Sun Bay
Sombé (Sun Bay) is over a mile of
turquoise water and white sand beach,
lined with coconut palms and sea grape trees. It is the only Balneario
Público (government-maintained public bathing beach) in Vieques and
as such, has a huge parking lot that no one uses. There is an
entrance fee of $2.00 to drive in. It is possible to walk to Sun Bay
from the village of Esperanza, and going along the shoreline is
shorter than taking the road.
The availability of shade makes this popular with visitors and
locals alike. During holiday weeks, it can get crowded (by Vieques
standards) but much of the year
it is virtually empty. The far end is particularly pretty for floating
on a raft for an hour or two, but almost the whole beach is great
for swimming and sunbathing - a bit rocky up by the bath house.
Food vendors outside the entrance to Sun Bay provide tasty snacks
(octopus salad was a favorite of mine) and Arena y Mar inside has good
local fare, too. Sun Bay is one of the most under-rated beaches in
Vieques and one of the easiest to get to, right on Rte. 997.
Once inside, drive along the length of the beach and keep going to
get to Media Luna Beach and Navio Beach.
