Puerto Ferro Berdiales Lighthouse Ruins in Vieques
When I was looking for non-beach things to do during a trip to Vieques, I came across the Puerto Ferro Lighthouse ruins or Faro Berdiales. Here, there are old ruins, dramatic cliffs, great views and a hike.
The ruins are located on the south coast, in the old Camp Garcia Naval Training area, which is now a US Fish and Wildlife Reserve.
Some Background Info
The Puerto Ferro Lighthouse (Faro de Puerto Ferro in Spanish) began operation in 1896. Its role was to guide mariners along the southern coast, during the heyday of shipping sugar and cattle. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1926. Since then, time, weather and nature have wreaked havoc on the building. Today, though still under the management of the US Coast Guard, it is in ruins. But it is a great place to walk or bike.
Our Visit
These ruins couldn’t have been easier to find. We started out by taking the gravel road to the right just inside the gate to the US Fish and Wildlife Reserve (that’s the same gate you use to get to Caracas Beach, Chiva Beach, etc.). It’s a narrow road, and we probably picked up a few scratches on the sides of our rental Jeep. We followed that road until we got to the end of end and the closed gate, where we parked in the small parking area. The walk from this lot, along a gravel road, to the lighthouse is only a few minutes. It is an easy quarter mile walk, though it is hot and humid, and in the sun.
As you walk up to the front, you will pass some wells/cisterns. There is a falling down fence around the lighthouse and all the doors/windows are now closed up, since it is a bot dangerous inside of the building.
It is in a serious state of ruins.
Outside, the cliffs are lovely — they reminded us of a smaller version of the area around the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. There are great views of the beaches and southern coast line.
There are no guard rails, and the rock here is very crumbly, so we didn’t get too close to the edge. There are paths through the shrubbery that lead out to other rocky outcrops and even down to the beach cove below (Berdiales beach ).
Details
For the best photos, go in the early morning. Take a hat, sunglasses, bug spray (though we didn’t encounter any bugs), and plenty of drinking water.
The F&W National Wildlife Refuge is open 7 days/week, from 7am until “dark” (which is 6:30pm Sept – Feb, 7:30p rest of year)
The US Fish and Wildlife Reserve is located at KM 3.2 on Route 997. Inside the gate, take the first gravel road immediately on the right, which runs parallel to Route 997. .
Click on a placename below to view the location on Google Maps ...
Puerto Rico Day Trips LLC assumes no responsibility regarding your safety when participating in the activities described in this article. Please use common sense! If your mother or that little voice in your head tells you that you are about to do something stupid … then don't do it!
