Greetings from Vieques!
I hope all of you reading this letter are having a great summer and if you are planning a trip to our enchanting island or live here, hope that you find the following information helpful.
If you have read some of the past letters by Peggy you will be familiar with the "must do" things here. If you have not read them I suggest that you take a few minutes to browse through them to become better acquainted with life here on the island. She has filled her columns with lots of "things you need to know" and I don't want to pass on the same information month after month!
<click here for the archives>
A new must do here in Vieques is the "Sunset Cruise" with Capt. Richard. Everyone is talking about how much fun his cruises are and I would imagine that is true since you get complimentary Rum Punches and steel drum music! The boat leaves the small fishing dock in Esperanza at 6:00 Friday nights, be there early to guarantee your spot, he can take 35 to 40 people on board. The cost is a bargain at $15 per person considering the Rum Punch and live music! I heard that last week everyone was dancing on the boat for the hour plus trip, actually I think even Capt. Richard was having so much fun he stayed out a bit longer that usual. He is hoping to add a few more trips during the week come the busy season but as long as weather permits and the boat is in the water he will be doing the trips on Friday night. I hate to admit that I have not gone yet but I have a good excuse in that I tend bar at Al's Mar Azul Friday nights, great place for sunsets by the way, but am really looking forward to him doing extra weekly trips this winter. Capt. Richard also offers snorkeling trips so if you need more information give him a call at 787-741-1980.
Well the main focus of this newsletter is trying to let all of you know where to eat and when. Since it is our quiet time here schedules change on a daily basis. I may have missed a few of the restaurants but the beauty of vacations is to explore. Check out the information page for links and phone numbers of some of the restaurants and I have added some other phone numbers. Included are some notes as to what is offered but due to space can not do that for all.
| AMAPOLA | bar only until further notice |
| BANANAS | lunch and dinner 7 days/week .Kitchen closes around 10 PM |
| CAFÉ BLU | dinners Thurs.- Sun. Restaurant closing 9/5-9/27. Restaurant will be open Mondays after Thanksgiving |
| CAFÉ COCONUTS | Tues.-Sun. breakfast and lunch |
| CAFÉ MEDIA LUNA | dinners Fri.- Sun |
| CHEZ SHACK | Closed until Nov. however that could change! |
| CHICKEN KING | located in Florida. Lunch and dinner 7 days |
| CLARKY'S BBQ | Mon.-Sat. lunch and dinner 9AM- 9 PM. Sundays until Noon |
| CROW'S NEST | dinners 7 nights/week |
| CRABWALK CAFÉ | breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days. Mexican dinners Tues.-Sat.? (not sure on the mexican food nights) |
| EDDIE'S | dinners Wed.-Sat. Mike is offering food late at night too! |
| EL PATIO | open Mon.- Fri. 10 AM - 7 PM |
| EL QUENEPO | Wed.- Mon. 10 AM- 5:30 PM |
| LA CAMPESINA | dinners Tues.- Fri. |
| LA CASA del FRANCES | offering Italian dinners when guests are there or reservations made |
| LA DULCE PANADERIA | Wed.-Sun. breads, pastries, sandwiches 7 AM- Noon. PIZZA Wed.- Sun. 5:00- 9:00 PM |
| LA VIEQUENSE DELI | breakfast, lunch, and pastries 7 days 6:00- 6:00 PM until 2:00 PM Sundays |
| MUCHO GUSTO | lunch and dinner Tues.- Wed. 11AM- 9PM Thurs. Day Only Fri.-Sat. 11AM- 10 PM |
| OASIS | dinners only Thurs.- Mon. Closing Sept 7th until Oct. 20th 741-0655 |
| PANADERIA LYDIA BAKERY | open Mon.- Sat. until about 3 PM, bread only Sun. AM until gone! |
| POSADA VISTAMAR | dinners 7 nights 6 PM- 9PM good local food |
| RICHARDS CAFÉ | closed for remodeling |
| TAVERNA ESPANOLA | Closed until Sept. Mon.- Sat. dinners |
| TEDDY'S PIZZA | open for lunch call about dinner and delivery 741-0883 |
| TRADE WINDS | open Fri.- Sun. dinner. September Fri. and Sat. only |
| WILLIAMS PIZZA | open 7 days, call about delivery area |
So folks if anyone says there is no place to eat tonight you can say sure there is!! Remember this is just a reference as to what I was told the beginning of August and things could change. I hope that you will visit as many restaurants as possible as they all offer something different and tasty. And for those of you who are really adventurous the weekends are a great time to try some real local food from the street vendors. You will find food kiosks set up on the side of the roads all over the island! One of my favorite places to stop is for juice from Jugo or Juice Man. His real name is Hector and he is on the side of the road as you approach Esperanza, before you get to the Green Store. He has great juices and on the weekends sometimes has conch and octopus salad. My sister Helen Davis and I have made a pact to investigate more of the street vendors for another newsletter and explain what some of the foods are!
In addition to the restaurants cutting back on their hours so have some of the shops and galleries. To avoid disappointment I suggest you give a call and see who is open and when. There is lots to do here but you may have to do some phone work to find out when to do it.
And my final bit of information to enjoy your stay on Vieques, if your rental car does not come with a can of FIX-A-FLAT be sure to buy one when you arrive! The cost is about $3.50 - $4.00 and trust me after finding 2 flat tires on my car in one week I will never be without another in the trunk. The gas stations are all in Isabel or just outside and the fix-a-flat will hold you until you can fill up with air or get to the tire shop!!
Just in case you have read or heard any negative publicity about our lovely home, it is very safe and very quiet. Yes there is the occasional break-in to a house or car but that is about as bad as it gets. You will not see large groups of people protesting and we all welcome travelers to visit and get to know out beautiful island. Hope to see you soon in Vieques.
Judy
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
PS 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
