Is there an advantage to staying on Vieques' south shore vs. the north shore (ie. accessibility to the nicest beaches, closeness to Esperanza or Isabel 2)? Or is the whole island so small that it really doesn't matter?
Also, I would welcome any suggestions as far as hotels, guest houses or villas ( we will just be 2 people).

"Is there anyone alive out there?"

have not been on vieques. from reading trip reports, etc. i'd ssy north/south doesn't matter much as it is quite small. advise you rent jeep vs car. there is one new hotel on the south side, i think called W. you might look on trip advisor to see if people have been yet. one good site for villas is: bravosboyz.com, also look at vrbo & homeaway.
hope this helps get you started

Esperanza is closer to Sun Beach, Red Beach, Blue Beach. Also, it has several restaurants within walking distance. There used to be a big van that would take you to Sun Beach from that area.

Isabel 2 is a little "busier". Term used very loosly. If you don't stay on that side you will want to visit it for sure for several good restaurants and supplies.

We stayed in a villa on a hill which we loved. We rented a jeep from Martineau's (I believe) so we could get to some of the more difficult beaches to reach.

Here is a trip report from a Fodorite's recent visit:

http://www.fodors.com/community/cari...vieques-pr.cfm

Also, www.enchanted-isle.com is a webpage with lots of Vieques information on it.

Have fun planning!

We stayed in Esperanza and preferred that to what we can tell about Isabella II. See my trip report for more details.

http://www.fodors.com/community/cari...family-fun.cfm