Local Information • elenas-vieques.com

Local Information in Vieques

 

 




PINKYS' THRIFT SHOP
All proceeds go to The Vieques Humane Society.
Hours: Wed through Saturday 9-5, Sun 12-4

Pinkys' Website.

 

• Archeological Sites ... the VCHT or Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust has a small shop and mini museum in Esperanza. T. 8850 .

Starwood Leads Luxury Brand Segment

Boasting the world's largest and fastest-growing portfolio of luxury hotels, Starwood leads the luxury brand segment with one of the hottest pipelines in the industry, including 50 properties awaiting opening. W hotels marks a growth milestone in 2008 with agreements in place to triple its portfolio to more than 60 exciting locations around the world. Beginning as a North American urban brand just ten years ago, W has transformed into a global lifestyle authority with hotels, residences and retreats in the world's most exhilarating urban and resort destinations from Verbier to Vieques, South Beach to St. Petersburg, and Atlanta to Athens. Embraced by the development community, W Hotels represents the ultimate expression of contemporary luxury and is like no other product in the markets where it is now opening hotels.

Expected opening of the Starwood W Vieques about 2009 or end of 2008

 

• AA Help and information T.8939

• Aquafrenzy Biobay Kayak Trips Tel. 0913

• Beaches map and photos

• Bioluminescent Bay • Bioluminescence

• Biobay Ecological Threats

• The Birds of Vieques is a monthly feature: July features the Wilsons' Plover, June featured the hummingbirds.

• Ceiba Tree. Magnificent 300 year old tree and landmark.

• Contact Webmaster elenasvieques@hotmail.com

• Ecology • Coral Reefs • Mangrove Lagoons

• Ecology • The US Fish & Wildlife Reserve & Beaches

• Elenas' Travels in India Photos. Her personal collection of pictures taken while traveling.

• Fossils that are 60 million years old.

• Puerto Rico Government websites. Opens in new window.

• Fort and Museum 'Conde de Mirasol' T. 1717 Open Wednesday through Saturday. 10 AM to 4 PM.

• Lighthouse Mini Museum T. 0060 Open 7 days except holidays. 8 AM to 4 PM.

• Groceries: There are two main grocery stores on Vieques ( both owned by Morales brothers) and a collection of 'Colmados'. You can purchase anything here on Vieques, on occasion, but not everything all the time. Grocery store hours are 7 AM to 6 - 7 PM, half day on Sundays. Colmados stay open a little later. There is also a, very enterprising, fruit stand on the corner, past the town gas station.

• Health Food Store is located in Monte Santo on the main road.

Horseback Riding

Paso Finos Shows are a big event in Vieques. Some History of Paso Finos and Puerto Rico. Weekends in Esperanza the streets are over run with everyone showing off on their horses.

• How to get to and from Vieques Airlines, ferry and taxis.

• Humane Society Animal adoption and Veterinary Clinic T. 0209


'Volunteer Vacation' with the Vieques Humane Society. You will be provided with a private room, shared bath & kitchen (and limited transportation) in exchange for volunteering to work with the animals and/or clinic 20 hours a week. All kinds of help needed and wanted.

.. contact person Barbara Rumore
.. phone number 787.741.4773

• Isabel Segunda - The main town on Vieques: two banks, and one ATM at Banco Popular. The Post Office T. 3891, two drug stores, several restaurants, a few places to stay and some shops. Please note that Vieques is part of the US and uses the American dollar.

Farmacia San Antonio T. 8397
Isla Nena Pharmacy T. 1906

• Lodging: Just one night ???? You should stay in Esperanza, on the waterfront where you can walk to the biobay tours meeting places... Here is a list of guest houses in Esperanza that will usually accept guests for one night ONLY. Most lodging in Vieques will not accept one nighters.

All telephones start with 787-741- unless otherwise noted.

Trade Winds Tel. 8666, Bananas Tel. 8700, Amapola . . . all face the Malecon with easy swimming and 'night life' at your doorstep.

Alta Vista Tel. 3296, Pablos Tel. 8917, Casa de Kathy Tel. 3352, Casa Coral Tel. 1967, and Mi Pana Tel. 787-874-6221 are just a few blocks away, relatively more quiet, in a residential neighborhood.

For all lodging etc. in Vieques: visit these three websites:

Vieques-Island.com • Enchanted Isle.com • Vieques Travel Guide.com

Or use the Consult Elena Travel Planning

• Rios Laundromat is open! Right across from Als Mar Azul in Isabel II ( closed Mondays)

• Maps of Vieques

• Nearby Attractions to Vieques:

. . . El Yunque Rainforest on Mainland PR

. . . Flamenco Beach on Culebra Island

 

Rooster or 'Cock' Fighting in Vieques is highly regulated and the roosters are not allowed to fight to the death. They have an alloted time to fight and if both are still standing when the time is up it's a draw. Saturday afternoons at the Gallero in Montesanto.

More business information on the Vieques Island website.

webmaster: elenasvieques@hotmail.com


FIVE-THOUSAND YEARS OF HURRICANES IN VIEQUES. Read article by Franziska Badenschier in Woods Hole, US

Soil samples from the Playa Grande lagoon in Vieques have given US scientists insight into the last 5,000 years of Atlantic hurricanes. . .

The increase in super-strong hurricanes of category four and five -- as strong as storms get -- has been difficult to ignore in recent years. . . . . the reason why the intensity of hurricanes varied so greatly during the past 5,000 years . . changes in the West African monsoon -- a process of air circulation that occurs over a vast area -- and in El Nino are the reason

. . . . US weather experts are still assuming a 75 percent likelihood of an above-average 2007 hurricane season. . . El Nino developed only weak to medium intensity . . the first tropical storm of the year has developed unusually early. .

The seeming up-tick in violent hurricanes . . . climate change increases ocean surface temperatures, which fuels the transformation of weak winds to mighty hurricanes. . . humans, by virtue of carbon emissions leading to global warming . . . share at least some of the responsibility for the record hurricane year of 2005.

The surface temperature of the oceans really is increasing, "But that only favors the development of hurricanes," he says. It isn't, in other words, the whole story behind the many hurricanes in recent years.

"We happen to be living in an active hurricane phase," the geologist says



 

ELENAS VIEQUES ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE

• BEACHES
• Coral
• Blooming Cactus
• Motorboat Snorkeling
• Iguanas
• Consult Elena