GETTING from san juan, pr to vieques
THREE OPTIONS:
I. 75 MINUTE CAR/Taxi + 1 HOUR FERRY (CEIBA) [slow & cheap]
II. 75 MINUTE CAR/TAXI + 10 minUTE FLIGHT (CEIBA) [Slow-ish & Cheap-ish]
III. 25 minUTE FLIGHT (SAN JUAN) [recommended!]
Camila assuming the role of co-pilot on an April 2016 trip to Culebra, PR
Our recommendation is to book a flight from Isla Grande airport (SIG) using Vieques Air Link (http://viequesairlink.com/book-now-cs/). We think it's the best time, convenience and price combination. These flights should be booked directly with the carrier and won't show up on Google Flights or Kayak. The ferry is $20 RT versus $170 RT, but adding in the adventure in getting to the port and getting tickets, the potential for choppy seas and the slow crossing the plane makes sense if you are OK with the small plane and increased cost.
Flight Options: (1) Expensive, (2) Recommended, (3) Alternative
1 - SJU International to VQS. Prices $300 - $400 RT on Cape Air or Seaborne. Pass unless only option.
2 - SIG (local San Juan airport). Prices $170 RT on Vieques Airlink. 5 flights a day. No security/TSA so you can get here 25 minutes early and have 22 minutes to stare at the ceiling before boarding.
3 - RVR (In Ceiba, 90 minutes from San Juan). $85 RT on Vieques Airlink. Only recommended if you plan to spend time on the island before the celebration and will have a mainland rental car or a big group on the same itinerary to split a cab.
Please note: all VQS flights will be on very small 9-seater Cessna 402 or an 11-seater Brit-Norman BN-2.
Additional note: Vieques Airlink only for sale at their website. All flights to VQS have a 30 pound free baggage limit and $1 a pound up to to 50 pounds.
Ferry - Please note as of 10.30.18 the ferry port moved from Fajardo (old) to Ceiba (new). The ferry port and the RVR airport are now located in the same complex about 75 - 90 minutes outside San Juan.
4 - Ferry service from Ceiba to Vieques. 9am, 1pm and 630pm out. 630am, 11am, 430pm back. The scheduled times will change between now and then.
$10.50 each way to Vieques and back
Buy a round-trip ticket when leaving, if they let you
Certain ferry times can sell out
Do not attempt to buy tickets online, they are a scam - you have to buy in person at the dock
The ride is slow and choppy [edit: It’s apparently faster now!]
Finding the port and buying a ticket is not super straightforward [edit: we read the new port is easier to find but cannot confirm ourselves]
There is a small outside seating area on some ferries but most of the time you will be inside a super cold A/C room
Parking at the ferry lot is $5 per day if you have a rental to leave there [edit: not clear if they charge anymore]
If you plan to take the ferry, please get in contact with Scott or Camila to confirm arrangements so we can explain the various ticket purchase lines and potential delays. No child left behind and all that.
Getting to Ceiba (Cheaper Airport w/ 5 minute flight and new ferry port)
4b - Rent a car or take a cab. There is a flat fixed cab rate from SJU airport which is 75 - 90 minutes away. A car rental with Alamo will cost you $150 for a Thursday - Monday rental. A cab from the airport will cost you $80 each way (up to five people can split that fare, but use the official taxi line to confirm price). With the ferry & Ceiba RVR airport in the same place, cabs should be easier to get coming back from Ceiba to San Juan.
RENTAL CAr/TAXIS ONCE ON VIEQUES
This is the entirety of the town of Esperanza on Vieques. The airport is 15 minutes to the north and the best beaches are 10 - 15 minutes east. All of the bars, hotels and rental house options are located within these few blocks with only a handful of exceptions for the largest AirBNB choices.
If you want to have the freedom to explore on Vieques, we recommend you rent a Jeep or Durango from Maritza's car rental service: http://www.maritzascarrental.com/
Taxis are slow and limited and Uber/Lyft is definitely not a thing.
The only other car company we would recommend doing business with is Vieques Island Rentals. They have gas-powered golf carts for rent that are pretty fun but only about $10 / day cheaper than a SUV.
The beach directly in front of Esperanza is very narrow and rocky. About a 15 minute walk from Esperanza there are very nice beaches with facilities.
The beaches that make it into travel magazine best-of lists involve a 10 - 20 minute drive, often down very bumpy roads. We love having a car in Vieques to explore the wilderness and get lost. It is also easy to rent a scooter for the day right on the malecon.