Visiting Vieques: how to get there, get around & plan it right
A practical planning brief built from local and official sources — the logistics, the rules, and the things visitors most often get wrong. The kind of detail you usually only learn after you arrive.
Getting there
Ferry
Ceiba (NOT Fajardo — moved Oct 2018) → Vieques (Isabel Segunda) · ~30 min · Puerto Rico Ferry / Hornblower
Only ~20% of seats sell online; rest are walk-up. Residents get boarding priority. No tourist reservations on weekends/holidays. Mainland rental cars cannot board.
Ferry tickets & scheduleFlights
- Cape Air — SJU→VQS
- Vieques Air Link — SJU→VQS, Isla Grande SIG→VQS, Ceiba RVR→VQS
- Air Flamenco — SIG→VQS, RVR→VQS
Airports: Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (Vieques) (VQS) · Ceiba Airport (mainland, adjacent to ferry) (RVR)
Getting around
Rentals (book ahead — they sell out)
- Vieques Car Rental — jeeps, SUVs, gas golf carts, UTVs (Free ferry/airport pickup; high-season swaps unlikely.)
- Scooters Vieques Rentals — scooters, UTVs, golf carts
- Maritza's Car Rental — cars, jeeps (NEEDS MANUAL CONFIRMATION of site)
- Island Jeep Rental — jeeps (sister business to Old Crow Hotel; confirm site)
Taxis & local transport
No Uber/Lyft. Públicos (shared yellow vans) run Isabel Segunda↔Esperanza only ($3–5/pp), not to beaches.
Vieques Taxi 787-741-8294 · M&M Taxi 939-208-1600 · Letty/Kiani 787-556-6003
The bio bay & local rules
- deet: Banned (kills dinoflagellates) — use DEET-free repellent
- booking: Reserve ahead; sells out in high season
- day trip: Only the ~6pm tour can make the 9:30pm return ferry — otherwise overnight required
- swimming: Prohibited by DRNA law
- full moon: Tours closed the night before, of, and after each full moon; new moon is best
Before you go: what visitors get wrong
Ferry departs Ceiba, not Fajardo (changed 2018)
No tourist ferry reservations on weekends/holidays; ~20% online, rest walk-up; residents priority; tourists get bumped
Ferry cancellations/delays common — have a backup flight (Ceiba RVR→VQS ~$80 RT is the smart backup)
Mainland rental cars cannot board the ferry — rent on-island
Jeeps/4x4 sell out weeks ahead in high season — book the vehicle BEFORE lodging
No Uber/Lyft; públicos don't reach beaches; 4WD needed for refuge beaches
Only ~2–3 ATMs (all in Isabel Segunda); many places cash-only — bring cash
Bio bay: no swimming, no DEET, closed around full moon — check the moon before booking
Day-tripping fails — bio bay needs an overnight; 2+ nights recommended
Refuge gate auto-closes at sundown (you can get locked in); no cell service inside; east end closed for unexploded ordnance
GPS misroutes to private roads/dead ends — stick to PR-200/201/997
Only 2 gas stations (north, 7am–7pm) and they run out in high season — keep the tank above half
Lodging sells out months ahead for Christmas/Easter; some properties close Sept–Oct
Groceries limited/unpredictable (fresh produce ~Wednesdays); restaurant kitchens close ~7:30–9pm
Small-plane luggage limit ~25 lb with overage fees
Annual events worth planning around
- Fiestas Patronales de Vieques (Virgen del Carmen) — Third week of July (≈5 days) · Patron-saint festival — live bomba/salsa/plena, food kiosks, parade. Organized by the Municipality.
- VCHT Glow Together fundraiser — February–March
- VCHT Bird Walks — Monthly Saturdays, December–March (Sun Bay)
- Vieques Humane Society 12×12 Benefit Art Auction — March
- Vieques Farmers Market — Weekly (Tue mornings, sometimes Fri), corner PR-200/201 · NEEDS MANUAL CONFIRMATION of current status