Showing posts with label coral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coral. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

La Plata & Sun Bay in Vieques

La Plata

La Plata is gorgeous.  There generally aren't that many people there, so you can have most of the beach to yourself.  There is the "Gallery" that you can wade to, there is decent snorkeling, and there are coconuts to drill into and drink the milk from!  Did I mention the soothing sound of the waves and the view?  I will start off by saying this...There are NO topless beaches in Vieques; however, if you wanted to go topless after all of the other beachgoers have left, this is your spot ;)  There is no shade, unless you leave the beach and walk back to your vehicle.  Ditch the umbrella!!!  You have got to make a canopy to protect your beer on ice!  Read my earlier post about canopies.  Our friends Curt and Lorrie that have the blog "After the Mortgage" perfected the beach canopy. It withstands the ocean wind quite well.  It's definitely a must!  On a side note: 
  • Do not walk around near the foliage without shoes.  Sand burs are terrible.  I pulled many out of my foot! OUCH!
  • The sea grass looks lovely to sit on, but check where you are sitting.  I almost sat on an urchin. 
  • Always keep valuables with your person.  There is some petty theft that has been reported.  Keep your vehicle windows down so somebody doesn't have the chance to bust them out thinking there is something inside worth having. 
  • I always keep in mind when traveling, that it is not my home and some of the places we visit are poverty stricken.  I know that I haven't walked in those shoes, so we are mindful of ourselves by having respect and mindful of our property. 

The "Gallery" is a little beach you wade to that has rocks and other objects balanced.  I was lovingly told its NOT stacking.  If you want to know the creator, they are there a couple months out of the year.  Look for Judy and Andre.  They are neat people that you could spend the day with listening to adventures they have had and lived.  It's very neat to see and I think everyone picks out a favorite.  There is also some good snorkeling around the rocks on the way there. 


The "Gallery"

Looking out from the "Gallery" toward the sea grass!  Watch where you sit because it may be on an urchin!  Ouch! 

Brad's point of view

Side view of the "Gallery" looking back towards La Plata


Sun Bay

Sun bay is the quintessential beach from every post card you have seen.  There are palms to sit under, there are calm waves, there are coconuts, and there are the occasional dogs and horses that visit for an afternoon siesta.  Your vehicle is right there where you can see and I believe there is a snack/food area.  Keep in mind...if you are looking for seclusion, this is certainly NOT the beach for you. I DO not recommend going topless, either ;)


This beach is postcard worthy!


You never have to be in the sun unless you choose to be!

Sometimes you have a chair malfunction, so make sure your chairs are in proper working order :)

Selfie with friends!

Used our coconut tool (get one cheap on Amazon) to get a fresh drink and eat some fresh meat!

Someone loved our shady spot under the palms!


Whether you like seclusion, people, shade, sun, waves, or snorkeling, there is a beach for you!  This is two of many that Vieques has to offer, so go EXPLORE!!!





XOXO...Becky




Thursday, February 18, 2016

Our Excursion With "Little boat Sailing" in Vieques

Honestly, this was one of the BEST excursions we have ever had.  The owner, captain, and operator of Little Boat Sailing is Jorge.  He has the most amazing travel stories and he was so knowledgeable about the reef, the fish, and his community.  He made our tour what we wanted, and not something that he does for everyone.  We told him what we hoped to see and he made that happen.  He knew that snorkeling was our main focus so we went to Lemon Reef.  There was some discussion as to the actual name so we decided it should be name "Jorge Reef".  Getting there was part of the fun since it was on a gorgeous Hobie!  The ocean water was spraying on us, the breeze was perfect, and the sun and temperature were just right!  After about an hour and a half of snorkeling, we went into the mangroves.  Jorge jumped out and got a starfish and did some teaching with us. Jorge had waters and protein available for us after snorkeling...I feel like we burnt off a ton of calories!  We were famished!!!  The best thing about this excursion is that it was one on one, we were there with only our two friends Curt and Lorrie, and we got to morph the tour into what we wanted it to be.  There are a ton of pictures, but the do not truly show how amazing this tour is until you just go to Vieques and experience it for yourself.  Some of the pictures were taken by Jorge and some were with our GoPros!  Enjoy!


                                                                         Eagle Ray
                                                                        Eagle Ray
                          Jorge was so awesome at taking pictures and he emailed them free of charge
                                 Jorge says this Nurse Shark was about 5 ft. long and sleeping

Eagle Ray


                                                  

                                                   This is a video I took with my GoPro

I have Jorge's website listed under the helpful sites section of this blog, so check him out!!!

XOXO...Becky