caribtraveler

My husband, our son and I just came back from a short weekend getaway to Vieques (1/12-1/15/07)... a lovely present from my husband . Thanks to ejcrowe, owa, ccc and mahobaygirl for their trip reports and advice. It made figuring out what to do much easier.

HOTEL: The Martineau Bay Resort & Spa is your typical resort. It's a big property spread over well groomed grounds. The rooms are located in several low-lying buildings (3 floors only).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0059.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0048.jpg

ROOM: We stayed in room #514 (top floor) with a view of the ocean and the pool. The room is spacious as well as the bathroom (huge tub, walk-in shower, 2 sinks). There's an empty mini-fridge and a big safe (portable dvd player and several other items fit just fine).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0040.jpg

BEACH: It is very picturesque with rocky cliffs flanking its sides and brown sand. It is, however, not a good swimming beach. It is windy, the waves are strong and there are rocks in the water. On our first afternoon there, our son enjoyed getting tossed around by the waves until we realized he had scraped his legs on the rocks. Needless to say, we didn't go to that beach the rest of our stay.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0052.jpg

POOLS: There are 2 nice ones. Depth is 3'6'' all around. One has a swim-up bar and the other has a net to play volleyball.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0046.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0120.jpg

RESTAURANTS/FOOD: There's the poolside restaurant/bar where you can order food till 6pm. There's the Paso Fino restaurant where you can eat breakfast and dinner. There, you can eat inside or on the covered terrace outside. It appeared to us that most people would eat outside where it can be VERY WINDY. The food was okay, nothing to write home about. They do have a kids menu.

Poolside restaurant/bar:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0049.jpg

View of the beach from Paso Fino restaurant:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0189.jpg

Some prices:
-Breakfast buffet: $19.95 (typical buffet you'd find at any resort)
-Omelet: $10.50
-Orange juice: $4
-Grilled chicken breast: $18
-Grilled churrasco of beef: $28
-Kids cheeseburger & fries: $7
-Kids pizza: $7

FOOD NOTE: While having dinner there on our first night, the power went out for maybe 30 minutes. The waiter brought us pen lights at first. My husband and I commented to each other that a candle would work best. They did end up putting candles on all the tables but it took them awhile. The waiter told us then that dinner was on them because of the blackout. We certainly weren't expecting that, so we thought that was really nice of them to do that.

STAFF: Everyone we dealt with was lovely. When my son scraped his legs, the front desk quickly sent someone to our room with band-aids and a topical cream. So absolutely no complaints there.

CONCLUSION: The resort is nice but is dated/tired-looking. I think they're going to close it soon for full renovations (Westin recently bought the property). There was some work being done while we were there like the painting of our building stairwell.

caribtraveler

WHAT WE DID:

Before the trip, I printed a map of the island and of the 2 towns from the following site:
http://www.vieques-island.com/vqsmap.shtml
I highly recommend doing that. It makes navigating around the island much easier.

RENTAL CAR: We reserved a 2005 Grand Cherokee Laredo with Martineau Car Rental for $80/day ( http://www.martineaucarrental.com/ ). They ended up giving us a brand new Dodge Nitro for the same price. I'm not big on SUVs but I enjoyed this one. It's spacious and drives well.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0085.jpg
The rental experience went smoothly. They kindly drove us to the airport even though we had already returned the car. Martineau Car Rental is located across the street from the Martineau Bay resort. We'd recommend them.

BEACHES: We managed to see all the ones we wanted to see. We stayed a few hours at some, but just took a picture of the others. We did NOT snorkel on this trip. Here's another web site I found very helpful. It has info on all the beaches and directions:
http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Vieq...es_Beaches.htm

PATA PRIETO BEACH (also known as SECRET BEACH): This was by far our FAVORITE beach. It cannot be found on a map. I got the directions to it from another forum. We met a family from Baltimore there who told us they've been vacationing in Vieques for the last 3 years and that the sign to the beach was recently put up. The sand is soft, the water is calm, clear and blue. Be aware that there is NO shade on that beach. We LOVED it and spent an entire afternoon there.

On the road to Pata Prieto Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0172.jpg

Pata Prieto Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0082.jpg

Directions to Pata Prieto Beach:
-Take the main Camp Garcia road.
-Pass the turn for Garcia Beach and Playa Caracas (aka Red Beach).
-A mile or so after Playa Caracas, you'll see a sign that says "Pata Prieto Beach" with an arrow pointing right. There are 2 garbage cans (1 blue and 1 gray) underneath the sign. Make that right turn.
-You'll drive on some "lovely" potholes.
(picture)
-You'll come to a fork with NO sign. The left fork is a dead end (yes, that's where we went first). The right fork takes you to the loveliest stretch of beach on the island.

BAHIA DE LA CHIVA (also known as BLUE BEACH): There are actually 3 beaches. We checked all of them out and ended up spending a morning on the Center Beach. There are some covered pavilions with picnic benches. Not many though so it's probably best to get there in the morning to get one if you absolutely need shade. There's not a lot of beach/sand, but the water is clear and calm. A very nice beach. We really liked it.

