Taino Aqua Adventures — Attraction in Isla de Vieques

Really fun tour. When we showed up there was a bit of an issue because the guide claimed he didn't have our reservation and we'd left our phones behind because we didn't want to risk losing them. After a lot of back and forth and him on the phone with someone else, they found it. He claimed we had actually reserved for June, not May, but they would still squeeze us in. (When we went back and rechecked our reservation email, we had booked the correct date, so the issue was on their end. Whatever.)

To call the bus ride to the bay bumpy was an understatement. Ruts in the road were literally three feet deep. We almost tipped over at one point! But the ancient school bus made it there, and the fact that the place is still so primitive and rustic and hasn't been Americanized and sanitized is part of the fun. You have to remove your shoes to use the clear kayaks (no idea why, we weren't wearing cleats, they're not made of saran wrap). There is mud everywhere and the smell, oh god, the smell. It's like a hot outhouse. The guide said it's from decomposing mangrove tree leaves and that it's really beneficial to your skin. You have to walk through this ankle deep, rancid smelling hot mud to get into the kayak and the sensation is unlike anything I have ever experienced, not in a good way. Just be prepared. You'll survive. Some people were wearing pretty white trousers and such- don't do that. Also, wear bug spray. (They ask you to wear DEET free spray so as not to pollute the bay).

The tour itself was a short, pretty easy paddle to the middle of the bay, a shortish informative talk about the phenomenon, and then some free time to just paddle around. Our guide was funny and informative. It was definitely worthwhile, it's really magical, and I definitely recommend going for the clear kayaks- it was like sailing over stars. Unforgettable.

But the smell, my god. It's...

First of all, the tour: Absolutely incredible experience and worth every penny. Make sure you book for close to a new moon phase so that the sky is fairly dark. We were about 3-4 days out from a new moon and it was perfect. The waters in this bay are unlike anything I've ever seen before. The clear bottom kayaks this company offers are worth it because you can see little streaks of light on the bottom of the kayak the entire time that are just beautiful. You also see the water light up every time you paddle and by watching everyone else's kayaks in motion. Keep in mind it's very difficult to get decent pictures of this so you're probably best without your phone or even trying. Maybe a GoPro or something would be cool if it's sensitive enough for low light, but not sure how that would turn out. The guys who run the tour are very knowledgable and go into detail about why the bay shines as it does and some of the history there. They're also funny :D

Now, the side story: I booked this tour about a month before heading down to Puerto Rico. When my friends and I got to Esperanza, we checked into our Airbnb and then took the golf cart we had rented out to go check out the beaches. On the way down the street, the golf cart broke down and we had to call the company we had booked it with to come fix it. While we were waiting on that, a guy walked over and started talking to us for a while and telling us about the town, things to check out, etc. Well long story short, he happened to be the owner of this company! He was so kind, friendly, and has a great sense of humor. He even offered his cooler to us to take to the beach that afternoon before we headed out for the bio bay tour (which we accepted haha). Thanks for taking good care of...

I just finished the tour and wanted to review as soon as possible because I didn't want to leave anything out because I forgot. We did the 9:30 pm Bio Bay tour. It was a couple nights after the full moon. We went in late May. Temperature of the night and water were perfect IMO. The bioluminescence was MORE than I expected. I was beyond satisfied. I was so happy I chose to do this tour, and would do it again and recommend to friends and family. The driver of the short school bus was boisterous and funny. He gathered everyone in a timely fashion. Once we got off-road it was bumpy and fun, as many other reviews suggest. This is part of the experience and was great. Once we arrived, we waited to get into our kayaks , waited for the previous group to return. The smell where you get into your kayak is like a stale stagnant water if you have ever smelled it. Like plumbing. There are a number of mosquitoes here, they insist you use DEET FREE repellent, so be ready to have that. You can't really control this, so I will not rate negatively for any of this. Once you get in the bio bay, the water is calm. You see your clear kayak bottom like a night sky. You stick your hand in the water and you see the dots of light drip down when you pull it out. The guide gathered everyone, we held each other's kayak. He answered questions, told us about the history of the area and when the bio bay was first discovered.. He then gave us 15 ish mins to free roam and enjoy the bio bay. I brought my phone but couldn't get any photos that do justice to the bio bay. Just trust the reviews. This is a must! If I could do it again I would spend more time on this island! (My future self...