Route 100 leads to the western coast of the island and Playa Punta Arenas.

Punta Arenas, renamed by the navy, Green Beach, is a particularly beautiful beach. There are magnificent views of the Big Island just six miles away. The sand is soft. The sea is calm. The coconut palm groves behind the beach are lush and full. What a magnificent way to spend the day picnicking, swimming, snorkeling or just relaxing in a beach chair or on a hammock stretched between two palm trees.

The bad news is that the presence of the lagunas in the area creates an environment favorable for a creature called the sand fly. These annoying little devils often come out in force in the early morning and late afternoon or when the wind is exceptionally still. A good strategy is to plan to leave the beach sometime before 4:00 PM and definitely before 6:00 PM, when agents of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife close the gates leading back to the highway.

In days gone by, there was a dock on the beach, from where sugarcane and molasses were shipped to the Big Island for processing. Boats, often built in Vieques, went back and forth between Punta Arenas and the Big Island. At Punta Arenas one could find a ferry boat with a diesel engine, as well as several sloops, fishing boats and yolas powered by motor, sail and oar.

There used to be a store at Punta Arenas where people could buy just about anything they needed such as, food, clothing, shoes, tools and cooking utensils.

All this changed with the navy expropriations. People living in the area were forced to move to the center of the island. The dock was closed and the new route to the Big Island began in Isabel Segunda necessitating a two hour journey in less protected waters.