Casa de Kathy

I recently had the pleasure of staying at Casa de Kathy in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and I can't say enough about the wonderful experience I had. From the moment I arrived, the host was incredibly kind and gracious, making me feel right at home. The rooms at Casa de Kathy were not only comfortable but also impeccably clean. The attention to detail was evident, and I appreciated the effort put into maintaining a high standard of cleanliness. The amenities provided, such as the air conditioning and ceiling fans, were a lifesaver in the tropical heat, ensuring that I always had a comfortable and cool retreat to return to after a day of exploring. One of the standout features of Casa de Kathy is its convenient location. Situated near the beach, as well as several grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and even canoe tours, everything I needed was within easy reach. It was incredibly convenient to have everything I needed just a stone's throw away, making my stay all the more enjoyable. I would highly recommend Casa de Kathy to anyone looking for an affordable and convenient place to stay while visiting Vieques. The combination of a welcoming host, spotless rooms, and a prime location make it an excellent choice for travelers seeking a comfortable and hassle-free experience.

This was one of the best AirBnB experiences ever! Vieques is a beautiful place and Kathy has a great place to live. The apartments are really private and there is even an outdoor shower. Kathy is a very welcoming host and we felt like home immediately:) She gave us a perfect overview where to go and what to do. She was really helpful and we could ask her anything. Also she told us a lot about the islands history and the protests against the bombing of Vieques. The house is located on the south side of Vieques and it’s a 5 minute walk to the water or to the pier with many restaurants. We absolutely loved our stay here!

Knowing absolutely nothing about Vieques, I was incredibly fortunate to run across Kathy‘s information and to then spend about five weeks with her. Her place is in the absolute perfect location, and has every amenity you could possibly want. But best of all Kathy is a mine of information, and the most gracious host you could ask for. She is warm and friendly, always available but never intrusive. She is a long time resident and is happy to share the location of secret spots and beaches you might otherwise never find. Personally I made a new friend and have countless treasured memories of this amazing island and Kathy’s beautiful home.

I loved my experience at Casa de Kathy! being a solo traveler in Vieques its not easy, and Kathy provide me all the information and tools (chairs, umbrella, snorkeling gear, etc) I need :) Being at her house was amazing, I enjoyed my mornings at her balcony, reading my book looking to the sea, she took care of every detail of my stay (and we had amazing breakfasts where she shared his experience and thoughts, adding a lot of value to my PR trip). Also, we had an amazing beach day together, she showed me a cool hidden beach in Vieques :)

Highly recommend Casa de Kathy! Kathy is extremely knowledgeable of the island and went out of her way to let us know what was going on each day (ferry cancellations and rougher waves on certain beaches). Her place is extremely comfortable and clean with everything you could need on your trip. With air conditioning in the bedrooms, fans, and the light blocking louvers on the windows, these were the best night's sleep I have ever had on the island. The location is also perfect, being walking distance to the Malecon in Esperanza. Can't wait to come back!

I stayed in the studio at Casa de Kathy and couldn't recommend it more. The place itself was well stocked, very clean, and in a great location. The unit itself is very well stocked (water filter/towels/toiletries/snorkel equipment/coffee and condiments/even some books and games). ~5 minute walk to Esperanza beach and all the restaurants/bars there and a ~25 minute walk to Sun Bay beach. La Playa Negra is also close by (Kathy was kind enough to drive me there as I didn't rent a car) and there are grocery stores also within a few minutes walk. The highlight was Kathy though! She's incredibly accommodating and nice and was very helpful in getting around the island. It was great chatting with her and learning more about her activism in Vieques. She even took me with her to a few places during my time there as I didn't have a car. One of the nicest hosts I've stayed with! Kathy really went above and beyond. I didn't rent a car or a golf cart and between the central location, taxis, and Kathy's kindness, I was easily able to get around the island. Stay with Kathy! You won't regret it

