Arriving at Antonio Rivera Rodriguez Airport in Vieques places you close to it all, with several nearby islands and beaches just a short hop away. Vieques is a small island off Puerto Rico's east coast, with wild horses wandering the roads and long stretches of protected shoreline. Much of Vieques was once used by the US Navy, and today that land is a wildlife refuge, which keeps the island quiet and green.

Favorite experiences on Vieques: - Kayak Mosquito Bay at night, one of the brightest bioluminescent bays in the world - Spend a lazy day at Sun Bay, a wide crescent of sand near Esperanza - Snorkel at La Chiva and Caracas beaches inside the wildlife refuge - Walk the waterfront malecon in Esperanza for food and sunsets - Visit Fort Conde de Mirasol, the last Spanish fort built in the Americas, above Isabel Segunda - Stop by the Punta Mulas lighthouse overlooking the harbor - Spot the island's free-roaming paso fino horses - Eat pinchos, alcapurrias, and fresh fish at a roadside stand

Vieques is an island, so getting around beyond it means a ferry or a short flight rather than a drive. Ferries run to Ceiba on the main island of Puerto Rico, where El Yunque rainforest is within easy reach, and neighboring Culebra, famed for Flamenco Beach, is a short flight or boat ride away. Plan your bio bay trip for a night with little moonlight, when every paddle stroke glows. Slow evenings, salty air, and that glow in the water make Vieques hard to leave.