The Vieques Guide is a vacation travel service dedicated to making the best vacations possible. TVG makes planning a vacation simple and enjoyable, with personal assistance from helpful, knowledgeable guides.
The foundation of our company, TheViequesGuide.com, is an online travel guide providing useful services and invaluable information. For Vieques-based businesses, TVG offers an excellent marketing outlet that personally unites travelers with the services they seek.
Our path to success leads us to provide the best possible service in all facets of our business. We are guided by strong personal ethics and a desire to share the beauty of Vieques while respecting its people, culture and environment.
Vieques Ambassador, Vacation Coordinator, Personal Concierge
Kim Allen first discovered Vieques while researching her own heritage. Born in New York City, Kim's family traces back to mainland Puerto Rico and Vieques. While her life in the US brought her many good things (including her husband), she always yearned to return home.
After two visits to Vieques, it became clear that she was truly meant for an island life. She left a 9-to-5 office existence to flourish in Vieques.
As The Vieques Guide's Ambassadora, Kim helps others find the same enjoyment in the island she loves. Kim is here to answer questions, offer advice and give direct assistance to make your visit simply amazing.
Kim is very active and dedicated to improving life for the people of Vieques. She is a leader in local youth organizations and island initiatives, including a project to bring a community radio station to Vieques. Kim is well-known for a ready smile and a willingness to help people in need.
TVG Webmaster, Writer/Photographer, Chief Adventurer
Wes Allen was a true beach boy from the very beginning. Growing up along the Florida Gulf coast, Wes was a good swimmer long before he could walk. He was taught to read and write using mangrove pods, and his earliest memories are diving from a dilapidated pier.
Sadly, his hometown was destroyed by explosive development, and his family moved once the sleepy beach town was no longer recognizable.
Many years later, Wes visited Vieques with his wife, and found an island that was identical to his late home in character and in climate. From his first steps on the sandy beach, Wes knew he had rediscovered his paradise...
As Webmaster of The Vieques Guide, Wes employs combines his skills as a website developer with his sense of adventure and love for Vieques Island. Exploring the many natural wonders of Vieques (no matter how inaccessible) and sharing what he discovers is part of his job description.
Wes has a deep respect for nature and a strong sense of social justice. He actively works towards the protection and preservation of the island and all its inhabitants.
Kim and Wes Allen, founders of The Vieques Guide, first visited Vieques in 2005. It was a several-week adventure that would ultimately change their lives.
The two explored Vieques high, low, inside and out, by land, sea and air. They encountered previously unknown wonders and discovered amazing beauty. Wes and Kim met lifelong friends, and before their departure, it was universally agreed that they would re-visit much sooner than later.
In less than a year, Wes and Kim found themselves back on Vieques. The island life resumed where it left off as they reunited with old acquaintances, made new friends, visited favorite locales and explored hidden places. Two short weeks passed far too quickly, and they vowed to return in haste.
Exactly one month later, Fortune presented itself: A chance to live and work in Vieques. Opportunity knocked, and Wes and Kim answered. It was a bittersweet goodbye to friends and professional life in Virginia, as they packed what was useful and easily carried. The two arrived in Vieques in September, 2006...
In this new setting, Wes and Kim found the perfect balance of action and relaxin. They founded The Vieques Guide with the vision to give vacationers the 'locals-only' experiences they had enjoyed. Their new ideas were welcomed by Vieques businesses, and many lasting, mutually-beneficial partnerships were formed.
Less than one year later, TheViequesGuide.com grew to over 100 pages, and became known among the best online resources for Vieques island. Their experiment in creating customized vacations was declared a success, and hundreds of people benefitted from the two Guides' personal assistance.
By early 2008, The Vieques Guide achieved more than was ever expected. Major milestones included publishing the most complete local business directory, producing a guide to local beaches and locations, translating the site into 7 languages and a top-to-bottom website redesign.
Most importantly, Wes and Kim had helped thousands of island visitors while bringing new customers to dozens of local businesses. They created an ideal mixture of life, work and play. They were at the crossroads of accomplishment and possibility, and they knew that their journey had only just begun!