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Finca Victoria − Vieques, Puerto Rico

Laid back luxury retreat on the island of Vieques – a best kept secret with no passport required.

Location: Vieques, Puerto Rico

Review Date – March 2026

Finca Victoria – Overview

I’ve had my eye on Finca Victoria for many years. So excited that I finally got a chance to stay there! Overall, I loved the property. I rated several areas as 4 stars instead of 5 which I will elaborate on below, but I am already booking my next stay for later this year. If you are planning to visit Vieques, this is the best option for accommodations if you prefer quiet, all-adult properties that don’t cater to guests who want action and nightlife. Also ideal if you like to have the option to cater in and not eat out for every meal.

Finca Victoria can be described as a boutique hotel because it only has 14 units. Most are intended to accommodate no more than 2 people, so even if they are full there would only be about 30-35 people total on the property. I feel that the word retreat is more appropriate than resort because they do not have a traditional full-service feel. That said, I did not lack for anything during my stay and they provided clear instructions if you did need to contact the management for any reason.

Finca Victoria is an ideal place to stay if you don’t mind (or prefer) being able to cater in for some of your meals. The island has plenty of restaurants, but the roads are narrow, windy and very dark at night − not to mention the abundance of wild horses roaming free that can make nighttime driving a bit treacherous. Finca Victoria’s kitchenettes make it easy to grab some groceries and prepare meals on site.

Since you will probably be spending many of your days at the beach, you will also want to have enough provisions to make picnics. The lunch options on the island are not near the beaches and there are no vendors to rely on when your tummy rumbles. Another reason that a kitchenette is essential.

The hardest thing about planning a visit to Finca Victoria is choosing the room. A quick browse of their website will have you captivated by the choices, each very bespoke in layout and decor. That said, I would say that the hotel’s website slightly oversells some of the rooms, so as you’re shopping you’ll want to review my notes in the accommodations section of this review.

Finca Victoria − History of the Property

Before Finca Victoria, this property was called Finca Caribe. It was much more rustic. Current owner Sylvia De Marco discovered it during a 3-month assignment she had photographing the island for the film industry and eventually inherited it from the original owner after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017.

Sylvia re-imagined and re-opened Finca Victoria in February 2019. It has since grown to have 14 different types of accommodations, but it is also an ayurvedic resort that offers a pancharkarma detox program and yoga. The hotel is also the only Ayurvedic hotel in the Caribbean.

You can feel the magic of Finca Victoria as soon as you step through the gates. This is a place to relax and unwind, and to remember who you really are. To reconnect with nature. Perhaps to reconnect with another human. It’s a place to slow down, to breathe in and to exhale. It seems to draw exactly the people who need the medicine it offers.

Finca Victoria – Getting There

Vieques is a small island off the east coast of Puerto Rico. It feels like a Caribbean island but no passport is required! Many people fly into San Juan and spend a few days in Old Town Puerto Rico before heading to Vieques. I did that on my first visit to the island and highly recommend it.

The main language on the main island of Puerto Rico is Spanish, though it is very easy to get around if you don’t speak the language. Oddly, the language on Vieques is as much (if not more) English than Spanish so no worries about language barriers.

There are two ways to get to the island − ferry or plane. If you fly, you can either choose Cape Air that leaves from SJU (the main airport) or you can fly with Vieques Air Link, which departs from a different airport. For the ferry, you will need to drive about an hour and a half south of San Juan to pick it up in Ceiba and then it is a 45 minute ride to the island.

To me, it is a no-brainer to fly unless you have already rented a car in San Juan and plan to come back on the ferry to return it before flying home. For my most recent trip, I flew into SJU and then connected to Vieques from the main airport on Cape Air, returning to SJU for my flight home.

Pro Tip: The flight to Vieques will be on a VERY small plane. Make sure your travel companions have signed off on that in advance!

