Playa La Chiva Vieques Puerto Rico 2021-08-05 12-11-26 1

Blue Beach, better known as La Chiva Beach (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Playa La Chiva''), is a popular beach on the southern coast of

Vieques Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...

in barrio

Puerto Ferro Puerto Ferro is a barrio in the municipality of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 705. History Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became ...

. The beach is considered one of the best in both Vieques and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

for its breathtaking scenery, its soft sand and crystal clear water, ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The beach is known as La Chiva Beach by locals, and its

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

name originated as a nickname that was given to it by members of the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

. The area was formerly used by the Navy but it has been declared safe for visitors; however, beachgoers are prohibited from entering La Chiva Key due to the risk of unexploded ordnance. The beach was closed for a time after the destruction caused by

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...

in 2017 but it reopened the next year. The beach is part of the

Vieques National Wildlife Refuge The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge (Spanish: ''Refugio nacional de vida silvestre de Vieques'') is a National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Vieques in the Puerto Rico archipelago. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge ...

and it offers gazebos for picnics, restrooms and trash bins. It is located approximately 20 minutes by car from the

Vieques Ferry The Vieques Ferry or Lancha de Vieques, is a ferry system that carries passengers and cargo from Fajardo, Puerto Rico to Vieques, Puerto Rico and vice versa, both complementing and competing with commercial air service available from San Juan, P ...

Terminal and 25 minutes by car from the

Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport is a public airport on the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. Because a large amount of Vieques's yearly revenue comes from the tourism industry, this airport plays an important part in the Vieques economy. For ...

References

{{Coord, 18, 6, 47, N, 65, 23, 15, W, display=title Beaches of Puerto Rico Vieques, Puerto Rico