Who wouldn't want to learn about all the oddly shaped, bizarrely colored and uniquely behaved creatures in the world's seas? But sitting in a classroom listening to a marine biologist drone on about facts and figures or pouring over a dense tome may not be the most fun way of going about it. I just posted a feature on the best ways to learn about sea life in the best places in the world. Sure, we all have a favorite place to snorkel, sea kayak or dive. But what if you could find the healthiest marine environs where there are such a diverse array of organisms, you wouldn't want to leave? This is the list of those 12 best places. And not only the best waters but also the best tour operators or accommodations at each site that will assist you in the fun learning experience in as eco-friendly a manner as possible. Check out where these 12 places are located and all the interesting organisms that call these waters home.
Showing posts with label snorkeling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snorkeling. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Fun Learning About Marine Creatures
Who wouldn't want to learn about all the oddly shaped, bizarrely colored and uniquely behaved creatures in the world's seas? But sitting in a classroom listening to a marine biologist drone on about facts and figures or pouring over a dense tome may not be the most fun way of going about it. I just posted a feature on the best ways to learn about sea life in the best places in the world. Sure, we all have a favorite place to snorkel, sea kayak or dive. But what if you could find the healthiest marine environs where there are such a diverse array of organisms, you wouldn't want to leave? This is the list of those 12 best places. And not only the best waters but also the best tour operators or accommodations at each site that will assist you in the fun learning experience in as eco-friendly a manner as possible. Check out where these 12 places are located and all the interesting organisms that call these waters home.
Friday, May 22, 2009
A Beach For Every Personality in Vieques
As far as Puerto Rico goes, one of my favorite places is Vieques, the offshore island that once had a reputation as a test-bombing site for the U.S. Navy. The only plus to that situation: the seaside remained largely undeveloped. With the Navy now completely gone as of a few years ago, I have concern regarding overdevelopment along the waterfront and elsewhere. But there are still so many untouched sandy swaths and secluded covers that you'll easily find a place where you'll feel like Robinson Crusoe. Here's a large sampling of the beaches I've visited; each offers a different pleasure, whether you prefer to set your blanket in the midst of crowds or you would rather stroll the sands without any distractions.
• Sun Bay, where Lord of the Flies was filmed, is so easy to get to that it's the beach everyone flocks to on the weekends. I enjoyed hiking around Cayo de Adentro, one of the keys that's accessible by walking on a narrow spit of sand. Visitors to Sun Bay will have plenty of opportunity to eat local food thanks to vendors at the entrance selling cod fish fritters, mashed plantain with meat or seafood, conch salad and pastelillos.
• A short walk or drive down the Beach Road is Media Luna, named for the half moon shape of its bay. This calm water attracts families who wade several hundred yards into the still water and, like Sun Bay, is fringed with tall coconut palms.
• The next beach, Navio, is renowned for its white sand and clear turquoise water with strong waves that make it good for surfing. On either side of the beach are caves, one where fruits bats live, that you can either swim or walk to.
• At Esperanza Beach, in the eponymous town with restaurants and bars aplenty, you can get away from it all by snorkeling around the coral reefs of the uninhabited island, Cayo Afuera, that sits a few hundred feet offshore. You can easily kayak to the island that's also noted for its surf-battered sea cliffs.
• On the west end of the island, Green Beach is where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean. From there, I parked the car and walked to a series of sandy coves that are so desolate yours will be the only footprints. Most visitors stop at the main beach rather than continuing south to a rocky point and then east to a series of beaches with intimate coves and stands of coconut palms. Backed by hills topped with scrub, these beaches are desolate with desolation with sculpted boulders.
• Among the beaches that were off limits but opened to the public as of 2003 are Red and Blue beaches on the east end of the island. (They are now part of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.) Playa Caracas (Red Beach) is one of the prettiest on the island with white sand, gentle waters and volcanic outcroppings. The much longer Bajia la Chiva (Blue Beach) allows those with four-wheel vehicles to drive onto the sand.