My friend and I stayed at Casa de Kathy for 12 days in March. We found the accommodation to be very comfortable and clean with everything we needed. Kathy was a welcoming host and a wealth of information. The location could not be better. It was a quiet street but an easy walk to the grocery store, to town and most importantly to us, to beaches in both directions. We walked to Coco beach and Playa Negra in one direction and to Playa Esperanza, Sun Bay and beyond in the other direction. It was easy to hire a taxi to Playa Caracas (round trip $45 for the two of us, dropping us off at 1:00 and picking us up at 5:00) so we did not need to rent a car which was quite a relief as they are expensive and would have been stressful to drive on the narrow roads, especially at night. The taxi driver would have taken us to Chiva for $70 round trip if we had asked her . The view from Kathy's deck is fabulous and she was happy to have us up there. The sitting area outside our apartment was very convenient, quiet, comfortable and shaded. If I return to Vieques I would absolutely stay there again!

I am a returning traveler to Casa de Kathy, and each time, it’s like visiting a friend (this is my 3rd time staying at Kathy’s home). I can’t say enough about the location, convenience and of course the host. Vieques is a small island so getting to where you want to go is relatively easy but staying in Esperanza makes the back and forth even easier. From visiting some of the nice beaches on and off the Refuge to shopping for food in Isabel Segunda, to chillin’ around the Malecón in Esperanza, everything is super easy from Casa de Kathy. The location makes each of those types of adventures easy to get to, without the hustle and bustle of “el pueblo” (Isabel Segunda). Kathy is well connected to the community and knows about almost anything you want to know about the Vieques, from the time you should go hiking to see the best sunrises to the best swimming beaches. She knows the history as well as the who’s who on Vieques. Arranging arrival and departure dates were super simple and easy to arrange. During this visit, my highlights were shared meals (and Vieques rum) with Kathy and another guest and being able to ride my bike around the Vieques. Knowing location, I knew I could return this time around with my bicycle in tow and get around without a problem. Kathy was generous with her time to make me feel welcomed and part of her community, which was much appreciated. All in all, a fruitful visit. I miss the coquis and roosters already! Gracias, Kathy!!

Our Likes: Price, convenient, and a safe location in the town (Barrio) of Esperanza on south side of Vieques Island, nearby touristy restaurants, and nearby south facing beaches. Our Studio Apartment's amenities included a large shower, plenty of shelves and hooks, great chest of drawers, and a refrig/freezer filled with ice. Kathy is a long-time and active resident who is a wealth of information, who keeps in touch with you (she lives on the top floor), and who can probably quickly access health and safety responses. Our friends, who introduced us to her place, have been staying with her annually for over a decade, and they rented her bigger Two Bedroom Apartment with full kitchen and a sitting area. My wife, Elsie adds, "Kathy did a great job decorating her studio apartment with island colors. She knows a lot about the Island and is a wealth of information. Kathy's place is ideally located on the Island and is a fair price. The air condition unit was top of the line and the two ceiling fans in the studio helped keep the place cool too. Her thoughtfulness of providing us with the little things to help make our stay enjoyable was much appreciated, such as, board games, game cards, DVD movies, Vieques history books and magazines, a Brita filtering water pitcher (which we used several times a day) kept in the refrigerator, snorkeling gear, beach chairs, beach towels, Wi-Fi, and the use of her upstairs balcony for a great view of the ocean. Kathy's excellent customer service is hospitable and commendable. Her occasional visits to see if we needed anything or had any questions was much appreciated and showed that she genuinely cared. We will always remember our wonderful adventure on Vieques. Thank you, Kathy!" As for vacationing on Vieques, you can expect near vacant beaches and plenty of sun. It does rain occasionally for short periods and the nights can be slightly cool. We liked Sun Bay Beach, Grand Beach, and the Black Sand Beach; and, all beaches are special and mostly deserted. Best restaurants for us: Coqui Fire Café, Mango Public House, Duffy's Esperanza, and Cositas Ricas, a kabob food truck just east of Esperanza on route 997--located on the northside of the route and with permanently installed multicolored outdoor "picnic" tables and benches. Elsie wrote, "We enjoyed both the commuter plane and Ferry rides between mainland Puerto Rico and Vieques Island, which were quite an experience and worth the trips! The leisurely Ferry ride on a calm sea returning to the main island of Puerto Rico was relaxing. On Vieques, touring the beautiful beaches, eating meals at different restaurants, visiting historical monuments and places, admiring gorgeous horses, and soaking up some warm sun were great activities." Do drive slow enough to navigate narrow roads, curves, obstructions, horses, and potholes, tho' Federal government roads tend to be less bumpy but nevertheless narrow. You can rent a narrow car, like one of the many Kia Souls, which suited our four-person group needs for people and stuff, proved reliable, and took what the roads dealt us astonishingly well, albeit slowly. Rental cars, golf carts, and scooters are available.

