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Ferries in Puerto Rico are the lifeline for many communities on Puerto Rico’s smaller islands. Even though locals are prioritized, tourists can still ride ferries with ease and relatively low stress. All it takes is a bit of knowledge and planning. I read a lot of other trusted resources and many of them had bad or outdated information. There were useful pieces on different aspects of the ferries on each one. I took the ferry to and from Vieques in early-July.Even with all of the research I did, there were still things I didn’t know but quickly learned. Because of that, I can definitively say that this is one of the best guides on Puerto Rico Ferries.
There are two main ferry routes and one minor route. The minor one is basically from one side of the Bay of San Juan to the other. Other than knowing where to find it, no other planning is needed. It runs pretty much once an hour every day. The two main ferry routes, however, are more complicated. They run from Ceiba to Vieques and Culebra.
Ceiba is located on the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico. Where is that in relation to San Juan, Puerto Rico? Hold out your right hand in front of you with your palm facing you and thumb flat on top of your hand. Imagine your hand is the main island of Puerto Rico. San Juan is roughly your thumb. Ceiba is where your palm meets your wrist.
The ferry terminal in Ceiba is an hour and a half drive from San Juan. While it may be possible to Uber to Ceiba, don’t count on being able to Uber back. There is a transportation service (similar to an airport shuttle), but I felt the price was very high. By process of elimination, this leaves us with renting a car and driving to Ceiba.
There are plenty of rental car agencies around San Juan and the airport. I felt very comfortable driving outside of Old San Juan. The drive to Ceiba was much easier than I expected, and cell phone service was pretty good along the drive.
While there appears to be a way to pay to bring your car on the ferry, only locals are allowed to bring their cars on the ferry. Tourists have to park their car in Ceiba then take the ferry. Thus, it is necessary to park in Ceiba. Parking at the Ceiba Ferry Terminal is $12 daily, which is paid when you leave.
The parking lot is about one-tenth of a mile from the ferry terminal. It is a huge lot, and it is easy to find a parking space. There are small vans to shuttle people back and forth. One thing to note is that the driver does not help with luggage in the back. If no one opens the rear doors for luggage for you, you’ll have to open them and put your luggage in the van. Walking from the parking lot is possible if you don’t want to take the van. Remember, there is no shade or place to sit along the way.
As I mentioned above, locals are prioritized over tourists. I don’t recommend trying to buy tickets in person. Ferries can sell out. It is possible to book tickets online at puertoricoferry.com. There are two types of ferries: passenger-only and combo passenger and cargo ferries. The combo ferry is a bit slower of the two.
The ferries in Puerto Rico were much cheaper than I expected. Tickets from Ceiba to Vieques are $2 per adult and $1 per child or senior. During the booking process, you will have to pay for the luggage and any non-personal item you are bringing on board. Think of it like booking a flight – personal items (purses, small backpacks, etc.) are included. Luggage is $1 per bag. Other items vary in price from $1-12.
Boarding the ferry is more complicated than it needs to be. Upon arrival to the ferry terminal, we waited around until our ferry was called over the PA system. It was hard to hear, so be sure to keep your ears open. Have your QR code handy for them to scan.
After the tickets are scanned, we were directed to another waiting area. This consisted of rows and rows of plastic chairs. Passengers are seated in the order they walk in. A section at the front is for locals. In Ceiba, there wasn’t any airflow. We were there in July, so it was very hot and humid. There were oscillating fans every 7 or 8 rows, but they were only effective for the first third of each row. Be sure to drink plenty of water. However, food and drink on the ferry is prohibited.
In Vieques, the area is mostly on the water of the harbor. So there is a slight breeze, but nothing like if it was inside with air conditioning!
After sitting for what seemed like a long time (and sweating), the passengers were allowed to board the ferry starting with the front row moving backward. It was much more orderly than I expected it to be. The walk to the ferry wasn’t that long, but it was much shorter in Vieques. Once on board, you give your luggage to a deckhand which is then stowed away in a cargo hold.
There aren’t assigned seats on the ferry, so sit where you think you would be most comfortable. We sat on the first desk, which is just above the waterline. The only way we knew we had left was that the ferry was rocking slightly.
We opted to take a passenger-only ferry from Ceiba to Vieques. The journey was very smooth once the ferry was up to speed. It was pretty quick too, or at least it seemed like it was. We got to Vieques roughly 30 minutes after departure.
On the return, we took a cargo & passenger ferry. It is slower than the ferries that only take passengers. Also, it generally takes longer to come back from Vieques. Our return voyage took a little over 50 minutes and quite a bit rougher. We didn’t expect that much of a difference between the two types of boats. They were chosen primarily based on the departure times.
No matter what kind of ferry you take, the on-board experience is pretty much the same. Eating and drinking is pretty strictly enforced. As a result of that, the ferries are very clean, including the restrooms. Amenities are pretty much nonexistent – there are no TVs or Wi-Fi, nor is there cell service during the voyage. There is, on the bright side, air conditioning! The seats, however, were pretty well padded. They are arranged in a 4 x 5 x 4 configuration, with the front couple of rows having a few less seats. The ferry ride, frankly, is not long enough to get super comfortable or uncomfortable.
If you don’t have anything stowed, then getting off the ferry is easy as pie – just walk off the boat and go on your way. This wasn’t the case for us. Getting our bags was slightly better than organized chaos, but better on our arrival in Vieques. At Vieques, a deckhand was there to get your bag(s) from the hold. On our return, there was no deckhand, and it was free for all. It seemed like people were only getting their stuff. No one was making a fuss that another person was taking their bag, or at least not that I was witness to.
I’m not saying that some theft doesn’t occur. It is likely to happen; we just didn’t see or hear of it on either leg of our trip. We kept an eye on our belonging and were just as diligent as we normally are.
Honestly, we thought that taking the ferry was going to be much more difficult. With sufficient planning, it should actually be amongst the easier parts of a journey from San Juan to Vieques or Culebra.
The pre-departure waiting tent was the hardest part for me. It was hot, humid and I’m not the most patient person when I don’t see a reason to wait. Vieques is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. With a bit of planning and preparation, I am sure anyone can make the journey on a ferry to one of Puerto Rico’s minor islands.