by Janie Chadwick

Hi everyone,

…And they were dancing in the streets….and, oh boy, were they. The municipality hosted its annual New Year’s Eve party on the Maleçon (sidewalk that runs along the water) in Esperanza featuring bands from both Puerto Rico and Vieques. The welcoming nature of every Viequense was strongly evident as strangers danced with strangers and bad dancers were given lessons right then and there. The cervezas (beer) flowed freely, smiles shown on every face and cries of Feliz Año Nuevo could be heard several blocks away. Whew! What a great time.

So, now it is January and that old New Year’s resolution to get some exercise starts right now. Well, January is a great month to be outdoors in Vieques. The trade winds are constant and cooling, sunsets are fabulous, rain happens only for a few minutes at a time and there are a multitude of tours and activities to get you moving.

By referring to the Enchanted Isle website, Vieques Events and Vieques Ahora publications, checking the bulletin boards in most of the guesthouses and asking your bartender, you can find an almost infinite number of ways to be outdoors in Vieques. There are yoga instructors, spinning classes, dance instructors, hiking tours, kayak tours, kayak rentals, snorkel rentals, snorkel trips, dive trips, dive instruction, bicycle tours, bicycle rentals, fishing charters, sailing charters, powerboat charters and jet ski rentals, just to name a few.

Vieques, having escaped the high rise development seen in metropolitan Puerto Rico, is lush with plant, animal and marine life. It is not unusual to be drifting through the water on your kayak and suddenly seeing a giant manta ray or a rare leatherback turtle. Endangered brown pelicans will dive bomb right next to your snorkel site. Cayo Afuera is an island a few hundred yards off Esperanza beach and is an easy kayak paddle from shore. The right side of the island is a good snorkel spot. A field of sea fans can be found about 200 yards out on the left side of Sun Bay, the public beach. It is a fairly long swim, but worth it. If you are unsure of what you have seen, either under the water or out of it, a wealth of information on the local ecology can be found at the Vieques Historical Society and Trust located in Esperanza. The building opens at 11am and offers internet service for a small donation and has a gift shop chock full of local artist’s wares.

Signing up for an excursion is really a must do. Regardless of what activity you choose, it is a wonderful way to see a side of Vieques that you might miss otherwise. There are kayak tours that begin and end in the Bioluminescent Bay, with trips up mangrove lined channels, snorkeling in secluded coves and a food and rest stop on a private beach in the middle. There are fishing charters that take you fish laden flats that only a few people know about. There are around the island boat tours with stops for swimming. There are dive trips to off shore reefs. Sunsets are astounding from shore, but even more so from the deck of a sailing vessel. The best part of every one of these excursions is the people that operate them. They want to share Vieques with you and make your stay on the island a memorable one.

After a full day of activities, you might consider replacing all those calories with dinner at Vieques’ newest old restaurant, La Campesina. Having been closed for several years and all but obscured by the surrounding plant life, the restaurant is open Thursday through Monday at 5:30. The dining areas are zinc covered lean-tos decorated with small white lights. The focal point of the bar is a huge rock, also used to display the various liquors available. The menu is eclectic but you can still identify what you are eating. The prices are quite reasonable with appetizers beginning at $6 and entrees beginning at $18. They make great Margaritas and Mojitos. La Campesina is still waiting for its telephone service, so reservations need to be made in person. To get there, head west out of Esperanza, at the intersection turn left and follow the road about a mile, La Campesina is on the right. Drive slowly as the road is very narrow. They accept MasterCard and Visa.
 

Thanks for reading!
 
Janie

PS: If there is anything you would like to see in the newsletter or have any feedback please email Ask Judy. Thanks.  askjudy@enchanted-isle.com 

<click here for the archives>

 If any of you would like to see something specific in this newsletter please contact the webmaster and I will do my best to investigate for you. 
Email: whats_happenin@enchanted-isle.com 

BACK

Past Articles

Page Design by:
Positive Image Graphix © All Rights Reserved
For information on your own Website:
E-Mail: webmaster@positivimage.com
Site was last revised: 01/26/08