A car rental is ESSENTIAL on Vieques. This is a very small island and Uber does not operate there. You will see some tourist information saying you can rent a golf cart instead of a car, but I think that is very bad advice. The island is large enough that you’ll want to explore all of it and doing it by golf cart would be treacherous on the winding roads, not to mention it would take much longer and the island gets occasional tropical downpours so you risk getting soaked in a golf cart.

I highly recommend renting a Jeep from Maritza’s. The roads in Vieques have significant pot holes, and access to beaches often requires traveling over very dicey dirt roads. Trust me on this one and reserve the Jeep. Maritza’s will pick you up at the Vieques airport upon arrival and take you the 2 miles to their office to get your car. They will also return you to the airport.

The drive to Finca Victoria from Maritza’s is 8 minutes.

Finca Victoria – Arrival

My flight to San Juan arrived at 3 p.m. so I was able to make the last flight to Vieques, landing at 530 p.m. I decided to hit the local grocery store for provisions, so it was just about dark when I arrived at Finca Victoria.

They have a small parking lot directly across from the gate. I was given very clear instructions as to how to access the property and my room because I arrived after the front desk was closed. The first thing I wished I had packed was a headlamp. It was a little darker than ideal to reach my cabin, but again, the directions were clear so I just used my cellphone light as best I could.

Finca Victoria – Accommodations ⋆⋆⋆⋆

I rated Finca Victoria 4 out of 5 stars on accommodations. Cleanliness was excellent and overall the rooms I saw were as described. I would describe Finca Victoria as quiet island luxury. You will not find marble countertops and bathrobes here, but this is definitely upscale for a Caribbean island.

In my opinion, the website does lead one to believe the property is bigger by saying that some rooms are “‘on the highest point of the property” or “at tree top level”. In general, the property was smaller than I’d imagined it and none of the rooms were really higher than the others.

Several rooms also advertise views to the ocean, but the foliage is quite lush on the property thus obscuring any real view. The few rooms that have a second floor (mine was one) might offer a very distant glimpse, but you are several miles from the ocean so lower your expectations for that and don’t let it be a deciding factor in picking a room.

I stayed in Meeshel’s Cabin which is the only true 2-bedroom/2 bathroom cabin on the property. I was traveling with a friend so it was ideal to have separate bedrooms AND bathrooms.

Overall the room was great and as shown on the website. The decor is very bespoke and everything was very clean. The kitchen was more than expected with just the right amount of pots, pans and utensils for a vacationing chef. I was thrilled to find above-par knives that were actually sharp!

There were two things that were slight under expectation based on the website description – the kitchen was described as having a stove, but it is just a flat cooktop – no oven. No big deal but I had planned some meals that would have required an oven so had to work around that.

The only other complaint with the room was that there are no screens on the sliding doors in the bedroom. I was looking forward to sleeping with the doors wide open to let in the delicious breezes, but without screens on the doors I only lasted ten minutes before I had that one little mosquito ruin it (it should be noted that I never saw a mosquito on the property the rest of the trip).

I walked the property and did some future real estate shopping during my stay – here are some tips as you pick your room:

Baez Treehouse – I initially planned to reserve this unit because it looked so cool and because it was advertised as being higher up on the property with breezes and views. The property is very lush and I don’t think you can actually see the ocean from any unit so don’t let that be a factor when you pick. This unit was barely higher than the rest of the property also, so not really up on a hill as I was expecting. I still think it would be a great choice, but if you plan to do any cooking just be aware that the kitchen is on the ground level outside and there is no dining table or chairs. The living space is on the 2nd floor and has a modest balcony area but also no table or chairs for sitting down to eat. This unit is probably better for guests who don’t plan to cook.

Baez Tiny Treehouse #8 – After my real estate tour, I would probably pick this unit over the Baez Treehouse. This unit is 2 floors instead of three but had a lovely private patio with a set of chairs and a hammock. If you are using the kitchen (outdoor but covered on the patio), this layout looked preferable to me.

