has anyone done any fishing in vieques? my husband is an avid fisherman and he always brings his fishing gear, wherever we go in the caribbean. he doesn't have much luck usually...did anybody find a good spot, either a jetty, a pier or from shore in vieques? we will be there in february.

Putch, there is great flats fishing. There are 2 charter captains on the island. I can highly recommend Gregg McKee, www.wildflycharters.com Francisco is the other captain; I'm not sure if he has a website.

okay so we just went to book flights and were floored by how much the trip from ny to puerto rico is in February. over $500! well we already have our accommodations booked and we NEED to go so i am thinking... since we are spending some loot for the flight we might as well go for more than four days. so i think we're going to extend the trip onto the mainland or elsewhere. any suggestions? i read online about this surf camp in rincon... ever heard? I am open to suggestions and advice! thanks.

i was also wondering about the drive from san juan to rincon... its about 2 and a half hours but a bit cheaper than flying into aguadilla. is it a nice ride?

I had flown with Cape Air and they were perfectly fine. Air Flamenco we also used on a seperate trip to Culebra. Both are fine. Obviously one needs to remember that those are twin-prop Cessesna 7-passenger planes!

I actually preferred to fly from SJU because the transfer was much more convenient. Just make sure you budget at least an hour for your transfers because you will have to take all your luggage from your in-bound flight, and re-enter security back into the terminal. That's the only inconvenience.

My girlfriend and I are traveling to Vieques the first week in September. I know we are rolling the dice with the weather, but are more concerned with selecting a place to stay. We are considering Martineau, Bravo Beach or renting a Villa. Any suggestions?

Martinaeau is owned by Starwood Hotels Group, so you will get a pretty standard first class hotel treatment. There's nothing wrong with that. However, do consider its beach not the best on the island.

I think you will get a lot more out of the "villa" experience. You will cook some meals, and most of them have more of a "homey" feel that will make this island experience more intimate.

My wife and I had a great time in Vieques. Hope you will enjoy the island too!

I didn't take the time to read the 26 other messages, but in case no one mentioned it (how could they not?) definitely go to the phospherscence Bay (SP?) and swim in it. It's one of the high points of my life!

where is the best place to be in san juan? we don't necesarily need to be on the beach since we'll be in vieques but we'd like a hotel that is walking distance to some cool things in town. suggestions?

We love Old San Juan, we have stayed at Hotel Milano it is right on Forenza in the heart of the little town. You can walk to the forts, shops, restaurants, take the 50 cent ferry to the Bacardi distillery for a free tour. Also have stayed at the Howard johnsons there, I read some bad reviews, but we enjoyed it. Floor to ceiling louvered doors opened to the street, also in the heart of it all.
Enjoy......

ditto on Hotel Milano... it's old and kind of "clunky" but they're very nice and the location cannot be beat.

i just called hotel milano and they do not have the dates i need available. boo. any other suggestions?

The bioluminscent bay is wonderful - we did a kayak tour - starting through the mangroves, stopping at a small uninhabited island for a bonfire dinner and wandering around eating sea grapes, and then kayaking into the bioluminescent bay after sunset. It depends on your preferences, but I can't imagine doing this from a larger boat. It's amazing as you start to get close to the bay and you dip your paddle in and see the flickers of glitter and then you're able to jump right in. I am a big chicken and never felt unsafe or nervous. The kayaks have lights so you can see ahead of you and then you can turn them off when you get to the bay. We used a company through this website, which is very helpful:
http://www.elenas-vieques.com/biobay.html.

Note the links on the website discussing the moon phases (which affect visibility) and the recommendation that you do not use any bug spray with DEET - it is harmful to the organisms that create the phosphorescence.

Have a great time!

We splurged by spending our one night in Old San Juan at El Convento--it was a beautiful hotel and I cannot find a single thing to fault it. The rooms were comfortable, even the street views were lovely overlooking a small suare & park, the wine & cheese reception was very nice, the staff were all splendid, the public areas were gorgeous. I called to get a Triple-A discount that was not advertised on the website and ended up being a little less than what was being offered on sites like www.hotels.com.

The Howard Johnsons that I mentioned is the Hotel De Armes,or something like that. Very affordable. We have enjoyed Bio Bay on the pontoon boat offered by Island Adventures. It was not a paty boat scene. Lots of quiet, interested people, they tell you of the flora and fauna of the islands. Then you can go into the water if you want to-do it! It is amazing. They give you a flotation belt and let you swim for 20 minutes or so.

these two are big chains i know, but its only for one or two nights and they are in our price range. wondering which has a better location, we want to be near old san juan. i think location is most important to us since we will be in san juan for such a short time. also if you know anything else about this hotels reputation. i need to book today! thanks friends.
The Courtyard Marriot in Miramar
or
Radisson Ambassador in Condado
or
Normandie Hotel
Much thanks!

or best western hotel pierre...

it seems that so many people who post messages on trip advisor about the hacienda tamarindo in vieques have stayed in room 23. the reason i ask is because we have been booked to stay in that room this coming winter. does anybody have an explanation or a theory?

I was shocked to see that you had to pay $500 for airline tickets from NY. (I hope this was for both of you.) Jet Blue normally has $99-$119 each way. Once in San Juan, you could use one of the local carriers to fly to Vieques for about $100 or less RT (Cape Air, Vieques Air Link or Flamenco Air)

we go away during president's week every february and the airline prices are always high and tickets must be purchased during the summer. $500 for february is a "good" price and not extraordinary. so the price you pay is directly linked to when you fly. as you get closer to february, you will see the prices go up to over $1000 round trip. there are fewer flights and as many or more people getting away every february.
that has been my experience over the last 17 years of going away in february.
if someone knows a "secret" about getting cheap tickets that week i'd love to hear it and save money.