i have read a lot about the somewhat slim-pickings of restaurants on vieques. my fiance and i will be there for two weeks, and i had hoped we would do a fair bit of cooking there. can anyone recommend a good grocery store..the one that locals use? my fiance speks spanish if that helps. we will be staying in bravos de boston. are there areas that we can just walk around and wander around? are there beaches within walking distance? i was thinking abt renting a scooter for the first week, then a car for for the second week. any thoughts about that? i have found that scooters [$50] are not much cheaper than cars [$60]...but thought it might be fun to ride a scooter. if i have no experience riding a scooter, will that be a problem? i've read about the biobay everywhere. any other suggestions for romantic spots to go? any ideas for getting to culebra efficiently besides going to fajardo? any other tips would be greatly appreciated! thank you!

There are 2 grocery stores. One downtown Isabelle (you can walk to from your hotel) and one on the outskirts of town. Owned by the same family. Wed is produce delivery day and you will have the best selection of produce. Other items, eggs, milk, meat, snacks are hit or miss, sometimes shelves full and sometimes not!
There is a produce truck with a abetter selection, but more $$.
There is a health food store towards the airport.
There are lots of colmados(convenience stores).
I look at shopping for food as a treasure hunt!

From the Bravos area you can walk around downtown. There is the fort area and the other town of Esperanza for walking-but you need to drive there.

The good beaches you need to drive to. I see scooters on the road and get nervous. speedy local drivers and lots of very narrow roads. Maybe rent a scooter for a day or 2 and see what you think.

Flights from vieques to culebra are $50 round trip. Not too much $$ considering the hassle of getting the ferry from fajardo. Check out Air Flamenco.

Have lots of fun, this is a great island. I discover new things every day!!

thank you soggydollar! any suggestions for spots for beginners? what are the actual names of the grocery stores? are there specific grocery items that you can think of that are harder to find there? what is the best place to buy fresh seafood? thank you!

The grocery stores are called Morales, but I do not think there are signs up!!
There is a fisherman's co-op right by the ferry dock, a green and yellow building. The fishermen sell their days catch there.
Lots of bakeries to buy fresh made bread and pastries in the morning. I often buy an extra loaf and make it into a long italian sandwich, good for the beach and cutting off a piece when hungry!!
I do not care for the selection of meat here. The ground beef is excellant...and they have some good cuts of steak sometimes, but lots of chicken that is "fryer" quality. If you could freeze some of your fave meats and wrap in newspaper and a plastic bag, you can bring your own (or a soft sided cooler).

I love Vieques so much. If you do go out to eat, try Tropical Baby. It's a friend-of-a-friend's restaurant and the food is so fresh and delicious. Yum! Enjoy! Please post if you find out more about renting a scooter

I just heard Tropical Baby just closed. I have never dined there, but people we met raved about it.

There is a new restaurant Duffy's in Esperanza. Hours are suppose to be 11a to 11p, but still sporadic at this time!