The Vieques Ceiba Tree Park

The ceiba is one of Puerto Rico’s best-loved trees, and Vieques has an exceptional one, a little over three centuries old. For many locals it is a sacred place. For visitors it is one of the island’s essential stops.

A tree with deep roots

In Taíno culture the ceiba is a sacred tree, tying together the sky, the earth and the world below. The Vieques tree has outlasted centuries of history, including the island’s years of Navy occupation, and it has come through hurricanes to bloom again.

The park

A group of community volunteers turned the grounds around the tree into a nature park. It is a good place for adults and children alike, with spacious grounds and informative posters about the ceiba and its surroundings. The park is run by La Ceiba Community Project, a citizen group, and the municipality declared the surrounding area a nature reserve in 2012. It takes in mangroves, wetlands and beaches, and it shelters wildlife such as brown pelicans and sea turtles.

The park also hosts community events during the year, often including a Three Kings Day celebration on January 6.

Finding the Ceiba Tree

The park is in the Mosquito neighborhood on the north side of the island, west of the Vieques airport. After your visit, walk or drive on to Mosquito Pier, one of the most scenic spots on the island.

Please respect the tree

• Do not climb on the tree.
• Do not take branches or any other part of it.
• Do not carve or mark the roots.

Plan your visit

• More things to do on Vieques
• Getting around the island
• Beaches