Tourism is a large part of the economy of Puerto Rico in general, and Vieques specifically. Prior to the 1920’s the economy of Vieques was based on sugar cane. This began in the mid 1700’s. Today there is no commercial agriculture on Vieques. Plantation owners sold the eastern half and a slice of western Vieques to the US military as nature of the sugar industry changed in the 20th century.
There are many reasons for eco-tourists to visit Vieques today. First the island has no chain restaurants or stores. This gives the location a small, less-developed experience than many tourist destinations. Spanish is the native language of Vieques. Next, the beaches have few people and few amenities. This means wildlife is everywhere, not just in a glass aquarium. All this adds up to an experience that feels like you have travelled to another country, though you have not, most cell phones work, there is a Post Office, and dollars are the currency. Here are a few other things to see on Vieques:
- The last fort built by the Spanish in this hemisphere: Fort Mirasol
- The Caribbean on the south side and the Atlantic on the north (just 3 miles apart) give different beaches, fishes, and water temperature
- Good examples of geological uplift on the island, from the off-shore islands (I usually swim out to one - we see lots of fish and other marine life) to Mt. Pirata (yes, pirates really did use Vieques as a haven) at just about 1,000 ft
- A dramatic east-west precipitation gradient that shows three biomes in 20 miles
- Endangered species such as brown pelican, manatee, and leatherback turtles frequent the island
- Four species of sea turtles are found on Vieques, often we help the Fish and Wildlife Service look for nests, move eggs if necessary, release young, or tag adult turtles
- Stunning flowers such as the Flamboyan tree and papaya, pineapples, and star fruit grown naturally on the island
- Horses of the smooth-gaited breed “Paso Fino” inhabit the island. Many are free most of the time, though they are owned by folks. Young men use them for transportation as well around the island.
- The town of Esperanza has a wonderful shallow harbor with expansive seagrass beds, a pier with lots of fish, and open-air small restaurants
- The bioluminescent experience as discussed on the other page
- Kayak tours are available as are charter fishing and cycling tours
- Archeological evidence of the Native Americans that inhabited the islands before the arrival of the Spanish on Puerto Rico