Lodging can be a tricky proposition when staying on the Isle de Vieques. This is a small island, and you won't find any big hotels here. There are a few small hotels, and then there are lots of B&Bs. The other variable which made the lodging hunt tough was that many places require a minimum of 2-3 night stays. (we were only staying for a night) We were looking for a stay on a Monday night, and this off-night made things a little easy, and I was able to find Casa De Kathy. This is basically Kathy's house, and she rents out a studio (upstairs next to her apartment), and an apartment downstairs. Our studio had plenty of basics: mini-kitchen with hot plate, fridge, and all the dishes you would need. There were even some basic foods, and drinks left over (There was a bottle of rum in the cupboard, chocolates, and other things---I was wary of taking them because I didn't know if it was an extra charge.) In the bathroom, you won't find unopened travel shampoos or small packaged soap. You will be provided with a big bottle of shampoo that you might find in your own bathroom. Breakfast isn't provided, but like I said, the kitchen is set up with various provisions, and you have the mini-kitchen. I wouldn't call this a hotel or B&B. You are basically living in someone's home. So, you should have that in mind when staying here. Kathy was nice. I mean she took us in for one night (we were charged an extra $10 for only staying 1-night, so that made our stay $95---which is pretty good for Vieques). The room was clean (Kathy does the cleaning herself). There is air conditioning, but Kathy will let you know that she wants you to be frugal with it---i.e. don't leave it on if you leave, and make sure your windows are airtight-closed when the AC is on (we were notified of having a 5mm gap on a window). There is no site parking. So if you rent a car or scooter, it will have to stay on the street. Actually Kathy asked her neighbor if we could park our scooter on their driveway, and that was cool. Kathy also has lots of stuff to lend out: beach towels, ice chests, etc. So yeah, all in all, I'd say it's a fair place to stay. It's within walking distance of "downtown" Esperanza, and you get all your basics taken care of here.

Ask around the island if you dont believe me. This lady is completely nuts. We arrived at like 8pm one night and were pretty desperate to find a place to stay. A local took us to a house, then had one more, then after that failed, he took us to Kathy. She seemed ok the first night. We basically came back to the condo and passed out. At 8am she was yelling through the windows at us to close them because we were wasting AC. Ok, our bad. We got in at night and never noticed they were open. We appologized and definitely would have closed them if we knew they were open. She charged us an "air conditioning fee," and told us to pay our bill before 3pm. There is no ATM on that side of the island, so we spent 2 hours taking a bus to the other side of the island, got her some cash, had lunch (shaunnas is the best food in peurto rico btw), and came back. She said we could settle up later, so we left the cash in our room and headed out to the beach. She actually somehow tracks us down on the beach yelling that we burned her table down, she had no idea what we were doing the night before ("I dont even want to know what you guys were doing in the there last night"...wtf?), and she wants us out immediately (its like 3pm at this point), and that if we dont get back by 4pm shes taking our stuff. We got back to our room, and first, checked out the table. It had a tiny ash mark (we could probably have even washed it out), but by this point she was hysterical. She wouldnt talk to us in person because she was "afraid" of us(we would have just left the money for the first night and left, but she came into the apartment and took all the money while we were gone) so she called a friend to come protect her while she inspected the apartment to check for further damages. We were cool with paying for a new table (it was a 30 dollar plastic patio table by the way), and ultimately we did pay for it, but at this point we wanted out as much as she wanted us out. We were not up all night partying, we were not loud. All we did was sleep, then left the apartment. This lady is completely nuts and I would never get near her again. Ive traveled alot and stayed at alot of places and I've never been treated with such disrespect, hostility and contempt. The best part is that she actually called around town and told everyone that we were "the terror of the town, raising havok everywhere," and told them not to give us a room. Luckily the locals knew she was crazy and gave us a nice quiet room anyway. stay away.

