Tranquility by the Sea - - Back to normal after Maria

The cottage is on a nice property. There are beautiful flowers and nice big palm trees. There is also a nice porch overlooking the ocean. The inside was clean and well appointed. There are plenty of cooking supplies as well as beach toys. The bags for groceries came in handy.

We did not venture down to the beach close to the house as we were only on the island for 3 nights and really wanted to explore all the other beaches.

The only inconvenience was the multiple locks we had to use when we left the house and at night. I realize we are on an island with a declining economy but I felt paranoid that someone would try to break in. Could be because there are horses roaming around and owner is just protecing her property, which is totally understandable.

There is an animal shelter across the street and the dogs do bark at times. We were too busy exploring the island for it to really bother us.

Gloria, the owner, sent Marcelle and William to meet us at the car rental. They showed us around which was very helpful.

We had a wonderful time staying at Tranquility by the Sea. Gloria was great to answer our many questions and provide assistance with finding things. We were greeted by Marcell and William and they were so nice to show us the place and suggest things we might be interested in. We loved sitting on the veranda and having coffee in the morning. It was very nice.

We enjoyed our time so much! The home was a comfortable fit for the 5 of us. I fell asleep to the rhythm of the ocean every night. Thank you for such a great get away!

Four of us shared the house during a week in January, 2017.

The house and casita are both constructed of concrete. They are both in excellent condition, neatly painted and clean inside and out. The floors throughout the house and casita are nicely tiled. They are both nicely decorated. Gloria spends a great deal of time keeping the property in great condition. The only thing that needs attention at this time is the fence around the one-acre property.

And I should go on with how much I like the house. The beds were comfortable with clean and relatively new bedding. The kitchen was spotless and had everything we needed to prepare breakfasts each morning. (We purchased bacon, eggs, juice, bread, and butter in Isabel one mile away at two grocery stores. We found plenty of cooking utensils along with cooking oil, paper towels, spices, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, flour, sugar, coffee, and coffee filters). Gloria provided a cooler, snorkel equipment, beach towels, and even a boogey board for guest use. The three window-type air conditioners in the bedrooms worked flawlessly. The house has a master bedroom with a king-sized bed, a second bedroom with a queen-sized bed, and the casita with a full (double) sized bed. The water has good pressure and is good to drink. The hot water system worked fine. With the exception of the clothes dryer, the appliances all worked. We hung our clothes outside on the porch to dry overnight.

Gloria went out of her way to make our vacation. She answered questions before and during our stay. (Our Verizon cell service worked flawlessly). Gloria even alerted us the day before our arrival that the ferry schedule was being interrupted so we could make plans to fly to Vieques.

There are a couple of issues that were disappointing. First, Tranquility by the Sea is located directly across the street from the Vieques Humane Society & Animal Rescue. During our visit in January they housed dozens of barking dogs. The barking ranged from a couple dogs barking to well-over a dozen barking at a time. Two of the seven evenings were reasonable quiet. During the other five nights we found the constant noise to be too much. Thank goodness for the air conditioners in the bedrooms.

And the neighborhood is not well-kept. There is trash and junk strewn everywhere. Several neighbors have parts cars up on blocks in their front yards. Three fourths of the houses need paint. It is all too hard to ignore.

We love this place. The weather was spot on perfect, the house was charming and comfortable, the view from the porch breathtaking. We enjoyed seeing the horses, dogs, cats, chickens, iguanas, egrets, pelicans, mongoose and assorted small birds around the area. There are few things more relaxing than having morning coffee on the veranda and watching the pelicans fish for breadfast. Marcel and

William met us at the Vieques airport, took us to the car rental and the house. Along the way they oriented us to the small island for shopping, post office, grocery, farmers market, fish market, etc. Most helpfull.

The beaches are superb on Vieques. White sand, clear blue water and uncrowded.

perfect for a quiet family vacation.