putch29m

we spent a week in vieques 2 weeks ago. cape air was fine and very professional. my only "criticism" would be that there is very little air circulating in the plane and no windows can be open so i got a bit queasy from that. hacienda tamarindo was lovely and user-friendly. the breakfasts were plentiful and tasty. the coleman coolers and ice provided were very useful and appreciated. the staff was extremely pleasant and helpful.
we were very happy we chose it. coming from n.y.c. and having travelled extensively in the caribbean, i must say we were disappointed in the restaurants. we ate at inn on the blue horizon the first night we arrived and that was fine but expensive. i regretted not going to chez shack on monday night and will rectify that the next time we go. we ate at the brand new el quenepo and thought it was okay and not cheap. i would not be in a rush to return. bravo beach hotel was a disappointment. it had a very "miami beach" atmosphere and we thought it was quite pretentious with its tapas menu. the food was okay but not cheap and the staff's attitude was a bit snooty. we ate at island steakhouse on their prime ribs special night and that was okay. the salad was not great but the food was good and it was a price fixed $25 menu for salad and entree. we ate at tradewinds twice and enjoyed their food. all in all, i would say that 2 people cannot eat out on vieques for under $80. maritza car rental was very helpful. we needed a new battery and we drove it right over there, a 10 minute ride, and they fixed us right up and sent us on our way. driving to the beaches is an adventure and the dirt roads with their gigantic potholes are part of the experience. the snorkeling at blue beach and green beach was okay. the visibility was pretty good and we saw some fish at both places. i don't know if great snorkeling exists anywhere in the caribbean anymore. as everyone says, being pretty much alone on the beaches and snorkeling is fabulous. we did the biobay tour with island adventures and found them to be terrific. angie was our guide and she was very serious and sweet. it was an experience not to be missed. we had the stars above us and the stars below us. it was as though tinkerbell has waved her wand and dusted us with diamonds when we lifted our arms our legs out of the water. kayaking out into the bay was quite effortless and not to be feared. they put us in a double kayak and we had a blast. we laughed our heads off when we "tried" to get back in the boat. it was lots of fun. vieques is a great island to visit if you want to see the caribbean as it used to be; not overdeveloped.

soggydollar

putch-i was hoping you would post!! thank you for the TR. Your views of the restaurants was fair and correct. We often say to ourselves, this place needs a stand where you can get a burger anytime (and i do not mean a chain).
sometimes you want to go out for a simple bite to eat and not spend nearly $100!!
glad you enjoyed the bio bay experience. my family arrives tomorrow and they really do not want to do the kayaks, i am trying to talk them into it. we did hear the parts for the pontoon boat are in so maybe it will be going again.
glad you had a great trip.

putch29m

i was "nervous" about doing the kayak and was disappointed about the pontoon not being repaired. afterwards, i was actually happy that i did the kayaking. they have a few double kayaks and if you ask them to i'm sure they will put you in one. after all was said and done, i was happy my husband and i went on the kyak because we had a closer experience with the bay for a longer period of time. as long as you keep your sense of humor when you're getting in and out of the kayaks, you will be fine. have a good time and a good laugh. everybody is there to make your experience a fun one.

cocontom

We did single kayaks, and no one on our trip had any issues getting back in. I was really surprised it was as easy as it was. My guess would be that the singles would be easier since there's no one in the kayak to react to the tipping that will get you in (does that make any sense?).

We had wraps from Bili (on a tour)- they were ok, and dinner at Tradewinds. It was pretty good. I especially liked the passion fruit salad dressing.

putch29m

you are probably right about the single kayaks being easier to "navigate". it was almost worth it because we had such a good laugh about it. we had lunch in bananas one day. i had a huge caesar salad with jerk chicken strips that was very good but my husband's chile had to be sent back twice to be made "warm". the waitress was funny. when she came to take our orders, she said there was only enough for one salad in the kitchen. you've got to love a place that says that to you. it was a fun and casual place to grab a bite. i plan to get more suggestions from locals the next time we're there.

ejcrowe

putch, I'm so glad that you liked Vieques and the HacTam. Which room did you end up having and what was it like?

And do you have plans for your next destination yet?

putch29m

ejcrowe, all of your messages were incredibly helpful. thanks again for being so patient with some of my "silly" concerns. it worked out great having dinner that first night at inn on the blue horizon. what an effortless walk down the hill! we stayed in room 23 which is the watermellon room. for us, it was just right. there is a fan and an air-conditioner in the room. we rarely used the ac. some mornings, we were able to eat breakfast right outside our door when they set the table. kayaking with island adventures was terrific. being in a kayak made the experience even better and provided some good chuckles. we booked the same room for the same week next year. we were very impressed with the sense that vieques is like the caribbean was 30 years ago. we like to have "adventures" and this was an island where that seems to still be possible.