Anchorage· Vieques· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Ensenada Honda (Vieques)
18° 7.1′ N · 65° 21.5′ W · approximate
A 1.2-mile-wide, mangrove-fringed bay near Vieques' east end, full of channels and islets; cruisers know it as a hurricane hole, but it lies inside the old bombing range and needs local knowledge.
Practical
Position is approximate: OpenStreetMap's label for the bay (Cayo Jalova and Cayo Jalovita are on the east side). Noonsite (2020) calls it an excellent hurricane hole and a good place to explore the mangrove fingers, but the water is murky and insects are bad, so anchor far enough out to catch the breeze. Coast Pilot 5 is more cautious: several bare rocks and reefs awash, a reef bare at low water 0.8 mile east-northeast of Punta Conejo off the entrance, rough with southeast winds, and 'should be avoided without local knowledge' because of foul ground. The bay is inside the former 33 CFR 334.1470 bombing danger zone and borders closed refuge land with unexploded ordnance: do not go ashore beyond the beach, and do not touch anything metal. Enter only in good light.
Best for
Storm shelter and mangrove exploring for experienced crews with local knowledge
Nearby
- Blue Beach (Bahía de la Chiva)1.7 NM away
- Bahía de la Chiva Anchorage (Vieques)2 NM away
- Bahía Salina del Sur Anchorage (Vieques)3 NM away
- Red Beach (Playa Caracas)3.2 NM away
- Vieques unexploded ordnance zones3.3 NM away
- Playuela and Cerro Playuela trails3.8 NM away
- Puerto Ferro Anchorage (Vieques)3.9 NM away
- Puerto Ferro Lighthouse4 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).