Western Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0065.jpg

Center Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0067.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0070.jpg

Eastern Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0079.jpg

PLAYA PUNTA ARENAS (also known as GREEN BEACH): We didn't realize there were several small sections and then the main beach. You just have to drive around (felt like no-man's land) to find the best spot for you. We picked a cove that had a covered pavilion and a picnic bench. The sand is grainy/coarse and light brown. The water is calm and clear. It was okay to us. I think Green Beach is best for people who want to snorkel.

Our cove:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0147.jpg

Green Beach's main beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0159.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0161.jpg

There's a $2 fee to enter the area where all the following beaches are. We took pictures of the first two before spending the rest of an afternoon at Media Luna.

SUN BAY: Very scenic/pretty.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0087.jpg

NAVIO BEACH: Scary waves!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0092.jpg

MEDIA LUNA: It comes highly recommended if you have kids because the water is calm and it's shallow for quite a while. Well, there was a lot of sea grass (in the water and on the beach) when we went, and it was raining on and off. So my husband and I didn't really enjoy it. But our son didn't seem to mind. He thought it was fun tossing the sea grass back in the water. Eeewwww! They do have covered pavilions with picnic benches at this beach as well.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0100.jpg

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IMAGES AROUND ISLA DE VIEQUES:

View of the town of Isabel II from Count of Mirasol Fort:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0108.jpg

Count of Mirasol Fort:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0113.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0118.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0116.jpg

Ecumenical Chapel:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0137.jpg

Playa Esperanza:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0168.jpg

Mosquito Pier:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0195.jpg

Mosquito Beach:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0134.jpg

Ceiba Tree (said to be 300 years old):
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0131.jpg

One of the many horses found around the island:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0105.jpg

caribtraveler

RESTAURANTS: Here's a good web site to see what's available on the island:
http://www.vieques-island.com/rest.shtml

LA VIEQUENSE DELI: This is located in Isabel II. It's a good place to buy sandwiches for lunch before heading out to the beaches. Some prices:
-Ham and cheese sandwich: $2
-Roast beef and swiss cheese sandwich: $4.50

BANANAS: This is an open-air beach and bar in Esperanza (across the street from the beach). We had lunch there. I had a cheeseburger with fries and my husband had a chicken club with fries. With 2 cokes and 1 juice, lunch came to $27.52. I'm glad I had made sandwiches for our son because the food was mediocre. And our waitress was just so lovely. Not.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0167.jpg

CAFE MEDIA LUNA: Located in Isabel II. Funky/hip looking place with great latin (they could turn the volume down a bit though). There are 2 floors. We ate on the 2nd floor. The kitchen is right there for everyone to see, in a corner of the restaurant. Really cool. Our dinner was good but pricey for the small portions.
-Our son had the pizza: $7. It was good (we tasted it).
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0126.jpg
-My husband had the seared veal chop. It was very good but it was just one small chop. $24.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0128.jpg
-I had the filet mignon. It was very good and small too. $24.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0127.jpg
-For dessert, my husband had the chocolate mousse cake. It was really good but look at the TINY serving and it was $8!!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0130.jpg
You heard that thump?! It was our jaws hitting the table when we saw the portion. I did the math. It was worth $2/bite.
-I had the bread pudding. It didn't think it was good at all and I didn't finish it. $8.
Total for dinner came to $98 before tip.

TRADE WINDS: Located in Esperanza. This was our favorite restaurant for dinner. We liked the atmosphere. We sat on a covered terrace with view of the street and sound of the waves. The food was good and it was reasonably priced.
-Our son had pasta with red sauce which he devoured.
-My husband had the pork loin served with pineapple salsa, mashed potatoes and broccoli. $16.50.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ieques0187.jpg
-I had the petit filet mignon in a port wine sauce, with mashed potatoes and broccoli. $23.
-We both had a couple of ice cream desserts.
With a glass of wine and 2 juices, total came to $65.35 before tip.
My favorite moment that night was when several guys rode by on horses. One of them was on a cell phone. Priceless.

==============

GUESS WHO I MET? I met fellow Fodorite Owa and her husband! We were to meet Mahobaygirl as well but we missed her . Owa is so lovely. She is so pretty, tiny, and gives great hugs. We chatted for a bit over drinks and nachos. I'm so glad I got to meet her.

ROADS: The main roads are in asphalt but narrow. The dirt roads to the beaches are awful (rocks, potholes) . A 4x4 is best.

CROWDS: Crowds? What crowds?!

WEATHER/WATER TEMP: The weather was warm but not super hot. The sun would come in and out of the clouds. We had some rain but it was usually in short bursts. I thought the water was on the cold side. My husband who's much tougher than me when it comes to water temps thought so too. Our son couldn't have cared less .

MOSQUITOES: Both my son and I got a couple of bites. I could see those darn things flying around us . I used for the very time Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent (unscented) which came in the form of sheets. It worked really well for us. I think I just missed the spots where we got bitten.

