Casa Flamboyan - Charming House w/ Ocean Views!

We stayed in this Caribbean cottage for a week just after the Easter celebrations. It has the welcome feeling of home, amidst the colorful variety of sights and sounds of island life. It is impeccably decorated (island/Mexican motif) and well maintained. There are several areas for lounging—the rooftop deck, the front and rear patios or the living room, however we spent most of our time driving around to different beaches and exploring the island which has not yet been overtaken by the big hotel chains. We used the kitchen daily and found it had absolutely everything we needed, even some of the spices that I thought about buying at the market. We enjoyed the location of the house, a few minutes drive from the town of Isabel II, in the barrio of Santa Maria, which seems to be a neighborhood of mostly locals. We felt like we were experiencing a bit of authentic Vieques life. Do not be surprised to see the occasional horse or two walking down the street or the crow of a rooster.

The owners were easy to work with and Joanne, who met us at the airport, helped orient us and took us to a market on our way to the house. There is a terrific little bakery in Isabel II, where I picked up pastries and “café con leche” almost every day. The island has some fantastic beaches which we often had to ourselves and snorkeling opportunities abound. We made two particularly memorable outings—Bio Bay (night swimming in bioluminescence) and horseback riding, which allowed us to see the island from some really different locations.