Tag Archives: Plan

Curacao Klein
Caribbean, Curacao, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: Kline Curacao

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Though it’s not an island you’d want to call home, arid and uninhabited Kline Curacao is a great place to spend a day. Located some 15 miles southeast of the primary island of Curacao, this small island offers deserted beaches, unspoiled coral reefs and a landmark lighthouse.

Day trips begin with a two-hour boat ride that hugs the sheltered southern coast of Curacao, and then enters open waters, which can range from calm to adventurous. The destination is a deserted white-sand beach on Kline Curacao’s sheltered lee shore, where a collection of thatch-roofed shelters provides the island’s only facilities.

A typical day on the island will involve snorkeling or scuba diving, beach games, walks to the wind-swept eastern shore, a barbecue lunch and, or course, plenty of cool libations.

Martinique
Caribbean, Martinique, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: Diamond Rock, Martinique

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When visitors to Martinique admire the sunset from Pointe Diamante, they might be surprised to know that the small island on the western horizon was once part of the Royal Navy. During the Napoleonic wars, British commander Samuel Hood realized that the volcanic spire known as Diamond Rock occupied a strategic position between the islands of Martinique and St. Lucia. In January of 1804, he sent crews to scale the islands rugged heights.

Fortifications were built, cannons were hauled up the cliffs by rope, and the rock was commissioned as HMS Diamond Rock, with the designation of a sloop of war. For the next 18 months, the guns mounted atop the rock harassed French vessels, forcing them to steer wide of the coast of Martinique, and away from the harbor at Fort-de-France. The French navy eventually mounted an attack. The rock withstood two weeks of withering cannon fire, but short on food and water, the British sailors lowered the flag on their ship that couldn’t be sunk.

Today, uninhibited Diamond Rock provides refuge for sea birds and a number of rare land animals. But naval traditions run deep, and to this day, whenever a British warship passes the rock, they salute their “stone frigate.”

Cancun Aerial
Cancun, Mexico, Plan, Trip Ideas

Mexico Snapshots: Cancun from above

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When seen from the air, it’s obvious why Cancun has become Mexico’s favorite waterfront playground. The 12-mile-long strip of sand that is home to the country’s largest tourism zone is flanked by water on all sides.

To the west, the mangrove estuary of Nichupte Lagoon provides fishermen, kayakers and birdwatchers with acres of calm water. The reef-fringed eastern crescent of the island boasts miles of white-sand beaches that are washed by trade winds and the water of the Caribbean. When swells are up, beaches such as Playa Ballenas are favorites with body surfers.

At its northernmost point, the island’s coastline takes an abrupt westward turn, creating a profile that resembles a giant numeral seven. The top part of this seven overlooks the waters of Bahia de Mujeres, with favorite beaches such as Playa Tortuga and Playa Caracol, where you can catch a water taxi to Isla Mujeres. These areas are protected from Caribbean swells, but can turn exciting when winter winds from the north attract windsurfers.

Early risers will want to head out for sunrise at Punta Nizuc and Playa Delfine where the steep bank of sand provides great views. No matter which beach you select you’ll find it’s easily accessible and essentially one continuous stretch of white sand set against the bright turquoise seas making the scenery both striking and surreal.

Vieques Sunset Puerto Rico
Caribbean, Plan, Puerto Rico, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: Vieques Sunset, Puerto Rico

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To discover the wild side of Puerto Rico, hop a ferry or take a short flight to the island of Vieques. Lying just seven miles east of the resort town of Fajardo, this quiet and sparsely populated member of the Spanish Virgin Islands is a world apart.

Much of the island falls within the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, with forests and green valleys where horses roam wild and coqui frogs fill the nights with sounds. Island roads twist and turn through groves of tamarind and mango trees as they lead to pristine beaches and secluded coves.

With more than 50 miles of undeveloped coastline to choose from, it’s easy to find a stretch of sand that sees few human footprints, especially for those who are willing to walk beyond the roadway’s end.

Come evening, island sunsets can be quite spectacular, as the day’s final light is transformed to dramatic shades of orange and red as it is refracted by the clouds that often shroud the highlands of Puerto Rico to the west.

Costa Rica Macaws
Central America, Costa Rica, Plan, Trip Ideas

Costa Rica Snapshots: Scarlet Macaw

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Costa Rica is an ornithologist’s paradise, home to more than 850 full time or seasonal species of birds. Of these many and varied species, none are more flamboyant or fascinating than the scarlet macaw.

As the largest member of the parrot family, these birds can grow wingspans of three feet. They are strong fliers, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour. Macaws are social birds that mate for life, which may be longer than the average human relationship, as these birds can live for 40 years or more in the wild.

