Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
helmet. It also rents child seats. Its website has a downloadable bike map of western
Vieques.
Vieques Adventure Company
CYCLING
( 787-692-9162;
www.viequesadventures.com
)
Based on the south side of the island,
delivers good-quality mountain bikes, helmets and locks to your doorstep for $25 per day.
VIEQUES BY BIKE
A hidden blessing of the erstwhile US occupation is that Vieques remains refresh-
ingly undeveloped and ideal for cycling. Free from the main island's legendary
traffic jams and unforgiving drivers, this 135-sq-mile slither of land has subsequently
become a little-heralded biker's paradise.
As well as renting out bikes, helmets, locks and child-seats, the island's main bike
outlets organize guided rides around the island. If you're up for going it alone, they
can furnish you with maps, routes and insider tips. A few suggestions:
» The main road from Isabel Segunda to Esperanza is Hwy 997, but head west on Hwy
200 and then south on Hwy 201 and you'll find a quieter, more pleasant alternative
route. Halfway along, you can detour up Hwy 995, another lovely country road.
» The ultimate Vieques loop involves heading west out of Isabel Segunda on Hwy 200
all the way to Green Beach (the last section is unpaved). After some shore snorkel-
ing and an idyllic picnic lunch, swing south through the old military bunkers to Playa
Grande before linking up with Hwy 996 to Esperanza.
Tours
The Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (
Click here
) offers in-depth naturalist and
cultural history tours to places including the Playa Grande sugar mill and Cayo de Tierra.
See its website for the schedule.
For bicycle tours of the island, both the Vieques Adventure Company and Blackbeard
Sports offer excellent options for easy amblings or round-the-island adventures. Prices
range from about $20 to $25 per hour.
Car-free visitors should check out
Kiani Tours ( 787-556-6003)
for a two- to three-
hour historical tour ($30 to $35 per person) of the island. It can also arrange drop-off and
