Diving & Other Outdoor Pursuits
The small scale of Vieques, and the fact that virtually everyone on the island is either related to or linked in some way to everybody else, creates a situation whereby many of the island's watersports outfitters are in constant communication with one another. Therefore, Blue Caribe Kayaks, Calle Flamboyan 149 (El Malecón; tel. 787/741-2522), has evolved into a kind of clearinghouse for the island's watersports outfitters. Consequently, if you're interested in kayaking, snorkeling, water-skiing, scuba-diving, fishing, or swimming in the nighttime waters of Vieques's luminescent bays, the staff here can funnel your request to an appropriate, and competitively priced, outfitter. Through them, you'll gain access to, and information about, any of the following activities:
Renting a Kayak: The cost is $10 an hour, $25 for 4 hours (a half-day), and $45 for a full day.
Renting snorkeling equipment: Fins, a mask, and a snorkel rent for $12 for a 24-hour period.
Guided snorkeling tours in a kayak are available from the harborfront of Esperanza to a sizable island offshore. You can take a kayak at the cost of $35 per person, including guide, to Cayo de Afuera. Snorkelers seek out the island for its gin-clear waters, revealing a stunning collection of antler coral. On some days you can see nurse sharks swim by, and you might even spot the increasingly elusive manatee. Some visitors swim to the island, but that takes a lot of stamina.
A 3- to 4-hour spin-casting fishing tour from a kayak, wherein you'll fish for barracuda, grouper, or other reef fish, using segments of squid or octopus as bait costs $50 per person. Tours last from around 3pm to sundown daily.
A well-rehearsed outfit that's good at leading newcomers into the island's most savage landscapes is Vieques Adventure Company (no physical address; tel. 787/692-9162; www.bikevieques.com). Gary Lowe and members of his staff lead mountain bikers on half-day ($75 per person) and full-day ($105 per person) tours of obscure trails that are noteworthy for their panoramas and technical difficulties. Use of a mountain bike, usually an aluminum-framed, 28-speed, state-of-the-art model, is included in the price. You can rent one of these bikes, without the services of a trail guide, for $25 per day. The company also rents sea kayaks ($45 daily). Anglers will want to try a kayak fly-fishing tour at a price of $150 for a half day, a truly unique experience.
If you want to go diving, the best scuba operator is Nancy's Charters (149 Calle Flamboyan, Vieques; tel. 787/741-2390).
