Vieques Island is a Caribbean island located about 13 km away from Puerto Rico. It is also known as Isla Nina which literally means Little Girl Island. The small paradise measures only 34 km long and 6,5 km wide and its mostly covered by nature. It looks like untouched by modern civilization.
A big part of Vieques Island is blissfully undeveloped and uninhabited. The beaches stay clear and unaffected and hills are full of colorful fauna and flora. You can explore the whole island in one day. However, you will discover it every day in a different way.
Some people visit Vieques island for its nature and beaches. Others, come here to see the brightest bio luminescent bay in the World. And some are curious about a herd of horses living on this small island.
Over the years, the horse population has grown to 2000 in Vieques island. You can find a large herd of horses on the streets, walking down the sidewalk, next to the beach, in the town or in the bush . They live in groups and roam in herds. Are these horses really wild?
The answer is not really. Local people say that the most horses are branded and belong to different families. However, owners usually don’t have enough land to sustain and feed them. So, the horses live free on the island but when they are needed, the owners know where to find them. Many Viequenses still ride horses for transportation purposes to visit local shops in town or work on the farm. The largest number of horses, you can find around Sun Bay and Green Beach area.
Horseback riding is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vieques. Tour guides offer horseback riding across beautiful sandy beaches untouched by man and away from the crowds.
There are some drawbacks of having so many horses on this tiny island. Wild residents break water pipes to get access to fresh water, damage electrical cables, eat food from the trash and mess around the cans. In addition, there are car accidents caused by horses and they are also a potential danger for motorists.
You have to be careful when driving on curvy roads and steep hills. Beside all the negatives, I think that these magnificent animals are not only a part of the landscape, but also they are also a part of the island’s allure. It is something that makes this place so unusual and special.
Residents of Vieques island seem to live here as a one big family. They put so much effort to keep the island pure and wild, away from modernization. By creating communities that help and support each other, they protect the land’s natural beauty.
Also, they promote sustainable life and develop solar and wind power resources to make it environment-friendly. Hopefully, Vieques island will stay as magnetic and wild as I remember it and how locals want to see it.
I have heard about Vieques but only as a military operation, where US practiced dropping bombs. Of course that no longer happens but I did not know there are wild horses on the island. That is super cool.
Vieiras Is a magical island! Growing up in Puerto Rico mainland, Vieques is a source of great pride! Just a quick correction, it’s nickname is “la isla nena” vs “la isla niña” 😊
Anywhere with wild (in this case “wild”) horses has such allure for me. It looks amazing and even with the downfalls, I also hope the island stays a little untamed.
The horses in Vieques look so beautiful, and healthy too. I have never heard about the roaming horses, but it looks like there are plenty of opportunities to see them. Looks like a fun thing to do when you need a break from the beach.
It seems to be a nice island in the Carobbean Sea and horses are fascinating creatures. Great combo for visiting there. Thanks for sharing with us. @ knycx.journeying
Wow what an incredible island – I love hearing about places like this where horses roam wild and free, yes, I can totally understand how wild horses in such numbers would cause issues for the community living there, but it sounds like the community has a strong connection to the animals and it’s part of who they are as islanders 🙂
April 15, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
I have heard about Vieques but only as a military operation, where US practiced dropping bombs. Of course that no longer happens but I did not know there are wild horses on the island. That is super cool.
April 18, 2017 @ 12:14 pm
Yeah, Ive heard about a military operation, kind of sad things. Thank you for your interest! 😉
April 15, 2017 @ 3:24 pm
Vieiras Is a magical island! Growing up in Puerto Rico mainland, Vieques is a source of great pride! Just a quick correction, it’s nickname is “la isla nena” vs “la isla niña” 😊
April 18, 2017 @ 12:12 pm
Thank you The Dining Traveler 😉 I will correct it!
April 15, 2017 @ 5:02 pm
Anywhere with wild (in this case “wild”) horses has such allure for me. It looks amazing and even with the downfalls, I also hope the island stays a little untamed.
April 18, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
Thank you Blissmersion for your comment.
April 15, 2017 @ 10:21 pm
The horses in Vieques look so beautiful, and healthy too. I have never heard about the roaming horses, but it looks like there are plenty of opportunities to see them. Looks like a fun thing to do when you need a break from the beach.
April 18, 2017 @ 12:07 pm
Exactly Julie, its a great thing to drive around the island and look for hundred horses living there.
April 17, 2017 @ 2:01 am
It seems to be a nice island in the Carobbean Sea and horses are fascinating creatures. Great combo for visiting there. Thanks for sharing with us. @ knycx.journeying
April 18, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
Thank you Kenny for your interest 🙂
April 17, 2017 @ 4:02 am
Wow what an incredible island – I love hearing about places like this where horses roam wild and free, yes, I can totally understand how wild horses in such numbers would cause issues for the community living there, but it sounds like the community has a strong connection to the animals and it’s part of who they are as islanders 🙂
April 18, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
Thank you Megan for your comment. Yes, the community has lots of problems cause by horses, but there are a part of the island.