We stayed with Kathy a few times in the past. The place is run like a clock; it is very clean. She can provide ALL you need to know. Very helpful. Quiet and peaceful. We both slept like babies. Also, a great location. I love Esperanza and the Malecon. We self catered; no problem. Bring food to the island if you can. It can get expensive. The beaches are absolutely one of the best in the world. Stayed in 2009 and in December 2013, traveled as a couple.

Extraordinarily rude owner, do not stay here! She charged us extra for our one year old, because of potential wear and tear a baby causes, seriously??? She then lectured us on all her rules and regulations and would then watch us during our stay to make sure we were following every single one and if it was not to her satisfaction she would send me text messages to remind us of the rules. This woman is just flat out crazy. My husband is a psychiatrist and it took him 5 minutes to diagnose her with a personality disorder. Vieques is a wonderful place to visit, but do yourself a favor and stay elsewhere, Kathy will ruin your time.

Kathy is a sweetheart, I enjoyed my stay at Casa De Kathy, went to Vieques on a film location scout. I got there Monday 1/21/13 and left Monday 1/28/13. The apartment was ok, it was clean and spacious. I appreciated all the materials that Kathy provided for me and my producer, I actually read some of it. We also appreciated the beach chairs, beach towels, at no cost. We didn't spend too much time indoors, there was no television, but we really didn't need it. All in all, we got what we paid for, we have nothing bad to say about Kathy, she's a very nice lady.

I loved Casa de Kathy! Her place was so clean and and was SUPER organized! Her property manager was also extremely nice and helpful. The property is not a far walk from the main strip of tiki bars and the Sun Bay Beach. And, what was most important for me, since I'm terrified of bugs, I saw NOT BUGS WHATSOEVER in Kathy's apartment. Not a single one, which allowed me to rest peacefully at night. I would definitely stay there again next time I go to Vieques.

I really enjoyed the studio. It was clean, stocked with shampoo, soap, kleenex, paper towel, beach towels, beach chairs, beach umbrella. I really did not like the owner Kathy. I sensed her rude, unprofessional behavior over email and saw it first hand during our vacation. I would not return to this vacation rental. I don't think she sees her renters as humans, rather a means for an income and this is evident with all of her nip picking. For me it was sad to have to deal with this woman during such a special trip.

Strange experience, to say the least. The owner, Kathy, made us have a "sit-down" to go over her rules when we arrived. It was kind of degrading. The room was dated, but clean. After we went out for a late dinner, we came back to the room and crashed. After a few hours of sleep with the AC on, I woke up cold. There was no blanket on the bed, only sheets. I looked in the bureau drawers for a blanket, and around the room (in the dark), and came up with nothing. I tossed and turned the rest of the night. Around 6am, we were inundated with the sounds of roosters crowing, neighbors yelling, and stereos blasting. I gave up on sleep and went to find breakfast. When I came back, there was a note from Kathy saying the municipal water supply was not running....i.e. no water to bath with. The icing on the cake. I was exhausted and in need of a cold shower. We asked Kathy for a later check out time and she gave us an extra 2 hours due to the circumstances. Fortunately, the water got turned on and we got our showers in. Accommodations are limited on Vieques. I highly recommend doing a lot of research before booking.

