Greetings from Vieques!
The previous "What's Happenin'" page raised some questions about the correct spelling of "canepa". Well I stand corrected, it is spelled quenepa. The tree is spelled Quenepo and I have no idea if there really is such a thing as a canepa. Regardless of how you spell it there is still fruit available for picking and should be a great year for Bili.
We got a letter from a reader asking about very inexpensive places to stay. I hopped in my car and started investigating and believe it or not there are places to stay on the island for under $50 per night. I have not seen many of the rooms and facilities available however for those of you who are really adventurous I am including this information. Stay at your own risk! Many of the following are very legitimate, reasonably safe and clean but like anything else we offer no guarantees. I will include information concerning what I do know about each place and some may even have a website that you can check out. Some are new and many do not advertise and were happy to be included here. As usual I am sure I am going to miss a few places that only the natives know about however once here if planning on staying for a while you too can investigate.
Isabel Segunda is the main part of the Island. This is where the bank (yes only 1 bank on the island and the ATM does run out of cash on the weekend), Post Office, Laundromats, Ferry dock, restaurants, shops and grocery store are located. Also the Lighthouse and the Fort are in town and worth a visit.
CAYO BLANCO is located directly across from the ferry dock and has 5 rooms available at $25 a night. I did not see any of the rooms, which are located above the bar. The major drawback to this place is the noise starting at about 4 AM during the week due to the cargo ferry. Also the bar can itself generate a lot of noise however it is very inexpensive. Not much English spoken here.
787-741-1919
CASA AMISTAD should be up and running for this season. Richard is putting the finishing touches on the building. He will have about 9 rooms available sleeping 2-6 people. One room offers 3 sets of bunk beds for groups. The guests will share the bathroom facilities. The ladies and the men's room each have 1 sink, 2 toilets and 1 shower stall. He thinks he will be asking about $50 per night but that could be negotiated depending on length of stay and availability of rooms. He also hopes to be offering breakfast downstairs and may have a little bar in the future.
787-741-3758
SEA GATE is run by Penny Miller and her Mother. This is located near the fort and very cozy. The place has lots of animals as Penny is very active with the Humane Society. Penny has also been known to drive people around the island when she has the spare time, I don't think Penny sleeps much! She has a regular clientele that will only stay there, because they love it. Rooms start at $40-60 per night.
787-741-4661
TROPICAL GUEST HOUSE is located in the area of town known as Mambiche. There are several units sleeping up to 4 people. I did not see any of the rooms however I believe they all have air conditioning. There are some studios which have a kitchenette in them. The rates start at $50-75 per night depending on the room.
787-741-2449
In the Monte Santo area of the Island there are 5 units located at Fonsin's Car Rental. Each unit has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and can sleep up to 5 people. The unit I saw was very simple, a double and twin in one room and a double and the bathroom in the other room. It smelled of lysol so I know it was just cleaned! Rates there are $55 per night and I would suggest renting a car while there since you are more out of the way.
787-741-4380
Esperanza is located on the south side of the island and is more the entertainment side of the island. You will see lots of boats over on that side of the island since this is where most of the fisherman are located. In addition you are close to Sun Bay, a really beautiful beach, and there are several restaurants right on the strip. Some of the best T shirts are available on this side, I like the selection at The Trade Winds the best. The following guest houses are located in Esperanza.
BANANA'S has several rooms available and they start at $45/night. If you want air conditioning that will cost some more! It is right on the strip and the rooms are located behind the bar/restaurant area.
787-741-8700 This is popular!
THE CHATEAU ESPERANZA, better known as Chateau Relaxo offers rooms starting at $30 a night, single or double occupancy. These inexpensive rooms mean sharing a bathroom. There are rooms available with bathrooms and air conditioning, some with 3 beds and those rooms go up to $60 per night. I believe that if you rent by the week or month there is a discount, rumor has it that people have stayed there for about $200+ a month but I did not ask about that. These are no frills rooms however many people have stayed there for extended periods of time. It is about a 5 minute walk to the strip and maybe 10 minutes to Sun Bay. Not much English is spoken here.
787-741-8722
POSADA VISTAMAR is located on just off the main road in Esperanza next to Willie Pep's Auto Parts. Olga has 5 rooms that she rents out for $45-50 per night with air and private bath. She has a great little restaurant open for dinner, good local fish. Olga also has some regular clients that always stay there. My friend Roger says that she is his 2nd Mom and he calls regularly to check in with her!
787-741-8716
GUEST HOUSE RUIZ and Colmado (little grocery store) is located just beyond the strip in Esperanza. Candido has several rooms and prices start at $30 for a single and up to $55 for 4 people to a room. I am not positive but I think all rooms have AC. Someone described the rooms as no frills however they recommend it frequently because it is a good value.
787-741-3296
PABLO'S GUEST HOUSE is located near Chateau Relaxo on a side street. This has 4 units above the owners home. He does his business word of mouth and it is pretty new. Rooms have a full and twin bed, bathroom and refrigerator and he charges $40 a night. I imagine it was Pablo that I spoke with and he spoke very good English and was very nice however I did not see any of the rooms.
787-741-8917
TRADE WINDS is a little higher end but included it because they have single rooms starting at $50, larger rooms at $70 a night summer season. The rates go up to $50-80 during the winter season. It has a nice bar and one of the loveliest dining rooms on the island.
787-741-8666
Some of these places may charge tax and a service fee. I am not really sure why some do and others don't but that is the case here.
If you are really traveling on a budget you can eat pretty cheap here. You can pick up toast or pastries at the bakeries for next to nothing. Rice and beans is good and filling and usually costs around $3.50, at El Patio add two pork chops (okay, they are overcooked) and only pay $6 and it even comes with a little salad! Actually I love the pork chops at El Patio. For a good lunch or light dinner one of my favorite spots is The Crabwalk Café in Esperanza, most of the regular menu items are under $7, the mexican menu is a little more but you get lots of food. Thai night has been a huge success and it is taking a bit longer to get your food however most of the menu is under $12. On the weekends investigate the street vendors and try some pinchos, pork or chicken kabobs, and those are usually very inexpensive. There are some great values for dinner, I love the shrimp with garlic at Taverna Espanola, cost is about $11 and comes with a salad, rice and beans. Also Rosa makes great Sangria to enjoy with your meal! Another great dinner value is The Oasis, lots of menu items under $14, pleasant staff but there are lots of dogs around and if the health inspector is not on island the dogs may be in the restaurant. The dogs are never allowed in the kitchen and they do not venture upstairs to the patio which has about 5 tables. The patio has a fabulous view of the main island and if it is not real windy I love eating up there. You can check back to the August edition for a list of the restaurants.
We have been fortunate so far with the weather. The current storm Isaac appears to be going well north of us but right behind it is another Tropical Storm. This one we will have to watch the next few days to see whether it will affect us. Keep your fingers crossed for us! We are all hoping to avoid the wrath of storms this year. We also do not want anything to effect Jim's (the webmaster) trip down next week! Jim why did you agree to a few tequilas with Al at the Mar Azul? I thought you knew better than that! Oh that's right you are just stopping in to check out the new deck equipped with fishing rod holders! That's what they all say! It would be best if you stop by on my shift where I might be able to offer some protection from Jose Cuervo!
As usual I will end this edition by reminding you to email us with anything you would like to see covered on this page and feel free to send questions too. Thanks for reading!
Judy
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
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!
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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
