A mile and a half of public beach with almost nobody on it. That is the whole
pitch, and on Vieques it is not a hard one to make.
Sun Bay is a long protected crescent east of Esperanza — calm shallow water,
sand the whole way, and the kind of emptiness that surprises people arriving from
anywhere else in the Caribbean.
What is not here
No chairs. No bar. No food. No watersports. Restrooms exist and are basic and
sometimes closed.
This is worth stating plainly because it is the single most common
disappointment on this island. Vieques is not built for beach service, and people
arriving expecting a St. Thomas or Cancun beach day have a bad afternoon.
Bring water, bring shade, bring lunch. Then it is one of the best beaches in the
Caribbean.
The horses
There are thousands of wild horses on Vieques, and the grass behind Sun Bay
is one of the places you will reliably see them.
They are not a managed herd and they are not anyone’s. They wander the roads,
the beaches and the town, and they have been here for generations.
Two practical things: do not walk up to them, because they are livestock and
they kick, and drive slowly after dark, because a dark horse on an unlit road
is a genuine hazard and the most likely way to ruin a rental car here.
Getting there, and the jeep question
It is a short drive from Esperanza, the small south-coast town where most
visitors stay and eat.
You will want a vehicle. Vieques is spread out, the good beaches are scattered
along the south and east, and taxis exist but make beach-hopping expensive and
slow. Most people rent a jeep on the island — and those rental companies are
local independents on no booking platform, so we earn nothing telling you that.
When to come
Late afternoon into sunset. The beach faces south and west enough that the
light goes long and orange across the water, the heat drops, and whatever small
crowd there was has gone.
Tours that stop here
Ranked by what we'd book. No operator paid to be here.
Vieques Biobay Kayaking Tour, Mosquito Bay
Vieques Adventure
1.5 hoursFrom $60
Leaves from Vieques, not the mainland. Brightest bioluminescent bay measured anywhere.
How we make money: some links here are affiliate links — if you
book through one, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We take no
placement fees, so operators cannot pay to appear or rank higher on this page.
Where a better option isn't bookable through our partners, we say so and link it
anyway. Full disclosure.
Questions people actually ask
Is Sun Bay free?
There is a small fee when the entrance gate is staffed, and frequently it is not. It is a Puerto Rico public balneario rather than a national park beach, and the fee is nominal either way.
Are there really wild horses on Vieques?
Yes, thousands of them, roaming the whole island including the roads and the grass behind Sun Bay. They are descended from animals left over generations and they are not anyone's. Give them room, do not feed them, and drive slowly at night.
Is Sun Bay good for swimming?
Very. It is a long protected crescent with calm shallow water and sand underfoot, which makes it one of the better family swimming beaches on the island. The snorkeling is poor and that is not what it is for.
Do you need a car to reach Sun Bay?
Effectively yes. It is a short drive from Esperanza and taxis run, but Vieques is spread out and beach-hopping without a vehicle is difficult. Most visitors rent a jeep on the island.
