How to Get Up Close with Wild Horses in Puerto Rico

Wild horses on a secluded beach—there are no beach vendors, no loud and rowdy groups of people, and absolutely no large hotels obstructing views of the ocean. There aren’t even any lifeguards in sight. It’s just you, nature, the ocean, and a horse with her calf, lounging on the shore. What could be better than that?

This trip was actually courtesy of my casino winnings in San Juan! While researching Puerto Rico, I scrolled across a Trip Advisor forum post about the casinos there. I’m not even a gambler; I just play slot machines, so I didn’t really care much. But, I remembered users discussing how the casino at the San Juan Marriott was pretty fair and how it was a favorite among the locals. While roaming around the downtown beach area, I walked right past it. I decided to go inside and try my luck, and I left out with almost nine hundred dollars! I only play with around $45!

When visiting Puerto Rico, I originally planned to roam around San Juan and see the rainforest. However, I tend to do too much on my trips and try to squeeze in everything, which often causes me to stress out, and it never goes well. I also wanted to sail to Culebra or Isla de Vieques, two small islands on the coast of Puerto Rico. However, I decided to plan separate trips for those two islands and not do too much this time.

However, once I got my little winnings, I was like, forget all that! I’m going to at least one of those islands and threw my stupid plan out the window. I then was left with that hard decision of choosing which island to visit. Both are equally beautiful, but Vieques had the edge because of the horses.

I booked a cheap quick flight on the smallest plane ever over to Vieques. On the islands its like three major hotels, the rest are small bed and breakfast types. I stayed at SeaGate hotel, a small bed and breakfast with the sweetest owner and excellent reviews. I rented an old jeep, grabbed a map and explored the entire island.

In less than ten minutes of driving around the island, I made a bunch of wrong turns and was driving in circles. I’m not even sure where I was headed, but I gave up and decided just to follow the signs for a beach. After arriving at a neighborhood beach, I was sitting in the car, and three horses walked right past me. I grabbed my camera, hopped out of the car, and tried to keep a safe distance while photographing them.

Now, the horses of Vieques aren’t really wild. By wild horses, I tend to think of mustangs running on an open field. For the most part, most horses actually have owners. The horses are not kept in stables and roam freely around this island and graze. The herds stick together, and many are branded, and the owners simply find them when they are needed. Vieques is pretty small, and everyone knows everyone.

It’s quite easy to run into the horses; they are everywhere. Along every twist and turn amongst the road, a herd would casually share the road with you. The horses seemed quite used to people and vehicles, although I did not try to get too close to them. Vieques reminds me of a huge farm encompassed on a beach. Not only are there wild horses, but chickens, pigs, cats, and dogs everywhere. Most of the animals are fed by the locals, and it just feels like one huge beach-farming community.

Vieques has been one of my most enjoyable trips ever. It felt like being at home and being at peace and happy. At almost every beach that I went to, I was the only person there. And when I happened to pass by other beachgoers, they would offer a cold beverage from their coolers. I enjoyed it way better than mainland Puerto Rico, and I had never even known of its existence more than a month before visiting.

Its a such a low-key place with no huge shopping centers and malls, not even any Wal-Mart’s. The locals take the ferry back over to the mainland for most of their purchases, outside of food and small items. I don’t even recall really even seeing any police vehicles.

Vieques has a unique charm that I hope it doesn’t lose due to commercialism.

If you’re planning a trip to Puerto Rico, I totally recommend adding in a few days for exploring Vieques. It is one of my favorite Caribbean destinations, and I can’t wait until I’m able to return.