Vieques And Its Enchanting Serenity And Stunning Black Sand Beach

The Journey to Vieques

The Journey to Vieques from San Juan, Puerto Rico was long and worth it. My day started at 9 am as my girlies and I prepared for a day of fun on Vieques. Our first order of business was heading to the port in Cieba, Puerto Rico, about 1.5 hours from our stay in San Juan. Luckily, we had a red hot Jeepeta (Jeep), which made the ride fun. Along the way, we stopped for breakfast at Victoria Bistro, and I had the Breakfast Tacos, which are similar to a McDonald’s McGriddle — both filling and yummy, exactly what I needed for my journey to Vieques. 

Why Vieques is Special

Vieques, like many islands in the Caribbean, holds a unique history. It was home to many indigenous people, such as the Taino’s — a Caribbean indigenous population. Also, Vieques was, unfortunately, the test site for the US military’s bomb testings during WW2 and completely left at the start of the current century. I find myself heartbroken by the way the US has and continues to treat its territories. Nonetheless, Vieques’ scenery and triumphant spirit leads travelers to question if the US’ atrocities even occurred.

Black Sand Beach at Playa Negra

I was extremely excited to visit Vieques when I learned about its black sand beach at Playa Negra. I’ll be honest — the promise of beaches while traveling does not excite me because I believe the beaches where I grew up, the USVI, outshine them all. However, I was proven wrong with my visit to Playa Negra. For starters, it was a beach to hike to, which meant more seclusion! It was also my first black sand beach, which did not disappoint. I even wrote my name on the cliff walls at the beach using the black sand, which was something I did not even know possible. I truly loved my experience at Vieques, and I can’t wait to visit again and stay longer than a day next time!