Puerto Rico wants to open no-man's-land to tourism
A small island long known as a Navy bombing range is gradually trying to turn a no-man's-land into a booming tourist mecca. Vieques, off the east coast of Puerto Rico, boasts gorgeous beaches, turquoise waters and a stunning bioluminescent bay. But for more than 70 years, most of the island has been off-limits to non-military visitors. Tons of unexploded bombs, rockets and other munitions still lie scattered across the eastern half of the island and the surrounding seabed. One side effect is that much of the island remains tantalizingly undeveloped, a wildlife refuge whose verdant hills and white-sand beaches attracts some 170 bird species and are popular nesting places for leatherback, hawksbill and green sea turtles. "They're the bread and butter of Vieques," said Mike Barandiaran, manager of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge for the US Fish & Wildlife Service. "The tourist that comes here wants the wild, natural area. And it generates a lot of re...