• Also on the island's once off-limits east end are the latest beaches to open to the public. These include Playa Escondida, Playa La Platita and Playa La Plata (Silver Beach), aka Orchid Beach. No matter which one you choose, you'll be delighted with the bay views as well as the expansive verdant hills in the distance. The often calm waters make La Plata especially appealing.
continue reading "A Beach For Every Personality in Vieques"
• Sun Bay, where Lord of the Flies was filmed, is so easy to get to that it's the beach everyone flocks to on the weekends. I enjoyed hiking around Cayo de Adentro, one of the keys that's accessible by walking on a narrow spit of sand. Visitors to Sun Bay will have plenty of opportunity to eat local food thanks to vendors at the entrance selling cod fish fritters, mashed plantain with meat or seafood, conch salad and pastelillos.
• A short walk or drive down the Beach Road is Media Luna, named for the half moon shape of its bay. This calm water attracts families who wade several hundred yards into the still water and, like Sun Bay, is fringed with tall coconut palms.
• The next beach, Navio, is renowned for its white sand and clear turquoise water with strong waves that make it good for surfing. On either side of the beach are caves, one where fruits bats live, that you can either swim or walk to.
• At Esperanza Beach, in the eponymous town with restaurants and bars aplenty, you can get away from it all by snorkeling around the coral reefs of the uninhabited island, Cayo Afuera, that sits a few hundred feet offshore. You can easily kayak to the island that's also noted for its surf-battered sea cliffs.
• On the west end of the island, Green Beach is where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean. From there, I parked the car and walked to a series of sandy coves that are so desolate yours will be the only footprints. Most visitors stop at the main beach rather than continuing south to a rocky point and then east to a series of beaches with intimate coves and stands of coconut palms. Backed by hills topped with scrub, these beaches are desolate with desolation with sculpted boulders.
• Among the beaches that were off limits but opened to the public as of 2003 are Red and Blue beaches on the east end of the island. (They are now part of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.) Playa Caracas (Red Beach) is one of the prettiest on the island with white sand, gentle waters and volcanic outcroppings. The much longer Bajia la Chiva (Blue Beach) allows those with four-wheel vehicles to drive onto the sand.
• Also on the island's once off-limits east end are the latest beaches to open to the public. These include Playa Escondida, Playa La Platita and Playa La Plata (Silver Beach), aka Orchid Beach. No matter which one you choose, you'll be delighted with the bay views as well as the expansive verdant hills in the distance. The often calm waters make La Plata especially appealing.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Florida Keys Are Still Wild
Driving from Key Largo to Key West, many people find it difficult to imagine what Florida must've been like before malls and wall-to-wall resorts invaded the area. Yet, all t takes to experience the wilderness of the Florida Keys is to make a very short detour off the main highway or take a pleasant ferry ride. Some of the wilderness venues are so close to the main drag, it's almost hard to believe it when residents admit they've never heard of a particular spot. There are more than half a dozen of these nature preserves to choose from. On my last trip to the Keys, I based in Islamorada and took day trips to each of these leafy destinations below:
• The Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park is just off Route 1. It's the largest remaining tropical hardwood forest in the U.S. and home to endangered plants and animals. Thanks to the signs and labels along the paths, it's easy to pick up plenty of botanical facts about the Jamaican dogwood whose leaves were once used to stun fish or the Bahama strongbark tree whose tea is said to be revitalizing.
• At Indian Key Historic State Park, rangers lead treks through this 10-acre greenspace that has a colorful past. The rogue wrecker bought the island and built one of Florida's first post offices; an agriculturist introduced agave and prickly pear; and a band of Native Americans attacked in the 1800s destroying most of the island's structures. You'll see the ruins of the town square and be able to roam trials that were once busy streets.
• Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is one of the last virgin tropical forests in the Keys. The park is named for the endangered medicinal tree that 's said to possibly be the tree of the Garden of Eden and also the source of the Holy Grail. Rangers also lead guided walks on the island where you'll find plenty of oddly named and lush foliage. Kayaking, snorkeling and fishing are three other top activities you may want to consider both here and at Indian Key.
• The Crane Point Museum, Nature Center and Historic Site is a 60-some-acre wilderness preserve that is sure to satisfy botany and history buffs alike. Here you'll find the Adderley House, the oldest house in the Keys outside of Key West. It's constructed of sand, shells, lime and rocks. Walk the trails that wind past fresh water ponds and mangrove forests with blue herons and white ibis.
• In Long Key State Park, visitors can walk the pleasant Golden Orb Trail, so named for the spider whose web is many times stronger than the same mass of steel. It meanders through a dense mangrove forest to an observation tower high above the forest.
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