Baez Tiny Treehouse #7 – Another good option but this one is tucked into the shade of a large tree making the patio area fully shaded all day. I am a sun worshipper and want as much natural light in my accommodations as possible, but if you prefer privacy and shade, this is the treehouse for you. It also has the covered outdoor kitchen on a patio with table and chairs.

Invisible Treehouse – This would be my one of my least preferable units. It is very much in the shade, the kitchen/patio area opens up directly behind the dining area of the main house and it essentially under a canopy of trees. I spoke to a guest who was staying in the room and she noted that she did not love the lack of privacy of her porch but otherwise liked the room. The “hidden balcony” can be seen in the photo below but did not appear to be a very appealing area to sit. It looks over a walkway and the main yoga shala building but was a bit dark for my liking so I suspect it doesn’t get much use.

Victoria Suite 3A– The Victoria Suites can either be reserved individually or combined with each other to make a bigger “family suite”. I met a guest who was staying in #3A and decided that would be one of my top two choices next visit. Unit 3A is made for the chef with a nice big kitchen and bar stool seating. The bedroom is ground level so there is not any view other than the hotel grounds, but I liked the size of it. It had a seating area in addition to the bed. The large outdoor double shower was across the hall from the bedroom and the bathroom/vanity were in a separate space adjacent to it. That may be an issue for some as you might feel exposed moving between bedroom, shower and toilet area. It has a small but functional porch area outside the bedroom that has a hammock that is tucked behind some shrubbery but still in the sun most of the day.

Victoria Suite Unit 3C – is tucked into a corner so I couldn’t get a good picture of it. Another good choice for those who prefer shade and privacy.

Victoria Suite Unit 4 is adorable and a great value for a solo or couple who don’t mind a studio-style space. Probably better for those who don’t plan to cook as the kitchenette shares the indoor space and is much smaller than other rooms. This room has a cute porch with hammock that gets good sunlight.

Victoria Suite 5 is also a good choice as it has more of an outdoor seating area than most units (an actual couch) plus the outdoor kitchen. The unit is described as “tree top height” but it’s really just barely raised off ground level and the porch is tucked into a woodsy area making the deck more private but shady.

Victoria Suite #10 is totally separate from the other Victoria Suites and is a freestanding cottage closer to the yoga shala. It is shady and wasn’t as appealing from the outside in my opinion.

Cabins – I initially had Sylvia’s Cabin as a top choice because it was noted to be very private and had a larger viewing deck into the jungle. This appealed to me because I don’t like to be on top of other guests and I am a bird photographer, so the room seemed like a good fit. I changed my mind once I stayed at Finca Victoria. Sylvia’s Cabin is outside the main gate and has its own entrance. I would have felt more exposed as a solo traveler out there by myself. The jungle view was also not very appealing, and the guests staying there mentioned challenges with mosquitos. Alternatively, Meeshel’s Cabin (where I stayed – see description above) was a much better option.

Corky’s Suite – This would be another top choice on my list for my next stay. It is a spacious unit with indoor seating on the first level and bedroom on the second. It is the only unit that has standard stairs to reach the second level – the rest of the units have ladders or more narrow staircases. Be aware the shower is on the 2nd floor (it says first floor in the description) but I believe the sink/toilet are on the first level (maybe there is also a shower on the first level?) The kitchenette is smaller in this unit and it is inside which may be a pro or con (the picture don’t show any microwave or cooktop so I would inquire as the pictures seem to be misleading. The 2nd level balcony is nice and sunny, but they only provide bar stools which seems weird and is obviously not comfortable for relaxing. The pictures make understanding this unit confusing as they are shown with different sets of furniture depending on what photo you look at. I also can’t tell if there is a dining area inside in addition to the living room but it appears that way. I believe there is a little more outdoor patio than you can see in the photo below though that is also not in the description so I advise asking for more recent photos to be sure.