Macaw couples often join flocks up to 30 individuals, which travel together as they forage on fruits, nuts, flowers and nectar. In addition to beauty, these brilliantly-plumage birds have brains, and are among the most intelligent members of the avian family.

Macaws are found through Costa Rica, but are more common on the Pacific side of mountain ranges. Favorite viewing areas include Corcovado National Park, Carara National Park, and Palo Verde National Park.

Grand Cayman Stingray City
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: Stingray City, Grand Cayman

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The Caribbean’s favorite marine life encounter doesn’t depend on captive animals, and it wasn’t even a planned attraction, it just happened.

For many years, native fishermen returning to the shelter of Grand Cayman’s North Sound would stop near a shallow sandbar inside the reef to clean their catch. The scraps tossed overboard attracted southern stingrays, which learned that a boat motor was the equivalent of a dinner bell.

Eventually, charter boat operators learned of this gathering, and by the mid 1980s were bringing divers and snorkelers to the site that had earned the name Stingray City.

Today, this mixing of humans and rays has grown to become one of the Cayman Islands’ signature attractions. A number of tour operators ferry passengers from docks along the island’s western end to the site aboard a fleet of PWCs, speedboats, sailing catamarans and glass-bottomed barges.

There are actually two adjacent sites where the rays gather. The most popular is the sandbar, where the water is waist deep. A bit to the north, scuba divers and snorkelers focus on an area with water depths of 10 to 12 feet. Once the boats arrive, the rays soon appear, ready for their daily offering of fishy bits. Participants hand feed the rays, which glide about and take the offerings with nary a nip of a finger.

Havana Cuba, El Capitolio
Caribbean, Cuba, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: El Capitolio, Havana, Cuba

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Any visit to downtown Havana should include a tour of El Capitolio. No expense was spared when the building was commissioned in 1926, a time when this island nation was flush with income from the sugar boom. Thousands of laborers spent three years finishing the grand neoclassical edifice that is actually taller and richer in detail that the US Capitol building that inspired the design, and cost the equivalent of $240 million on today’s dollars.

Inside details include tall granite columns and marble halls decorated with frescos depicting Cuban history. In the central hall, one of the world’s largest bronze statues stands as homage to the Republic, and a replica of a 25-karat diamond embedded in the floor that marks the point from which all distances in Cuba are calculated. El Capitolio housed Cuba’s House of Representatives and Senate until the revolution of 1959. Today it is home to the Museum of Science, Technology and the Environment, and welcomes visitors.

Caribbean Flamingos
Bahamas-Out Islands, Bonaire, Caribbean, Cuba, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: West Indian Flamingos

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The West Indian Flamingo is a ubiquitous image throughout the region. Likenesses of this exquisite bird grace handicrafts, pottery and jewelry sold in shops from Nassau to Aruba. But actually witnessing a flock of pink flamingo overhead is a rare occasion.

These shy birds seek out quiet habitats, and are usually found near briny lakes. No longer hunted for plumage and meat, these birds are not endangered, but there are just a few colonies scattered throughout the islands.

Islands for flamingo sightings include Bonaire, Great Inagua in the Bahamas and Cuba. Flamingos are gregarious and find comfort in numbers, but when approached by humans they quickly begin to squawk like geese and fly away.

Playa Del Carmen Turtle
Mexico, Plan, Playa del Carmen

Mexico Snapshots: Akumal’s Turtle Bay

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The Mayans named it Akumal, the place of turtles. Today, this quiet beach town, which lies some 75 miles south of Cancun, is known as one of the best places in Mexico to swim or snorkel with these aquatic reptiles in clear, shallow waters.

Most activity centers around aptly named Turtle Bay, where snorkelers can find both green and loggerhead turtles. Most commonly seen are the youngsters, but there’s always a chance of seeing one of the big females, who can weigh in at more than 500 pounds.

These big mammas come ashore between April and October to lay their eggs in the sand. In addition to turtle watching, the area offers diving, kayaking, windsurfing, fishing and a low-key vacation alternative to the big resorts of Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Maui Waianapanapa State Park
Hawaii, Maui, Plan

Hawaiian Snapshots: Waianapanapa State Park, Maui

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Sightseers driving the coastal road to Hana often stop to snap a few photos of the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. But there’s more to this park than just a scenic overlook.

Visitors with more time to spare can follow a coastal hiking trail that leads along dramatic sea cliffs to lava tubes, an ocean blowhole and pictographs created by ancient Hawaiian people. A highlight of the walk is a collection of freshwater-filled caves, where hikers can wade or swim in cool grottoes. Admission is free, and there is rarely a crowd.