Hello! I am planning my first trip to Puerto Rico (actually to the Caribbean in general; I have stuck to Europe and Asia thus far). I have some questions about Vieques that I am hoping some of you knowledgeable travellers can help with.

It seems that there are 3 routes to get from the mainland to Vieques:

1) SJU to Vieques
2) Isla Grande to Vieques
3) Fajardo to Vieques

Is the ferry available only from Fajardo, with only airplane from the other two? How do the costs compare? What about the time factor? How much time/money to get to Isla Grande or Fajardo from Old San Juan? Any hints on rental cars? Is it best to rent one at the airport and leave it at Fajardo, or just take a taxi and rent one upon return? Is a vehicle a must on Vieques? Is there public transportation available?

We are going to be there during the perfect time of month in terms of moon phase! How much does the BioBay tour cost? It sounds like there are two of those, the kayaking and the platoon? Which comes with the bus and lesson? How long should we slate for this?

Thanks in advance for your input!

There is also a fast ferry from Old San Juan direct to Vieques. It departs from a location near the cruise-ship piers, but it does not run year-round, so check carefully to make sure it's running if you want to use it, but this is the ferry I'd recommend. All the other ferries leave from Fajardo. A vehicle is really necessary on Vieques since the best beaches are fairly remote and the transportation there isn't good (I think there are publicos on Vieques itself, but I wouldn't rely on them exclusively). Rent the car on Vieques. It's very difficult and expensive to take one over on the ferry.

If you don't take the Fajardo ferry, I'd suggest you fly, though it's somewhat cheaper to fly from Isla Grande than SJU; a taxi to Isla Grande from the airport will usually cost less than $20 and much less from Old San Juan. PR doesn't have a good public transit system, but you can actually take a publico (public shared van service) to Fajardo for less than $10, and the trip takes about 2 hours (90 minutes if you take a taxi or drive yourself). I've done these on other islands but never on PR, so I can't say if the system is reliable and comfortable, but publicos can be crowded. It's usually more expensive to rent a car and drop it off in Fajardo than to take a taxi to Fajardo, but you should check on that.

Many people on this board have been to Vieques, so you should get a lot of good advice here. I'd recommend the kayak tour of the biobay, and go when there is no moon for the best bioluminescent experience.

We're leaving for Vieques in a couple of weeks. We booked the biobay tour with Island Adventures (highly recommended by several people on this board). They have the pontoon boat. You have to get to their office on your own. They do a pre-trip presentation there. Then you board their bus to the boat. The entire thing will last about 2 hours (6pm-8pm), according to the woman I spoke to on the phone. It's $30 per adult, and $15 per child 12 years old and under. Children 3 years old and under are free.

Everyone who has been to Vieques says a jeep is a must if you want to see all the beaches the island has to offer.

If you use the search feature on this board and type in "Vieques", you will find quite a few recent postings with great info.

Good luck.

Can you fly from San Juan to Vieques?

Sure. We're flying with Cape Air.

From SJU, you can fly on Cape Air, Air Sunshine, and Vieques Air Link. From Isla Grande and Fajardo, the best bet is Vieques Air Link. We usually fly from Isla Grande as it is roughly 50% cheaper than from SJU. Fajardo is 50% cheaper again, but is a 45 minute +/- taxi ride away.

It is my understanding that a passport is not necessary to enter Puerto Rico if you are an American citizen. If this is correct, what form of i.d. is acceptable, other than a U.S. drivers license? Is a driver's license all you need to be admitted.

If you are flying to PR, Vieques or Culebra from the US mainland there are no passport requirements. A valid drivers license is all you will need.

In regards to choosing between the ferry or flying to Vieques this will depend on your budget and if your are prone to motion sickness. At times the ferry ride may get a bit choppy. Although this is the prefer mode of transport for many locals visiting the off shore islands, many will drive their own vehicles to Fajardo (about 1hr drive). I wouldn't recommend the publicos as they are crowded and not very reliable in their schedules. Flying will cost a bit more, but it is more convenient time wise if you are staying in the old city. As ccc said it is cheaper to fly out of the Isla Grande airport which is just a 5 minute taxi ride from Old San Juan.

The bioluminecent trip is best when there is no moon and I would definetely recommend the kayak tour. There are a total of three BioBays in PR. They are located in Vieques, Fajardo and Lajas.

Enjoy your trip!

If you have a short time on Vieques, I think it's worth the extra money to fly from SJU rather than the other airports or taking the ferry.

Definitely rent a car, preferably one with high clearance, so that you can take advantage of seeing all of the lovely beaches.

I took the pontoon biobay tour and would highly recommend it to anybody. Other folks love the kayak method since it puts you closer to the water. My thoughts are that by that time in the evening after a full day spent on and in the water, I don't want to be paddling around on my own steam. I also really enjoyed the informative talk given by the fun-loving guys at Island Adventures.