San Juan, Puerto Rico: The Spanish Virgin Islands are a fabulous tropical paradise between Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Delightfully strange with their Spanish feel and often referred to as Puerto Rico’s best-kept secret, whilst popular with Puerto Rican and American tourists, they are ‘’rather off the beaten track for Brits’’ as described by the locals.
The two main islands of Vieques and Culebra are laid-back, with beautiful beaches, charming little towns, friendly people, and amazing reefs. Vieques is the larger of the two islands, known for wild horses and the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay. Culebra is mainly about the beaches, including Flamenco Beach, which regularly appears as one of the best beaches in the world.
The beautiful sandy crescent and turquoise waters are a magnificent sight, with the curious addition of a partly submerged US tank, following previous use by the US Navy for manoeuvre and bombing practice (which no longer happens).
Just off Culebra are the tiny uninhabited island of Culebrita and a must for anybody visiting the SVI. Anchoring the stunning sandy horseshoe bay, the visitors can enjoy plenty of inquisitive turtles, a magnificent firey sunset and a fantastic show of stars – nature at its best.
The island has some lovely trails, and following the rocky coastline and clambering over boulders, a shallow cut in the island where waves are forced through a narrow gap creates a churning swirl in the pool. For every visitor, exploring the rock pools and cooling off in the mildly bubbly crystal-clear water was fun.
The islands are somewhere you go to lose yourself for a few days as it is a delightful corner of the Caribbean.