Airstream – Last but not least is the airstream. I did not get to see inside this unit but it has the biggest front porch by a landslide with a small seating area. Everything else in inside. The porch is raised up giving you a lovely view of the garden area (it was hard to get a good picture showing that). Seems to me they need to put something else on that big deck to make you want to use it more.

Overall I think I would be very comfortable in any of the accommodations. In general, the property was smaller than I expected and the units are all organized fairly close together facing the common areas and pool. That said, I know the property was full while I was there but I honestly never heard another person especially at night and barely saw anyone other than at breakfast.

Finca Victoria – Property/Grounds

As mentioned above, the property was smaller than I imagined in my mind but still lovely and tranquil. You get a sense of it from the photos of the rooms, so instead I’ll throw in a few photos I took of birds on the property for any other bird nerds like me :).

There were not nearly as many birds as I had hoped for on this trip, but the ones they have were mostly new for me. The star was the male Antillean Crested Hummingbird. Hard to photograph because he is jet-black, but his metallic-jeweled crest is exactly as shown in the photo below and was worth dragging my 500mm lens for.

Finca Victoria − Common Areas

The open-air common area is lovely, and I was surprised to find myself using the space in the evenings to sit and read or talk with my friend. The staff leaves by 4pm most days, so the common area is quiet but comfy with several seating areas and just enough lighting.

There is a lovely and refreshing pool in this area. For some reason they do not have nearly enough lounge chairs for the amount of guests, however, I somehow always got one when I wanted it. Most people leave the property during the day for excursions or to go to the beach so somehow it works out.

There are more lounge chairs on a nice, sunny deck outside the yoga shala and I never saw anyone using those (it’s a little further from the pool obviously but a great place to sit and sun). The loungers by the pool were teak but had no cushions – maybe that is why they were not overly occupied! I would recommend they add a few more lounge chairs (and get cushions). The other loungers by the yoga shala and in the garden closer to the pool were not teak and were much more comfortable.

Finca Victoria − Yoga Shala

The yoga shala is absolute perfection. Gorgeous, big enough for 20+ yogis at a time. The entire building wrapped is glass doors which can be opened to let in the glorious tropical breeze. High-quality, excellent condition mats were provided as well as blocks. The decor was thoughtful and creates a sense of tranquility as soon as you step inside. Finca Victoria is definitely ready to host your yoga retreat.

Attention Yoga Teachers! I learned that Finca Victoria staffs the daily 8am yoga class with a rotation of visiting teachers. They have a separate cabin used for housing a teacher and though it is not as upscale as the other units, it seemed to be more than acceptable as a trade for providing services (especially if they only require 1 class per day). If you don’t end up staying at Finca Victoria, you can still come and pay to take the 8am class.

Finca Victoria – Food ⋆⋆⋆⋆

Welcome to all of you who skipped the rest and scrolled right to the review of the food.

You’re my people 😉

Overall I gave Finca Victoria 4 out of 5 stars for food, mainly due to not offering choices for the breakfast and not having a dinner service even if just on weekends.

I was excited about the prospect of the food at Finca Victoria because I am a plant based eater. The idea of vegan breakfast being included with the stay (and right after a refreshing morning yoga session) sounded like heaven to me.

The foods was above par for sure. I expected to have choices though, or some kind of nice buffet spread with granola, vegan pastries or fruits. Finca Victoria offers only one option each day for breakfast, take it or leave it.

The first morning the breakfast was a small piece of naan with hummus and olives. It was fine, but I was starving an hour later. The rest of my stay involved much heartier plates as the one shown above.

Finca Victoria also has a small refrigerator in the common area/dining space where they store vegan grab-and-go options that you can take back to your room (but they are an extra charge – see the photo below for examples). Some were breakfast options (mostly chia puddings though I apparently slept to late to get banana bread one morning).

I had planned to cater in and had more than enough groceries for my stay so I never tried any of the grab and go meals, but this was a pleasant surprise for sure and I will take advantage next time.

