For those who like to paddleboard, who have some skills but are not hardcore athletes, there are some great places to choose from. Big time paddleboarders may go out in the “big water” and all sorts of places we’ll probably never go. We like a little adventure, but we don’t want to end up in the news if you know what I mean.
When we first started, we spent a lot of time at Starfish Beach because it’s protected from the wind by the Rompeolas causeway. We still like to paddle around from this beach, all the way out to the pier. But probably the easiest place to learn is at Media Luna, where the biggest issue is actually just getting into deep enough water (when you fall, and as a beginner you will fall, water is softer than dirt!).
The far left side of Sun Bay is a good place to get in an open-water workout. La Chiva’s Punta Galindez is a nice little protected area for paddling as well, and has a small surf break on the right day. Starting from Caracas, you can paddle out to its small Cayo, or over to Playuela, but you’ll be paddling back into the wind on the return trip.
There are lots of choices for paddling, but for this category, Deb and I have settled on a range of the beaches of La Chiva, from #10 up to #16 as our Favorite Beach in Vieques, for paddleboarding. Ten through thirteen are in one protected area that opens into the large Bahia de La Chiva. Around the small point on the left you’ll find #’s 14 through 17, which is an even nicer place to paddle around. You can explore this smaller bay all the way out to the tiny cayo where the water gets very shallow and come back in toward the larger bay. In either area, you are likely to see spotted eagle rays, turtles, and lots of coral and fish.
Note that the trade-winds in Vieques (and throughout the entire Antilles archipelago) blow from east to west. They don’t blow like this every single day, but they do at least 80% of the time. The practical advice then, is to plan your paddle adventures starting eastward, into the wind, and when you get tired, let the wind and current bring you back to your starting point.