are picnic tables, a cafe and plenty of palm trees which makes this beach popular with locals and tourists alike.

When we went to Sun Bay we drove all the way to the left of the bay where there were only a few boats. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful tranquil scene.

Sun Bay would be a great option to bring kids to. It has accessible parking, bathrooms, food and calm water for swimming.

Location here.

4. Punta Arenas / Green Beach

Punta Arenas takes spot number one for the best Vieques beaches. Punta Arenas is a good 40 minute drive from Esperanza town and most of it is down a dirt road (you’ll want a Jeep or 4×4 for this drive!).

When you get to the point you can go left or right. Go left for some of the best snorkeling on Vieques and go right for the most beautiful calm cove with the island of Puerto Rico as your backdrop. The lush jungle comes right up to to the beach making this remote beach a perfect paradise.

Location here.

5. Playa Esperanza

Playa Esperanza is right in Esperanza town in front of the malecón. This beach is a perfectly mellow beach with easy access to food and drinks at the nearby bars and restaurants. There is also a fishing pier!

I would probably pick a different beach to hang out at for the day – but don’t miss a sunset here with a tropical beverage in your hand!

Location here.

6. Mosquito Pier

We didn’t have time to visit Mosquito Pier while on our quest to find the best beaches on Vieques – but we did hear that the pier has some of the best diving snorkeling on the island.

Mosquito Pier is located on the northern coast of Vieques and should definitely top your list of things to do in Vieques, Puerto Rico if you love snorkeling.

Location here.

7. Playa Negra

Vieques’ only black sand beach! If you’ve never seen a black sand beach this is definitely worth checking out! Unfortunately, we didn’t get a photograph of playa Negra – so if you go please send us a photo!!! You’ll have to park up at the road and take a trail down to Playa Negra.

Location to trail head here.

8. Media Luna Beach

Media Luna Beach is just one bay over from large Sun Bay Beach. This half moon shaped beach has white sand, calm blue waters and shade from a palm lined shore. There is a also a reef to snorkel at on the left side of the beach!

Location here.

9. Navio Beach

Into boogie boarding or body surfing? This is the beach you want to be at on the right swell direction to catch some waves. A small but beautiful beach with white sand, blue ocean water and sometimes waves.

Location here.

10. Playa Escondida

While in the National Wildlife Refuge on Vieques we decided to keep driving past Playa Chiva and see what lay beyond. What we found was Playa Esconidida (which translates to hidden beach). It was a super small cove but it was so beautiful and there was no one else there!

Location here.

11. Playa La Plata

Heading farther east from Playa Escondida you’ll find Playa La Plata in the next cove over but still within Ensenada Honda Bay. Just like Playa Escondida, Playa La Plata is also a small beach and great for seclusion and relaxation!

Location here.

12. Playa Pata Prieta / Secret Beach

Just like most of the beaches within the Vieques National Wildlife Preserve, Playa Pata Prieta (also known as secret beach) also has bright blue waters and bright white sand. However, it will take a 4×4 and some patience to get here and then you’ll have to walk for a few minutes down hill to get to the beach.

Location here.

13. Playuela

Playuela is within the same bay at Playa Caracas and Cayo Chiva can be seen from both beaches. These beaches are very similar but separated by a rocky point.

Playuela is way less crowded than Caracas Beach (even though I wouldn’t categorize Caracas Beach as crowded either!) because to get to Playuela you need to hike along the Cerro Playuela trail.

Location here.

14. Sea Glass Beach

When you arrive in Isabel Segundo on the ferry from Cieba you won’t have to look far to find Sea Glass Beach. Located on the north side of Vieques in Isabel Segundo, the small Sea Glass beach has beautiful views and an abundance of sea glass to find!

I wouldn’t necessarily suggest going out of your way to go to this beach though! Only if you have time to kill before catching the ferry back to Cieba.

15. Playa Grande

Playa Grande is on the southern coast of Vieques and to the west of Esperanza. You can even hike here from the Sugar Mill Ruins (more on that just below!) that are just inland from Playa Grande.

Location here.

Other Things to do in Vieques, Puerto Rico

Explore the Vieques Sugar Mill Ruins

Visit the Sugar Mill Ruins! This was a fun adventure we went on one afternoon to get out of the sun for a few hours.

The Sugar Mill was shut down in the 1940’s and the jungle quickly grew over and around it. We explored without a guide – but if you can arrange to go with a guide I highly recommend it! This way you can learn a bit of the history about the Sugar Mill and its buildings.

Swim in the Vieques Bioluminescent Bay

See the famous Bioluminescent Bay! Exploring the Bioluminescent Bay is another great thing to do in Vieques, Puerto Rico. The bioluminescent bay is located at Mosquito Bay which was ranked the brightest in the world by Guinness Book of World Records in 2008.

When the water is moved the micro-organisms emit a short burst of light creating a glow. There are many kayak tour companies that go to the Bio Bay at night and you can find them in Esperanza town next to the malecon and beach.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any availability while we where on Vieques so I recommend booking this tour a few days in advance of arriving on Vieques.

Can you swim in the Vieques Bioluminescent Bay? The answer unfortunately is no but for good reason! Mosquito Bay where to the Bioluminescent Bay is located is unsafe to swim in at night. A little over ten years ago a woman was bitten by a 6ft tiger shark.

Highest Rated Bio Bay Tours in Vieques:

Where to Stay in Vieques – Esperanza or Isabel Segundo?

We stayed in Esperanza while on a two day trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico and I would definitely choose to stay here again. Esperanza is located on the southern side of Vieques and is a little bit more touristy than Isabel Segundo however, it is also much smaller and right on the beach.

The malecon in Esperanza is dotted with restaurants and bars for you to choose from. Esperanza is also close to Playa Esperanza and Sun Bay but you can easily access any of the other beaches on Vieques with a vehicle. (We rented a Jeep and it was so much fun driving around to all of the different Vieques beaches around the island!)

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Vieques Guesthouse

This is where we stayed for two nights on Vieques! The new owners of the Vieques Guesthouse had just taken over the guesthouse a week prior to our arrival!

Amanda and Todd were the nicest hosts and gave us such valuable information for our trip. The guesthouse was very casual and comfortable and the perfect location to explore Vieques from. The guesthouse was also super close to all of the restaurants and bars in Esperanza.

Bonus: the guesthouse has their own little secret beach just across the street which was the perfect place for a morning dip in the ocean or to watch the sunset. This was actually one of my favorite beaches on Vieques – but I am not sure it had a name!

El Blok

If what you’re looking for is a bit more luxe – stay at El Blok located on one end of the malecon in Esperanza. The hotel has beautiful architecture, a great restaurant and is located right across the street from Playa Esperanza!

More Hotels:

Finca Victoria – An Ayurvedic and vegan hotel Finca Victoria is where you come to detox and unwind.

Blue Horizon Hotel – located just 5 minutes outside of Esperanza, Blue Horizon is located on a private beach and has an old charm to it.

Where to Eat in Esperanza, Vieques

• Placita @ El Blok
• Duffy’s
• Banana’s
• El Quenepo
• Lazy Jack’s

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