Vieques is a small island in the Spanish West Indies, off the coast of the Puerto Rican mainland. It’s part of Puerto Rico, as is nearby Culebra. We were there in 2006. That’s where we got our little sato (Puerto Rican slang for “mutt”), named Lenny. Here’s a picture of her.
(There are lots of dogs there that need homes…check out Save a Sato).
Vieques isn’t a glamorous place, but for us, that was its charm. There were no glitzy resorts, and the people who live there turn off their lights at night, so you can see every star in the sky. You can see the amazing glow of the Bioluminescent Bay, the brightest in the world. There are herds of wild horses that wander the island. And troops of little satos, most of them small terrier size, like Lenny.
Vieques earned its unique charm the hard way. In 1943, more than half of the island was turned into a naval base and the east end of the island was made a bombing range. The base was finally closed in 2004. Ironically, it was because of the naval base and the bombing range that Vieques remained undeveloped.
We just read that the Navy is planning to auction off thousands of acres of the old base (not sure about the bombing range). There are plans for big resorts and a cruise ship dock. I imagine the Viequenses are less than pleased, because Vieques has become an ecotourism destination. Since it looks like change is on the way, if you cruise the Caribbean and haven’t been to Vieques yet, you might want to visit sooner rather than later.









