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Vieques, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Vieques

Bioluminescent-bay island Popular destination~50 mi from San JuanCoastal

  • 83° · Partly cloudy · 4.2 ft seas

Vieques is an island town of Puerto Rico, one of the Spanish Virgin Islands along with Culebra, lying about 8 miles east of the main island and roughly 50 miles from San Juan. It stretches about 20 miles long and 4.5 miles wide, organized into seven barrios plus Isabel Segunda, its historic and administrative center, with a population of 8,078.

The island’s beaches and waterfront draw visitors, from Playa Grande and Playa Navío to the Esperanza area, known for its on-water activities, and Mosquito Bay, the bioluminescent bay. Esperanza also anchors a small eat-and-drink and nightlife scene, with spots such as Lazy Jack’s and La Nasa.

Vieques
All 78 towns
Known for
For visitors

Visitors come for Vieques' beaches, including Playa Grande and Playa Navío, Mosquito Bay's bioluminescence, and the Esperanza waterfront's on-water activities, eateries, and nightlife.

Hiking
Outdoors
Beaches and water
Eat and drink
Culture
Nightlife
Fiestas patronales
For living hereLife in Vieques centers on an island community spread across seven barrios and the historic center of Isabel Segunda, set apart from mainland Puerto Rico by its coastal, island geography.Living in Vieques: rent, commute, schools & safety

At a glance

Region
Islands
Setting
Coastal
Distance
~50 mi from San Juan
Population
8,078 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
Founded
1843
Median rent
$430/mo
Median income
$19,803/yr
Area
50.8 sq mi (131.5 km²)
Fiestas patronales
The Immaculate Conception of Mary · December 8
Guide spots
21
Stories, last 30 days
10
Water & power
Water by sector · Power outages
Living here
Rent, commute, schools & safety

Nearby towns

Browse the full guide →See on the news map →All 78 towns →

Right now in Vieques

FerryCeiba to Vieques

Every departure both ways, and whatever the ferry company has posted against today’s sailings.

Ferry schedule

Road closures in Vieques

No closures reported in Vieques as of 12:02 AM AST on Sun, Nov 15.

All road closures on the island

Water rationing in Vieques

No rationing plan names Vieques. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 14. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector

Power outages in Vieques

Not among the 10 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 14, when 3.47% of customers island-wide were without power. Vieques was on that list on one of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town

Beach water

Not sampled recently: Playa Esperanza, Balneario Sunbay and Gringo Beach. Last tested Nov 20, 2023.

Beach water quality

News from Vieques

Latest stories

Every story that names Vieques Follow Vieques by RSS

Our analysis

Every Fiesta Calendar Every Weekend Watch

Things to do in Vieques

Beaches & Chill
Playa Navío

Playa Navío

Beach

Playa Navío, also known as Navio Beach, is a beach on the island of Vieques, sitting at a low elevation near the coastline. It's identified simply as a beach destination within Vieques, one of the many shoreline spots visitors use as a base for swimming, sunbathing, or simply spending time along the island's coast.

Google Maps

Cayo Afuera

Nature reserve

Cayo Afuera is a nature reserve along the coastline of Vieques, preserving a stretch of shoreline that rises to about 19 meters in elevation. Its protected status keeps the coastal terrain largely undeveloped, giving visitors a chance to view a natural stretch of Vieques's coast rather than a built-up beachfront.

Google Maps
Isla Chiva

Isla Chiva

Nature reserve

Isla Chiva is a nature reserve with a stretch of coastline on the island of Vieques, protected within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is managed as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which groups protected lands across the Puerto Rico archipelago. The designation means the area is kept as wildlife habitat, so it is a place to come for coastal scenery and nature rather than for developed amenities.

Google Maps
Balneario Sunbay

Balneario Sunbay

Public beach resort

Balneario Sunbay, also called Playa Sunbay, is a public balneario on Vieques, a managed bathing beach run by the Departamento de Recreación y Deportes through Parques Nacionales. It sits at sea level and is set up as a developed beach rather than a bare cove.

Google Maps

See all 12 Beaches & Chill in Vieques

On the Water
Vieques / Esperanza

Vieques / Esperanza

  • Dive
  • Snorkel
  • Kite

Esperanza, on Vieques' south shore, serves as the base for diving and snorkeling on the island's reefs, with typical visibility of 50 to 70 feet, and for tours of Mosquito Bay, the bioluminescent bay. The bay glows best on moonless nights. Kiteboarders launch at Bahía La Chiva (Blue Beach) and near Mosquito Pier, where the east trade winds typically blow 15 to 22 knots (17 to 25 mph). Kiting season runs November through April, while diving and bay tours are possible year-round.

