History
Affectionately known as "La Isla Nena" (little girl island), Vieques history is as colorful as the tropical flowers and charming homes that dot the landscape. First inhabited by Native Americans more than 2000 years before Columbus set foot in Puerto Rico, it was an infamous haven for pirates and was a prize that various European powers sought to control. Vieques and its capital, Isabel Segunda, (Isabel II) were founded in 1843.
In the 1940s, the United States military took over two-thirds of the island and would use it as a training and weapons testing ground for the next 60 years. In May 2003, after years of protests and long negotiations, the U.S. Navy left Vieques. This land has since been turned into a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tourism now thrives on the island and Vieques is rapidly becoming a popular tourist destination.
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