I’m no miner fourty-niner (what does that even mean?) but I’ve truly struck gold. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, my lovely fianceé Becki picked out our hotel on Vieques – the small island off the coast of Puerto Rico – and it was a truly wonderful choice. Let me present to you the best place to stay in Vieques:
The Only Hotel You Need to Know About for your Trip to Vieques
We stayed at the Tropical Guest House and whether you’re visiting the hauntingly beautiful bio bay, here to see the wild horses, or just coming for the beaches, it is without a doubt the best place to stay in Vieques. Let me tell you why:
- They truly make you feel like you’re at home
- It had the friendliness of a backpacker’s hostel with the amenities of a guest house
- There is a lack of pretension and unnecessary formality you often get from hotels, while still maintaining a high degree of professionalism and polish
- The price can’t be beat
- Unlike many places on the island, there is no minimum length of stay required
- The staff is friendly and genuinely wants you to enjoy your stay there
The Owners Inject their Personality into Everything
The owners – Joe and Maria – are the best hosts I’ve ever met in my life, bar none. They seem to have gravitated into their natural roles:
Maria handles the greetings, bookings, the staff, and finding taxi rides, rental cars, tours and anything else you could need while there. Joe maintains the property, handles the paperwork and business aspects of hotel ownership, and provides endless entertainment with a quick wit and ebullient charm.
After a long day of driving to Fajardo, PR to catch the ferry to Vieques, figuring out how to buy our tickets (not as easy as you’d think), figuring out what to do with our rental car, the hour-long ferry ride, and catching a Publico to the Tropical Guest House, Becki and I were ready to collapse.
Luckily for us, Maria had everything handled perfectly, greeting us with coffee and cookies, and got our room ready even though we were 2hrs early for check in. Sincerely a wonderful experience staying with them, and one we won’t soon forget.
Thinking of going to Vieques? Have you been to the Tropical Guest House or are thinking about going? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
Becki says
It is even more exciting now that Joe and Maria have received the Trip Advisory Award! The best place I have ever stayed at!
Andy says
Glad I’m not the only one that loved it ;)
Narielle says
HI! I am trying to decide which island to go to on this trip – Vieques or Culebra. Do we need a car on either island?? What about the ferry? Could you let me know more information, so I can go a bit prepared. Thank you for your assistance.
Becki says
Hi Narielle,
I can give you tips on what I know about the ferry and Vieques. We have not been to Culebra yet, but I hear it is the quieter of the two islands, and like Vieques, I am sure you would need a rental car to get to some of the beaches.
The ferry runs everyday out to either island, and purchasing tickets is quite easy. Depending on what time and what day you go, be sure to arrive early, to find parking, and to get your tickets.
http://www.vieques-island.com/viequesferry.shtml – this website provides times the ferry runs, and tickets are around $2 each way. Plan on purchasing a round trip ticket because it makes things easier when returning back to Fajardo.
There are plenty of taxis on the island of Vieques, and publicos (public cars or vans, like taxis) and depending on how many are in your group, can be expensive. Most of the taxis are based on group rates. I suggest renting a Jeep if you plan on going to more secluded beaches, like Bahia La Chiva (Blue Beach) or Punta Arenas (Green Beach) as taxis won’t drive down those roads since they are pretty rough.
http://www.741taxi.com/#welcome – Is a taxi company with Jeep vehicles, and looking at their website, looks like they can take you to some of those beaches I mentioned above, if you do not want to rent a vehicle.
If you have any other questions on something I may not have included, please feel free to write back or email me at beckio@gmail.com
Narielle says
Thank you so much! Your advice has definitely helped me figure out planning! Your articles have gotten me very excited and can’t wait to finalize my planning!! :)
Becki says
I’m glad! Have a fun time, Puerto Rico is amazing! :-D