Pata Prieta Beach

 3/5

Location: Vieques Island, Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

Getting there: Take the ferry from Ceiba to Vieques Island. When you arrive on Vieques, you’ll need to rent a UTV or golf cart for $60.00 – $160.00 and drive 20 minutes to get there. Enter the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge and drive down a dusty, unpaved road. You’ll turn right down another unpaved road before you reach Pata Prieta Beach. The Google Maps pin calls it “Secret Beach”.

Things to do: Relax in the shallows – The beach itself is fairly small and sports the characteristic off-white sand that is so common in the area. The beach sits in a small bay that protects it from rough surf and makes for totally calm water on most days. Snorkel – I have heard that you can snorkel on the side of either bay in the rocky area.

Heads up: Arrive early to score a spot in the limited shade. If the water is not very clear, try walking the length of the beach to find areas where it is clearer.

For more information, see Vieques Itinerary and Keys & Islands.

Pros

Snorkeling.
Likely to be uncrowded or empty.

Cons

Limited natural shade.
Sand flies in the morning and evening.
To get there, parking at the ferry terminal costs $15.00 a day, the ferry costs $4.00, and the UTV costs around $90.00 for the day.