We think of beachcombing as searching for “treasures from the sea”, which may include seaglass, shells, driftwood, unique stones, sea creatures, and various manmade artifacts. It’s a very popular pastime on beaches around the world. We’ve found a boat compass, lots of rope and nets, floats for crab and fish traps, other boat pieces and parts, dominoes, kids’ toys, etc. We’ve also seen starfish, conchs and other creatures that needed a hand returning to the water, and of course various pieces of trash. Now “beachcombing” isn’t picking up trash per se, but it doesn’t hurt while you’re in the neighborhood! Many of the treasures found in this part of the Caribbean were picked up and delivered by hurricanes Irma and Maria, and we’re slowly cleaning that all up, the good with the bad.
As you might imagine, Seaglass Beach has a lot of glass, and is right in town, but in our experience most of the pieces are broken into smaller pieces. For us, the prized seaglass are larger pieces with some unique shape to them. We keep returning to Monte Santo Playa because it is pretty and peaceful, and often captures interesting treasures of its own. Airport Beach, over the rocks on the left, has a surprising amount of seaglass as well, but not too many shells.
But after great discussion and argument (not really), our Favorite Beach in Vieques is… Ceiba Tree Beach, for beachcombing. We walk the dogs here every week and always find seaglass and other interesting treasures, including beautiful rocks and shells. If you’re into beachcombing, you should really consider this one, or try all four!