Finca Victoria provides fresh coffee and a decaf tea each day, all day (they brew a big pot before they leave for the day so you can help yourself in the evening). There was a modest selection of beer and wine that you could also purchase which I appreciated. It was marked up as you would expect, but convenient. They did not run out of the beverage or food items any night during my stay which surprised me as I would think people would grab them to have for later.

There are communal dining tables for breakfast, or you can utilize one of the other seating areas in the common space.

I took advantage of a special dinner event that was offered during my stay and that was really great (Golden Hour Thali – do it if it is offered!) They put together an entirely vegan Indian meal including fresh naan. It was served on banana palm leaf and we ate with our hands. It was liberating!

Bonus surprise was that they hired a local to cut open fresh coconuts with a machete so we could have coconut water to drink.

I would LOVE to see Finca Victoria expand their food offerings to make dinner available at least every other to 3rd night. I also would have preferred at least one option for breakfast or the availability of fruit or pastry and granola as part of the free option.

I am still THRILLED that they are offering vegan at all since that is rare especially for an island that has no agriculture and thus must haul all real food in from the either the main island or other countries. I support your quest Finca Victoria!! Do you ever need a guest vegan chef? Check out my recipes page….

Finca Victoria – Service ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Overall the people I interacted with were great. Very laid back vibe. I loved the honor system for the alcohol, food and gift shop. That is what really drove me to rate it 5 stars.

It’s a demonstration of trust in the goodness of humanity that allows them to do this and not get ripped off. I loved the idea. I prefer not to pay for a thousand staff and services that I don’t really need on a vacation, so Finca Victoria’s minimalist approach worked just fine for me.

Finca Victoria – Spa & Wellness Services

I did not take advantage of the various holistic treatments that were offered at Finca Victoria, but I wanted to at least make sure I mentioned the availability. Finca Victoria is a fully Ayurvedic property and offers panchakarma detox programs. If you know what that is and want more info, click on the wellness offerings on their home page.

I spoke to some guests who got massages and all were very pleased.

Finca Victoria – Location: Vieques Island ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

As far as location goes, Finca Victoria gets 5 stars. Not because of its location on the island, but for its location on Vieques itself.

In my opinion, Vieques is one of the best kept secrets for travel I’ve discovered thus far. It’s essentially a Caribbean island but it is in the United States!!

There are two main towns on the island – Esperanza which is the tourist hub and Isabel II which is where you’ll find locals and most of the island’s businesses.

If you are catering in, you’ll want to hit one of the grocery stores in Isabel. And you might as well duck into one of the many bakeries (panaderias) while you’re there. I highly recommend D’Frozz for a milkshake, a hot pressed pork sandwich (they call it pernil – think Cuban) and some donuts to go.

Isabel is much less grungy than comparable towns I’ve experienced in the Caribbean, Central American and Belize. It felt quite safe and I had no problem walking around by myself. Yes, there is a bad element, but this island relies on tourism so they seemed to fade into the background.

When you are looking for tourist activities or nightlife, head down to Esperanza on the opposite end of the island. There is not much to see, but they have a “malecon” (a waterfront public area – not very impressive) where you’ll find a few restaurants (more on food outside of Finca Victoria below).

There are a few outfitters selling various boating or jet ski excursions, but the big attraction on Vieques is the bioluminescent bay (Mosquito Bay).

These tours take you in groups of about 20 to a bay where you get into a kayak (find the tour operator that has clear-bottom boats) and paddle out into the bay after dark to experience the bioluminescence.

I personally found it to be very underwhelming both times I did it (I had to go with my friend on this trip who had not done it before). That said, there are only 5 of these bioluminescent bays in the world so you kinda have to do it. Just keep your expectations low. You are only on the water for about 30 minutes tops but that is enough. I think the stars were more impressive than the bioluminescence, so don’t forget to look up.

