Day 1 - The Red Eye to Vieques
A long day of travel started with a red-eye flight. We went Denver to Miami and then on to San Juan. We stopped there briefly to have our bags and our bodies weighed for the last leg of the journey - a tiny plane to the island of Vieques. We’ve flown on tiny planes before (Fiji and Nepal) and like the other flights, we have a chance to preview everything from an aerial point of view. One of the things that struck me the most - the striking blue colors of the water.
Upon touch down, we finished our arrival day routine by getting our rental car and checking into the Seagate Hotel, a rambling outfit that has a good view and great hosts.
Despite the crushing fatigue, we skipped the naps and jumped in the jeep and headed out on a mission to get into that striking blue water.
The day ended with dinner in the heart of Isabel Segunda, “town” as it’s known to locals. Conuco is highly recommended - a hip place with local dishes, fresh and delicious food.
Day 2 - Slacklines and Coconuts
We ventured to the south coast to explore of the beaches in the National Wildlife Refuge. It’s an easy drive from Isabel Seguna on Hwy 997. Turn left at the food trucks to enter this 18,000 acre preserve that is one of the largest and most diverse in the Caribbean.
With more than two dozen places to pull-out access the beach we had the sun, sand and water all to ourselves.
A friend back home had recommended a particular spot, La Chiva number 10 and promised calm waters and our own supply of coconuts. He was right, the palm trees were not only full of coconuts, but made great bases for the slack line that we had ferried in our duffle bag all the way from Colorado.
Day 3 - Outdoor Classroom
More exploring of Vieques NWS with a SUP/Snorkel tour with Vieques Paddlingboarding. The first part of the morning was spent paddling easily along and through red mangroves, learning about their environmental and ecological importance. The second part had us kicking our flippers under the water through a variety of small fish, over sea grasses and coral fans. Thinking back to my grade school days, it would have been amazing to learn about the ocean like I had today - up close an literally in my face.
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