Google Maps
Mosquito Bay (Bahía Bioluminiscente)

Mosquito Bay (Bahía Bioluminiscente)

The world's brightest bioluminescent bay

  • Kayak
  • Late night

Mosquito Bay (Bahía Bioluminiscente) lies on the south coast of Vieques. Its glow comes from a dense population of dinoflagellates (single-celled organisms that flash blue-green when the water moves) held in the bay by its narrow mouth and the mangroves around it. The glow is brightest on dark, moonless nights. Sunscreen and bug spray are discouraged in the water.

Google Maps
Nature spots
Monte Pirata

Monte Pirata

Highest mountain in Vieques

Monte Pirata is the highest point on Vieques at 960 feet, rising within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. A trail once led hikers to its summit. TICATOVE, a Vieques conservation group, said in December 2022 that the summit had been closed to the public for over 20 years, that an observation platform there was built, and that the Fish and Wildlife Service would add a parking lot, a trail and signs before it reopens. The refuge's own pages list no trail up the mountain, so ask the refuge office before you go.

Google Maps
Eat & Drink
American restaurant

Trade Winds

American cuisine

Trade Winds is a restaurant on Vieques serving American cuisine. It offers a straightforward menu of familiar American dishes for visitors and residents of the island looking for a casual dining option outside of the more traditional Puerto Rican or Caribbean fare found elsewhere on Vieques.

Reviews on Google Maps
Nightlife & Music
Culture & Events

Events coming up in Vieques

  • Fiestas Patronales

    Fiestas Patronales de Vieques, December 8

    Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

    Add to calendar

All events across Puerto Rico

Outdoors and sports

On the water in Vieques

All conditions

On the water near Vieques

Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Vieques or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.

All of On the Water

Trails in and near Vieques

9 trails start in Vieques, the easiest open ones first.

  • On ViequesCerro Playuela trailEasy 1.1 mi each way, 55 min to 1 h 25 minWalk in, no bookingListed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre de Vieques - EstePlaya Novillo to Ensenada PirataEasy 1.1 mi each way, 1 h to 1 h 30 minNovillo beach to Pirate CoveWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mappedBeach
  • On ViequesHiking through the Military BunkersEasy 1.2 mi each way, 1 h to 1 h 30 minWalk inCommunity-mapped
  • Parque Nacional Sun BayRuta Puerto MosquitoEasy 2.0 mi each way, 1 h 40 min to 2 h 30 minMosquito Bay routeWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
  • Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre de Vieques - EsteTapon TrailModerate 0.8 mi each way, 40 min to 1 hWalk in, no bookingListed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Reserva Natural de la Bahía Bioluminiscente de ViequesVereda NavíoModerate 1.8 mi each way, 1 h 35 min to 2 h 25 minNavío trailWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped

See all 9 trails on Vieques and Culebra

Bills and recovery money

Bills about Vieques

All 6 bills about Vieques

Recovery money in Vieques

$67.7 million committed by FEMA to 74 projects filed under Vieques since 2001: $8,377 per resident, 10th of 78 towns.

Every project located in Vieques, the island-wide agencies’ included

46% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $82.7 million of the $181 million committed.

46%

81.6% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $51.3 million of $62.8 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.

81.6%
  • Vieques diagnostic and treatment centerPublic buildings$43.4 million
  • Vieques Old Hospital Nursing HomePublic buildings$3.3 million
  • CDBG] MVIE055 Vieques Historic Buildings and City HallPublic buildings$3.1 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
  • Vieques diagnostic and treatment center$43.4M of $43.4M100%Public buildings · last paid May 7, 2026
  • Vieques Old Hospital Nursing Home$824K of $3.3M25%Public buildings · last paid Aug 20, 2024
  • Basketball Court Villa Hugo-Isla Nena$325K of $977K33%Parks and other · last paid Apr 4, 2024
  • Emergency Protective Measures$411K of $411K100%Emergency measures · last paid Jun 18, 2024

Every town and the island-wide agencies

FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.

Living in Vieques

Crime in Vieques

19 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Vieques, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 21 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-highest fifth of towns.

Homicides
1 YTD
Violent crimes
19 YTD
All serious crimes
53 YTD
Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
21

Every town on the map

Flood zones in Vieques

FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Vieques

Phone alerts for Vieques

Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch

Photo credits