Vieques & Culebra

Vieques and Culebra are Puerto Rico's offshore islands — and they offer some of the finest natural experiences in the entire Caribbean. Both islands spent decades as US military bases, which paradoxically preserved their natural environment from the resort development that changed the main island. The result is two Caribbean islands of extraordinary, almost accidental, pristine beauty.

Vieques is most famous for Mosquito Bay — the brightest bioluminescent bay on earth. On moonless nights, every movement through the water creates an explosion of electric blue light caused by dinoflagellates — microscopic organisms that produce light when disturbed. Kayaking through Mosquito Bay in darkness is one of the most magical experiences available anywhere in the natural world. Vieques also has some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean — Sun Bay, Media Luna and Navio are largely empty stretches of extraordinary natural beauty within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.

Culebra is even smaller and even more beautiful. Flamenco Beach, a perfect horseshoe of white sand and turquoise water, consistently ranks among the world's finest beaches. The island's small town of Dewey has a backpacker-friendly charm, and the reef around the island offers excellent snorkeling and diving.