A Day (or Two) at the Beach

Now that I've got some time to kick back, in between flights and news from home, I offer you this: photos from the Spanish Virgin Islands. Everyone has heard of snorkeling at St. John, in Virgin Islands National Park. Fewer people know about the lush national forest and wildlife refuge on nearby Puerto Rico (the big island), and even more parks, forests, and reserves on smaller Puerto Rican islands: Culebra, Culebrita, Vieques, and Caja de Muertos. All protected by federal or territorial conservation programs. All a hop, skip, and a jump from San Juan by boat or small plane. Isn't America great?

Flamenco Beach at the edge of Culebra Nature Reserve is rated by some as the "third best beach in the world." I don't disagree (though Thailand gives it a run for its money). Looking for boobs and butts? This is your place; abundant skin on display here. No, I didn't take photos of those abundant attributes.

I am not a beach bum. I get sunburned, sweaty, and bitten by sand fleas. Yet even I was charmed by the turquoise water, large horseshoe of fine white sand that stays cool on a hot day, abundant shade trees, and ability to buy a burrito and ice cream cone, in return for a $2 entrance fee. Pope and I had a long nap in the shade. (Did I mention the sand fleas?)

In Culebra's Cayo Luis Pena Nature Reserve, you can snorkel directly off the shore at Melones or Tamarindo Beach to look for sea turtles. I missed the turtles but found a nurse shark, a ray, and silver, blue, and yellow fish among the reefs. A nearby snorkeler spotted an octopus.

The wildlife refuge on tiny Culebrita island next door offers a smaller version of white-sand Flamenco Beach, complete with lizards and butterflies, enough colorful fish for snorkeling, and views from the top of a hill. And guess what: sand fleas. Accessible only by boat.

Seen enough pretty pictures of sand and sea? (Don't get too excited; the pretty pictures come with itchy sunburn and itchy bites.) Let me show you how we got to those out-of-the-way spots.

This is a 12-passenger Cape Air prop jet. It flies just above the turquoise water and flat roofs of Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgin Islands. It lands on Culebra with a steep dive onto a runway in a valley.

This is a smaller, 10-passenger Cessna 402 that took us onward to St. Thomas--in another US territory with public beaches and protected parks.

Only three passengers showed up for this flight. On all of these small planes, the passengers and suitcases are carefully distributed by weight. I was excited to fly low above the water again, at the edge of fluffy white clouds.

On St. Thomas, we are staying with a friend who has views of the harbor, while Pope takes a sailboat racing class. 

Me? I'm swimming, snorkeling, playing in the waves, and rescuing Pope from almost certain destruction. 

For details, see my next post, "Just Another Routine Adventure." And remember the title of his book: 

"I Should Have Been More Careful."