Vieques Island – Beaches

The main attraction of Vieques Island are the beaches. Endless, glorious beaches. The island is only 20 miles long and 3-5 miles wide, but they have 20 named beaches. That is one beach per mile 🙂

I’ll mention again that you will definitely need a car to access any beach, and I highly recommend renting a Jeep.

The map above is just to give you an idea of how many there are to choose from.

Interesting Fact: Vieques Island was used by the United States Navy as a weapons training area (test bomb site) until as recently as 2001. Protests finally worked and the Navy pulled out officially in 2003. There are still entire sections of the island that are off limits as the Navy is still cleaning up unexploded bombs.

Many of the beaches are in areas that are designated at National Wildlife Refuges which is why there are no services or vendors allowed. You will see wild horses roaming freely throughout the island, so don’t be surprised if they show up on the beach and watch where you step 🙂

The beaches are typically accessed by driving into the NWR and just peeking into the mangrove until you see water. Some have more designated parking spots or lots. You will typically park either right on the beach or just off it. Many of the beaches (La Chiva is a favorite) are nearly deserted. See my Puerto Rico and Vieques Island travel page for more info on beaches.

The one tidbit I’ll leave here is that Punta Arenas beach is NOT WORTH THE HORRENDUS DRIVE. I did it the first time I went to Vieques, and it took like an hour to navigate the terrible road to it because you can only go about 5 mph. I wouldn’t have even gone but my at-the-time husband insisted. It did not end up being a beach you would want to sit on. For this trip, I attempted it for a few minutes and then turned around. A local told me it is a nightmare of mosquitos on most days so I’m glad I didn’t fight it.

But the other beaches….so many amazing spots and so many left to explore next time.

Bring a towel, a cooler and some picnic lunch. You can usually find an overhanging mangrove tree that acts as your shade and a place to hang your clothes.

Does Vieques have the sargassum seaweed problem that Mexico has? While some beaches did have some seaweed, I found several that were blessedly free of it and I was able to swim in clear water. Even when I did find seaweed, it was nothing like the tons that are washing up on the beaches of Mexico.

Vieques Island − Restaurants

Let’s finish up with a few other recommendations for food when you want to eat out.

The Tin Box is just outside of Esperanza and is a quirky combination of bbq and sushi. Open air seating, very well run. Feels like a mainland restaurant, not your typical island food shack. They have live entertainment on some nights so follow them on Facebook to find out when. Food was very good.

Next time I visit I will pick up sushi to go and take it back to my room to have for lunch the next day or for a beach picnic treat.

I already mentioned D’Frozz for sandwiches, ice cream and pastry. I feel the need to emphasize again what a sweet surprise this place was. The sandwich was SO FRESH. The donuts were SO FRESH. I didn’t get to try the many varieties of cake they had but I will next time.

I ate at Bili and Bananas on my first trip (both on the waterfront in Esperanza). Bili was memorable for a good piece of fresh fish.

I got some great tips from another couple who has visited the island several times and all of these are on my list for next time:

• Rising Roost Breakfast Cafe and Market (in Isabel and just across from D’Frozz)
• Melao Social Club at Lejos Eco Retreat – tapas and bar – go for drinks and sunset
• Playa Negra Fine Foods – A foodie food market owned and run by two gourmet chefs from the U.S. – may have tables for dining in or may offer dinner service on certain nights

Finca Victoria – Final Thoughts

When it comes to off-the-beaten path beach vacations, I’m not sure you can beat Vieques. And if you are going to Vieques, there is no question that Finca Victoria is the best place to stay if you prefer adult-only boutique properties that are more minimal in service and frills but maximal on vibe and authentic island experience. It is rare that I return to a place more than once, but both Vieques and Finca Victoria have put their spell on me. I’ll be back later this year.

If you are someone who prefers more full service accommodations/vacations, stay on the main island as there are plenty of options. For those who savor the less traveled places and are willing to be a little more self sufficient, Finca Victoria and Vieques may be perfect for your next vacation.

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