La Isla del Encanto

I just got back from an enchanted little island - wild horses roam its beaches and forests,  pristine turquoise waters welcome only you as their guest, it is perennially 85 degrees, and at night their bioluminescent bay, the brightest one in the world, sparkles and glows as you swim in it.  The island is called Vieques, or Isla Nena as the locals call it - it is 8 miles east of mainland Puerto Rico and has remained off the radar for most Caribbean tourists and is therefore as wild and virgin as a Caribbean island gets.  My family and I had an amazing time exploring its coral reefs, sailing to tiny islands on its bays, kayaking among schools of minuscule silver fish and of course swimming in its transparent waters.  We miss it already and can't wait to go back....

Here are some of the pictures I took:


The view while flying to Vieques.


The shore line as seen from our plane.


Trees near the beach.


Wild horses roamed the island.


A short path to turquoise waters.


The beach at Bahia de las Chivas.


View from our sailboat heading to snorkel and swim.


Snorkeling off the boat, I should have brought a more activity-appropriate bathing suit.


Coral reefs as seen by my brother.


The dramatic daily dusk and clouds in the horizon.