There are many places to stay in Vieques, from funky guesthouses to charming boutique hotels to an upscale resort. There are also wonderful homes and villas to rent. Below is a selection of our favorites:

Guesthouses:
Bananas Guesthouse- funky vibe, clean basic rooms, annexed to one of the most popular bars and restaurants on the island. Located in Esperanza. www.bananasguesthouse.com.

Casa de Amistad - intimate, located in Isabella, with 7 guest rooms. www.casadeamistad.com.

Boutique Resorts/Bed and Breakfasts:
Hix Island House - Hix is a modern, funky, and extremely unique resort on the island. Eco-friendly and zen. www.hixislandhouse.com.

Inn on the Blue Horizon - newly reopened and under new management, this 10-room boutique hotel is located directly on the ocean and is upscale and private. www.innonthebluehorizon.com.

Bravo - Bravo is also directly on the beach and is decorated around a funky courtyard and pool area. It was listed on Conde Nast's 2005 Hot List. The restaurant is a popular tapas bar. www.bravobeachhotel.com.

Crows Nest - Crows Nest is perched high on a hilltop and has great views of the island. This resort is very lowkey and not as trendy as some of the other ones, but you get a feel for the locals and it has great rates. www.crowsnestvieques.com.

Resort:
Martineau Bay - Martineau Bay, originally a Wyndham, now a Starwood Property and soon to be the first W in the Caribbean, is a beautiful and elegant resort located on two lovely private beaches. We were actually married at Martineau Bay and all of our guests just loved it. It isn't as funky or unique as some of the smaller places but is the most luxurious and full-service accommodation on the island and is a wonderful place to stay. (The picture in this module was taken from a room overlooking the pool).

There is a wide-range of options for dining in Vieques.

Grocery Stores (for picnics on the beach):

The Green Store- this is right on the way to the beach and can't be missed. The offerings here are hardly gourmet but they will do!

Supermercado Morales - this is a large supermarket in Isabella. It definitely has more to offer than the Green Store but is a bit harder to find.

Casual Spots We Recommend:

Cafe Mammasonga - This tiny place is run by Mammasonga herself, it is very casual and the food is yummy. It is known for its breakfasts, giant sandwiches and delicious smoothies. It is very funky and will give you a glimpse of the true Vieques. Does not serve dinner.

Bananas - this is the most popular bar and casual restaurant on the island. Located on the Malecon in Esperanza, it is a great place to watch the sunset and have a Medalia (local beer) or two. The food is delicious.

Chez Shack - with a motto like the Shack's, "a sunny place for shady people", you know the food has got to be good! It has great barbeque and live music on Monday nights. It is really fun and rustic.

More Upscale Places We Recommend:

Cafe Media Luna - this restaurant specializes in Latin American food and smaller plates meant for sharing. We ate here on our first visit to Vieques and were blown away. Started by two New Yorkers who escaped from the big city to live their dream.

Uva - Uva is the new hotspot on the island and the food is delicious. It is very trendy and its cuisine is "Puerto Rican Fusion." Uva also has a sister restaurant next door that is serves tapas only, called Uva Next Door.

Paso Fino - this is the restaurant at Martineau Bay. It is one of the most upscale restaurants on the island and has delicious food in an elegant setting.

Bravo! - very cool tapas restaurant, has a great garden space and is on the water. They also have nice reasonable lunches.

M-Bar - right outside Martineau Bay, has delicious upscale/trendy food and great drinks.

Trade Winds - In Esperanza near Bananas; it has a traditional American menu focusing on seafood and steak.

Others We Have Not Tried But Have Heard Of:

Bili at the Amanpola Inn - "Puerto Rican food served with flair."

Cafe Violeta - near Martineau Bay, serves breakfast, lunch and smoothies.

Island Cafe - at Crow's Nest Inn, this restaurant serves dinner with "Caribbean flair."

Tropical Baby - Caribbean fusion

Al's Mar Azul - the "party bar of Vieques"

Find Your Own Private Beach:
This is our favorite part of Vieques. There are a ton of pristine beaches that can be accessed via your 4x4 rental. Swing by the store, pack a quick lunch or bring a bottle of wine and enjoy!

Bio-Bay :
One of the coolest things to do on Vieques is a tour of the Bioluminescent Bay. This is a bay that literally glows at night (no, not from the bombing but because of its high concentration of dinoflagellates). It is best viewed via a kayak tour during a new moon, which will occur during your trip! We did a tour with our wedding guests the Thursday before the wedding and everyone loved it! (We used Island Adventures). Biobay tours are provided by: Golden Heron tours (787-615-1625), Blue Caribe Kayaks (787) 741-2522, and Island Adventures, Inc (787) 741-0720. If you plan on seeing the biobay while in Vieques, plan your trip when the moon is new for the best experience.

Go Snorkeling:
Abe's Snorkeling can provide you with gear to rent and does tours, call 787 741-2134 or 787 209-6090. Captain Carlos also provides snorkeling gear, call 787-741-3627 or 787-447-8697. Diving on Vieques isn't well-established yet but hopefully will be soon!

Go Horseback Riding:
Vieques Trail Ride offers horseback riding with a guide. The ride lasts about 2 hours. The cost is $45 per person. Call 787 741-4661.