BIO-BAY TOUR: The tour that didn't happen . 2 days before our trip, we got a call from Island Adventures. We had booked our bio-bay tour with them. Their pontoon boat is out of service. They're hoping to get it back up and running in February. They did offer us the kayak tour but with our 4.5 year-old, that just wasn't feasible.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I was really worried that 2 full days on Vieques would not be enough, but it was. We got in everything we wanted to do, and all at a relaxed pace. Alas, we're not part of the group of people who've fallen in love with the island. We simply didn't connect. Despite Vieques not being a return island for us, it was still a good weekend getaway. Happy travels everyone!

soggydollar

Caribtraveler:
Great TR, I am going back to see the pictures.
I explained in an earlier report that I cannot get my original screen name on my laptop down here, so I'm Jeena!
I was wandering around Martineau Bay Resort aroudn 5:05 and did not see anyone there, there was only one table and they did not appear to be on the lookout for anyone.
It was Sat. right? I should have made a last minute contact.
But I did have a nice wander around the grounds. That side of the island has such rough water.
I did think about you guys during the daily showers, knowing it was such a short trip for you.We enjoyed the power outage, we were having cocktails on the porch and it was so quiet.
All of your thoughts and experiences were very honest.
The seagrass at certain beaches, you never know when it is going to be there. Some days at Sun Bay are like that and you do not even want to go in! Some days perfect!!
We found the water cool also. Our trips are usually in March. This is the first year being here so early.
Too bad about the Bio Bay tour. It really would have been the highlight of your trip.
I wish I had met up with you guys, I am off to look at your pics!
mahobaygirl

mymoosie

caribtraveler -
Thank you for the detailed report. LOVE IT! Those portions from Media Luna were mighty small!! That dessert, well good grief, that looked smaller than a candy bar. LOL.

Secret Beach looks amazing. Must go there someday...

A Belated Happy Birthday!!

brenandg

As ALWAYS, really enjoyed your report and pictures. Is it just me, or is your son growing like a weed??? I think the last pics I saw of him might have been Jamaica and this is his turn into a little man time. My, how time flies!!

CaribbeanSoul

CT: Thanks for the awesome contribution! You write the best trip reports! It sounds like you were able to cram a lot into two days. Pata Prieto Beach looks beautiful! Very similar to a VI beach. I have never traveled to Vieques, but your trip report and photos really do a wonderful job for those of us living vicariously!

Kristen1206

Great report!! Even though that is not a spot on list of places I wnat to go it was still very interesting.

When are you going to try Anguilla? You will love it!

ejcrowe

CT, thanks for another great trip report. I can't believe how much y'all got done in only two full days on the island. We were there a bit longer and only saw about half of what you did! Then again, we were dealing with an adult family member who didn't want to do anything. How clever of you to find a real map before leaving and not having to rely on the rental company's joke of a map "not to be used foro navigational purposes." We liked Secret Beach, too, and would have been glad of better directions like yours!

So sorry that you missed the biobay tour, as that really was the defining moment on Vieques for me. Since it sounds like you won't be returning, maybe you can try another one elsewhere in the world.

I'm so envious that you and owa got to meet each other--you describe her just as I imagined her.

Sorry that you didn't love it, but glad that you had a good getaway nonetheless. What a nice birthday present for the whole family to enjoy!

caribtraveler

Jeena: Yes it was Saturday. I think we were the only ones at a table at the poolside restaurant. Did you see us and think it wasn't us? Oh my... That would be a bummer. I'm pretty sure I got there just at 5pm and Owa got there a minute or two later. Oh well... I'm sure we'll get a 2nd chance as we're all Caribbean travelers.

Mymoosie: It was smaller than a candy bar! I'm looking forward to reading your St. Kitts and Nevis report now.

Brenandg: It's not just you. He's a head taller than all his classmates and his peers in gym class. My husband keeps joking that he'll be taller than me in 2 years!

CaribbeanSoul: Thanks!

Kristen: April 2 or should I simply say Anguilla in 11 weeks?

ejcrowe: I learned from your map story. I didn't want to waste any time getting lost since we were there for just 2 days. I thought there had to be a map somewhere on the internet and I was so glad when I found it (don't you just love Al Gore? ).
Our son doesn't really give us a choice re: wakeup time (we have no idea where all that energy comes from and he never naps!), so we were out on the road by 9:30am. That really gave us the opportunity to do all we wanted to do. With our crazy work schedules, we treasure our getaways and we always enjoy them even if it's not love.

ejcrowe

I just now got the chance to open some of your pictures from the trip--they're great. I especially love the one of Secret Beach, which looks just as stunning as I recall.

Wow, those dessert portions at Cafe Media Luna really were small. I wonder if they were on the verge of running out and had to make do? We had such large portions for everything that we couldn't finish our desserts there. Just further proof that any given restaurant can generate highly mixed reviews!

Maggi

Caribtraveler, thanks for taking the time to do such a great report. I will be referring to it on our trip in August.
Maggi

virginiafish

thanks for the great report!