Puerto Rico/Vieques in May
Apr 5th, 2007, 10:02 AM
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Puerto Rico/Vieques in May
Hi,
I am going to Puerto Rico in May with my boyfriend. We have booked our flights, but have not yet made any hotel reservations. Our plan is to spend the first night in San Juan, 2nd night in the rain forest and hike El Yunque the next day, and then to spend 4 nights in Vieques. I have a number of questions. I keep reading that people would highly recommend renting a car in Puerto Rico and in Vieques. We are looking to save money, and would love to get by without renting a car--do you think we will be ok without a car? Does anyone know how we might get from San Juan to El Yunque, and then from El Yunque to the ferry in Fajardo? And, once on Vieques, is there any other way to get to beaches that you cannot walk to if you dont have a rental car? Is there public transportation on Vieques?
And lastly, I am looking into a place to stay on Vieques called Casa Alta Vista...has anyone stayed there? And if so, what are your impressions. We want to be near some beautiful beaches, but also near restaurants and some stuff to do at night. Any suggestions of where to stay for cheap in San Juan? (only for one night!) Thanks!!
I am going to Puerto Rico in May with my boyfriend. We have booked our flights, but have not yet made any hotel reservations. Our plan is to spend the first night in San Juan, 2nd night in the rain forest and hike El Yunque the next day, and then to spend 4 nights in Vieques. I have a number of questions. I keep reading that people would highly recommend renting a car in Puerto Rico and in Vieques. We are looking to save money, and would love to get by without renting a car--do you think we will be ok without a car? Does anyone know how we might get from San Juan to El Yunque, and then from El Yunque to the ferry in Fajardo? And, once on Vieques, is there any other way to get to beaches that you cannot walk to if you dont have a rental car? Is there public transportation on Vieques?
And lastly, I am looking into a place to stay on Vieques called Casa Alta Vista...has anyone stayed there? And if so, what are your impressions. We want to be near some beautiful beaches, but also near restaurants and some stuff to do at night. Any suggestions of where to stay for cheap in San Juan? (only for one night!) Thanks!!
Apr 5th, 2007, 03:28 PM
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For Vieques, except for Sun Beach, a car is needed to get to the other great beaches. There was a van that shuttled people to/from Esperanza to Sun Beach only.
There have been a lot of posts lately on Vieques so put Vieques in the search box and check out the postings there for lots of information.
I got this from ViequesTravelGuide.com:
In order for you to experience the island of Vieques, adequate transportation or having a car rental is a MUST. Driving around Vieques is truly an adventure and attraction on it's own.
There are many beaches that are only accessible by car, preferably a jeep. Many publicos (public transportation) will not drive to these areas. Some beaches may take you as long as 10-15 minutes to get there from the road entrance. Besides getting a car rental, you can opt to rent bicycles, scooters, or if you are an avid hiker you can walk the trails. Come with me for a virtual drive of the island of Vieques.
*******
This website has a wealth of info and numbers for you:
www.enchanted-isle.com
As for hotels on the beach, The W/formerly Martineau Bay is the only one on a sandy beach and it's closed or is closing very soon for remodeling to become the new W Hotel.
Bravo Beach Hotel in Isabel Segundo is on a very rocky beach and not budget lodging but very hip and cool place. Its on the opposite side of the island from Esperanza.
Here is a map of the island:
http://tinyurl.com/2rwbcx
I couldn't imaging going to Vieques without a car as the best parts of the island are only accessible by car or jeep.
There have been a lot of posts lately on Vieques so put Vieques in the search box and check out the postings there for lots of information.
I got this from ViequesTravelGuide.com:
In order for you to experience the island of Vieques, adequate transportation or having a car rental is a MUST. Driving around Vieques is truly an adventure and attraction on it's own.
There are many beaches that are only accessible by car, preferably a jeep. Many publicos (public transportation) will not drive to these areas. Some beaches may take you as long as 10-15 minutes to get there from the road entrance. Besides getting a car rental, you can opt to rent bicycles, scooters, or if you are an avid hiker you can walk the trails. Come with me for a virtual drive of the island of Vieques.
*******
This website has a wealth of info and numbers for you:
www.enchanted-isle.com
As for hotels on the beach, The W/formerly Martineau Bay is the only one on a sandy beach and it's closed or is closing very soon for remodeling to become the new W Hotel.
Bravo Beach Hotel in Isabel Segundo is on a very rocky beach and not budget lodging but very hip and cool place. Its on the opposite side of the island from Esperanza.
Here is a map of the island:
http://tinyurl.com/2rwbcx
I couldn't imaging going to Vieques without a car as the best parts of the island are only accessible by car or jeep.
Apr 5th, 2007, 06:55 PM
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Hi, our family went to San Juan and Vieques a few years ago and loved it - especially Vieques. We stayed at the Howard Johnson in San Juan, which was clean, reasonable and across the street from the beach in Isle Verde (sp?).
As the previous poster mentioned, to see the many beaches of Vieques, you really need to rent a car. However, if you are trying to save money, you could stay in Esperanza at Bananas or Tradewinds. (These are both modest places, but really have the feel of the old Carribean - or what I imagine it might have been like.) These places are walking distance to the beach and to a few restaurants. Then you could hang out there a couple days and rent a car to check out the rest of the island a couple days.
Whatever you do, first reserve a trip to the biobay. It is truly awesome!
As the previous poster mentioned, to see the many beaches of Vieques, you really need to rent a car. However, if you are trying to save money, you could stay in Esperanza at Bananas or Tradewinds. (These are both modest places, but really have the feel of the old Carribean - or what I imagine it might have been like.) These places are walking distance to the beach and to a few restaurants. Then you could hang out there a couple days and rent a car to check out the rest of the island a couple days.
Whatever you do, first reserve a trip to the biobay. It is truly awesome!
Apr 6th, 2007, 03:58 AM
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some publicos will take you out to the beaches, but it will cost a pretty penny and you would be better off renting a car, at least for a couple of days. While at Green Beach yesterday, we saw a publico come and pick up a group of people, we were all quite surprised to see that!!
Apr 6th, 2007, 04:09 AM
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Thanks for all your help! Where is the best place to rent a car on the island?? And, who do you recommend for the trip to the biobay?? Thanks again!! All your input is extremely helpful!!
Apr 6th, 2007, 07:06 PM
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the best place to rent a car is at charlie rent a car in Isla Verde, Puerto rico. check the info at http://www.holasanjuan.com at the visitor information section, saludos, Raul
