Book a vehicle and carry water before leaving town.

Roads and beaches

The most photographed beaches sit inside the National Wildlife Refuge at the end of unpaved, rutted roads. You need a high-clearance vehicle to reach several of them.

Most beaches have no lifeguards, bathrooms, or vendors. Bring your own water and shade, and carry your trash back out.

Renting a vehicle

Rent on the island, since the cargo ferry puts residents first. Book well ahead, because the fleet is small.

Driving the island

Two gas stations serve the whole island, both on Route 200. They depend on cargo deliveries from the main island, so delayed freight can empty a station and create long lines. Top up when the forecourt is quiet.

Under Puerto Rico’s traffic law, a valid license from a U.S. state or territory covers the first 120 days after arrival. The exemption for a qualifying foreign-country license is 30 days and depends on reciprocity. Rental companies can set additional requirements.

The roads through the interior climb and tighten until they look like a single lane. They hold two, so slow down on blind curves and keep to your side.

Horses and goats step onto the pavement at any hour, and a cow or a loose dog can wait around the next bend. Give them room and hold your speed low enough to stop.

Groceries

The island has two grocery stores, both with limited hours, and one closes at the weekend. Stock arrives by barge, so selection swings and prices run high. Bring a cooler of staples from the mainland if your rental has a kitchen.

Connectivity

Cell and internet coverage drops off outside the two towns.

Closed areas

The U.S. Navy used Vieques as a live-fire training range for six decades. Crews are still clearing unexploded ordnance from parts of the former range, and those areas stay closed. Do not climb a fence or a marked boundary in the refuge, and leave any metal object you find on a remote beach where it lies. The open beaches, including the famous ones, are patrolled and safe.

Small things that help

Wild horses roam free and have right of way (they know it, too).
Cards work in most places, but outages happen, so carry cash.
Save business numbers before you arrive. Posted hours can change, so each listing shows the date we checked it.