SHORE LEAVE
Twenty years ago Vieques opened to tourism — thankfully, little has changed
ALL it takes is a 15minute flight and eight miles of open ocean to lose the crowds, cruise ships and cookiecutter chain resorts. Now, you’re in Vieques, a tiny islet off “mainland” Puerto Rico. It’s a dose of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean that time forgot.
For decades, most of the island was essentially cut off from tourism, occupied by the US Navy until local protests could no longer be ignored and the military left in 2003. Some 20 years later, little has changed for the 52square mile speck and its roughly 9,500 residents. There are tiny, hidden beaches, wild herds of horses and eerie bioluminescent bays — not to mention a surprisingly sophisticated hotel and culinary scene.
“There is this relaxed atmosphere and authenticity that’s so hard to find in the Caribbean today,” said NYC architect Lee Mindel, who’s married to an in-the-know Puerto Rican. “It’s untouched and ungentrified with tiny cafes and hip food trucks and those wondrous wild horses.”
Over the last decade, Vieques became known for its trove of chic hotels. The most elaborate was the W Vieques, a Patricia Urquiola-designed playground that’s remained closed since 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria (it was bought last year by crypto-king Brock Pierce).
The W, while dreamy, always felt a bit OTT for Vieques, an island where simplicity trumps swank — which is where Hix Island House comes in.
This “extreme-green” property is set on 13 hilly acres and was designed by architect and eco-maverick John Hix, whose property includes 13 rooms and a handful of private villas – set in reinforced concrete, bunker-like structures.
Then there’s El Blok, a solar-powered inn opened by New Zealand-expat and one-time music exec Simon Baeyertz, who nurtured the careers of acts like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. The property’s 30 rooms are set in a curved “blok” of a building fronted by a white, concrete lattice with a rooftop restaurant.
The most intriguing property of all, however, is Finca Victoria, a jungle-shrouded, hilltop hotel and wellness retreat that debuted just before the pandemic.
A labor of love from yoga enthusiast Sylvia De Marco — former owner and original design-mind behind San Juan’s celebrated DreamCatcher hotel — Finca Victoria is a renovated 50-yearold guesthouse with a dozen rooms effortlessly (and elegantly) tucked within the hillside flora. The rooms are distinct and daringly designed, with influences ranging from Mediterranean villas to jungle tree houses and a Bondworthy glass hideaway.
All of the meals here are vegan and mostly sourced from the on-site herb and vegetable garden.
There’s yoga each morning plus the Casa Botanica spa, which offers an Ayurvedic-based menu of massages, scrubs, baths and masks.
Like the boho-jungle vibe? Consider checking in for one of Finca’s restorative retreats — or work with the hotel to design your own.
When you are here there is one thing you can’t miss: its bioluminescent bay.
This other-worldly body of water is dense with photosensitive plankton which light up eerily within the waves. Numerous tour operators offer “bio-bay” excursions come sundown, each roughly two hours long. Glide atop the waves in a clear-bottomed kayak before hopping into the water to swim within this glowing aquatic miasma.
Although Hurricane Maria bit Vieques particularly hard, architect Mindel said one silver lining has been the bio-bay, which he said is now “more bioluminescent than ever and is the brightest of its kind in the world.”
Hungry? Island favorite El Quenepo offers a seafoodbased menu with neuevoLatino touches — from panseared Spanish octopus with potato confit to grilled swordfish with basmati rice and snow peas.
For something more casual, hit Rising Roost in the village of Isabel Segundo for omelets, sandwiches and breakfast bowls, while Duffy’s Esperanza is a wellpriced, something-for-everyone spot with burgers, crab cakes and fish tacos.
Just don’t forget, flights between San Juan and Vieques — while brief — are also limited, so book early.