Eight of my group attempted to stay the night at Casa De Kathy on the evening of 21 Jun 15. Her demeanor went from polite to questioning as soon as she saw that we had eight people exit the van instead of five that we had originally reserved. As a military group that was sent to Puerto Rico on a two week stay, our plans change daily. They had originally planned to stay on the beach while renting camping equipment, but could not find accommodations for rental equipment because it was Sunday and Father's Day and all of the rental locations were closed. After she belittled the other three into calling places they had already attempted to contact, the rest of us were allowed inside. She went on to ensure that the extra three members of our group not set foot in the tiny little downstairs apartment. Once inside, I asked if she would allow them to step indoors into the air conditioning and she said "No, they'll be fine out there." I walked outside to help with the situation with our other three members whom were starting to get scared that they did not have a place to stay on the island. Kathy went on to say that "She was offended that we didn't arrive with smiles on our faces". Kathy wanted to "orient" the POC by reviewing the Vieques map, all of the multiple pages of information and give them a 'tour' (which you could see every point of the entire place from the front door - no need for a tour). After expressing my frustrations she blatantly said that she would not allow the three extra people because it "was her house and her policy" was for five people and said "don't put that burden on me". I walked to the opposite side of the street and watched as Kathy sat my trip POC down on her upstairs veranda yelling at her about the extra three members of our group and my "mouth". After she popped a pill (that we then figured was a Valium), she went on to say that she has "never been treated like this before" and that the situation was "just damn weird" and that we all made it seem like it was a crisis. She went on to say that we as military members should know that "this isn't a crisis. What is a crisis is innocent people being killed by US Military overseas in other countries" and that I personally "wasn't allowed to stay unless I was with her everywhere she goes so that she needed to control my mouth because it was irresponsible and she didn't trust me" - only because I vocalized my frustrations. We were able to work it out the extras could stay in a little Casita next door that she also owned. A one bedroom, bathroom shack that had water bugs come out of the shower when turned on and multiple geckos and ants inside. She claimed she could only find the geckos leaving them uncomfortable, feeling gross due to a lack of shower, and grumpy due to lack of sleep. We were able to visit the bio-bay that evening, but prior to went to eat and found her driving by looking at our group as if spying on us. (Belly Buttons has fabulous breakfast, lunch, and dinner - Baltimore MD Owner, very nice people, delicious food). We took our tour with Melaya's Tour - WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM, they were amazing and Mosquito Bay was absolutely beautiful! After, we came back and quickly went to bed as she had strict quiet hours listed from 10pm to 9am and were scared to make any noise as to disturb. The free range horses roam the island and go wherever they please. One woke me up with a loud whinny through the thin glass slats of windows around 12am. After taking some video, low and behold here comes Kathy from the driveway looking in my window with her dog! Scared the crap out of me! I quickly shut my window as we had read on other reviews that she would charge an AC fee if she sees that your windows are open with the AC on inside. WOW, CREEPY MUCH?!?! We received multiple texts, one of which read "Your baby needs to sleep on plastic if she pees the bed. It can be found in the dressers in one of the bedrooms"....it was a PLASTIC SHOWER CURTAIN. Her 11 year old son laid a wet towel on the bed the next morning after a shower. Our trip POC was freaking out drying the bed with a hair-dryer scared that this lady had her credit card information and would presume her daughter wet the bed because the sheets were damp. How is that relaxing? The owner had a book labeled "Military Power + Popular Protest - The US Navy in Vieques, P.R. by K McCaffrey" on the coffee table in the living room. The two year old had children's books out and one read "This story was inspired by the tremendous victory won by the people of Puerto Rico by evicting the United States Navy from the island of Vieques." Anti-Military owner? Do yourself a favor and stay elsewhere or she'll ruin your experience of this majestic, beautiful island.