Go to the Spa:
Martineau Bay has a very nice spa. Enjoy a massage or other treatment. There is also a yoga studio opening in town.

Take a Hike:
Eighty percent of the island is National Park land so go exploring. Local guides can be arranged.

This is our favorite part of Vieques. There are numerous pristine beaches that can be accessed via your 4x4 rental. Swing by the green store to pick up some snacks and drinks and enjoy! Our favorites are:

-Navio Beach: stunning vivid turquoise water; bigger waves are fun to play in but not great for children or weaker swimmers. There are great caves to explore at Navio. (The picture above was taken at Navio).

-Media Luna Beach: incredibly clear water and very calm; this is a great swimming beach, especially for children or those who just want to relax. It is also extremely beautiful.

-Red Beach or Blue Beach: both of these were recently opened to the public and are beautiful.

-Sun Bay Beach: this is the state-run beach, so it has bathroom and bbq facilities and does not require navigating unpaved roads. Fee is $2.

-Green Beach: very secluded and wild - you'll feel like you are at the end of the world!

Flights:

Fly into San Juan's International Airport. From there, you can either take a connecting flight to Vieques or you can take a taxi to Farjado and take a ferry from there. In the high season (December to April) there is a high speed ferry that goes directly from San Juan to Vieques.

Connecting Flights:
American Eagle just began flying to Vieques. This will make the island easier to get to and will be helpful for those afraid of flying on small planes.

When we went we flew on Vieques Air Link (VAL), the flight was beautiful. Please call 1-888-901-9247 for reservations. www.viequesairlink.com.

Cape Air also flies from San Juan to Vieques. Call Cape Air 1-800-352-0714 to make reservations. If you are flying Continental to San Juan, pick Cape Air as your connector. Cape air and Continental have a partnership and can check your bags straight through.

NOTE: VAL states there is a 25lb baggage limit per person and Cape Air states a 75lb per person limit; don't pack your entire closet! Also ladies don't be alarmed when the flight crew asks you your wieght when you check in - it is just so they can balance the plane accordingly.

Ferries

Fajado Ferry Information
You will need to take a taxi from San Juan International Airport to Fajardo where the ferry is. It will cost ~$65. When you get to the airport at San Juan, check with Ground Transportation Dispatchers and get the actual fee in a receipt. The taxis at the airport and the tourist zones in San Juan are called Taxis Turisticos and their rates are fixed when traveling to/from the International Airport or the Piers in Old San Juan. Anywhere else the rates are metered. For more information check with Jose J. Santana at www.taxituristico.com. You can also call Travel with Padin http://enchanted-isle.com/padin/ to have transportation waiting for you.

You cannot make a reservation in advance for the ferry, so it is recommended to show up a bit early. From your arrival time at the San Juan Airport, allow at least 2 hrs. to collect your luggage and make the trip to the ferry. The ferry ride itself takes about an hour and a half and costs $2 per person.

The high speed ferry is more expensive and goes via Culebra (so it actually probably takes the same amount of time to get to Vieques) but you leave from San Juan so you avoid the drive. The high speed ferry is more luxurious and has a snack and beverage bar.

We got married in Vieques on October 29, 2005. It was wonderful and beautiful! It is a bit of a challenge getting married in Vieques as compared to another destination with a more established tourism industry, but in our opinion it was worth the extra effort.

We got married at Martineau Bay. The wedding planner there, Claudia, is great and very helpful. However, you will still need to coordinate all of the other vendors (florists, photography, etc.) yourself.

The vendors we used were:

Florist: Tom Venters, Vieques Flowers and Gifts Too! He did a great job and is a huge help with creative thinking for your wedding. Very reliable and does beautiful work. Email: TEVRBS@aol.com.

Photographer: Bob Gevinski of www.viequesphotos.com. Bob is very professional and takes great candid pictures in a photojournalistic style. Our wedding pictures came out great! (The photo above was taken by Bob). Email: bob@viequesphotos.com.

Band/DJ: Will Colon's Band. They played music at our rehearsal dinner and got everyone dancing and having a great time. They also played beautiful romantic music at our reception, and played upbeat calypso music during our cocktail hour. Very professional and great music. Email: wcolombo@coqui.net.

Bananas: We had our rehearsal dinner at Bananas. It was a great place to get our guests into the island mindset and to show them what Vieques is like outside of the resort. Everyone had a great time! Janie is the manager and Wynne and Glenn are the owners and all three of them are fantastic. Email: atbananas@aol.com.

BioBay: For our guests that were in town on the Thursday before our wedding, we treated them to a tour of the biobay. The bay is magical and especially so with all of your closest friends and family nearby to experience it with you. www.biobay.com.

Non-Denominational Minister: Raul Utreras was the officiant for our wedding services. He was wonderful and gave exactly the right ambiance to our ceremony - solemn, serene, warm, and romantic. He puts a lot of effort into his ceremonies and is very open to tailoring the ceremony to fit the couple. We highly recommend him. Phone: 787-435-2049.

Transportation: If you plan on shuttling large groups of guests around the island, Angel Martorell is your man. Reliable and friendly. Phone: (787) 741-1370.