Advertisement
Published: April 14th 2008
Edit Blog Post
Dakity
Standing on the reef at Dakity, looking out to the Caribbean Sea- how cool! The trade winds were going to blow up to 30 knots (or about 40 mph for you landlubbers) and the seas were going to build up to 12-14 feet here in the Caribbean and were predicted to be this way for at least a week. So it was time to leave Ponce and find a safe harbor, one which would provide adequate protection and also entertainment for a week. So we decided to saddle up the Rum Runner and sail on to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands. Yes, the Spanish Virgin Islands, the less known and less visited grouping of the Virgin Islands. Everyone knows about the U.S.V.I. and the B.V.I., but many have not even heard of or know about the S.V.I. (we certainly didn’t, not until we started this trip at least). The Spanish Virgin Islands are part of Puerto Rico and one of the major appeals of these islands is that it is not a huge tourist destination, there are no mega resorts here and the cruise ships certainly pass it by and go straight to St. Thomas instead. In fact, St. Thomas is only 10 miles away and we could see it and St. John in
Vista
The view of Dakity anchorage, from on top of a hill. the distance- very cool. But we were looking forward to visiting this quiet little island and as we pulled into Culebra, after a quick overnight sail, we were super excited to be here in the Virgin Islands- yohoo!
The first anchorage we stopped at in Culebra was Dakity, a narrow channel tucked behind a reef but otherwise exposed to the Caribbean Sea. Once we worked our way thru the reef the seas died down and we entered a totally calm anchorage with free mooring buoys to use. So we sneaked up towards the reef as far as our draft allowed, picked up a buoy, and settled into this awesome little spot. It is very rare to find an anchorage like this. The reef provides not only calm clear water, perfect for swimming and kayaking, but also lots of exploring and sea life as well. And the view out across the Caribbean Sea was amazing, we watched the waves roll in and break on the reef just 50 yards away. So we stayed at Dakity for a few days, enjoying the scenery and surroundings, before moving into the anchorage close to town.
The town of Dewey in Culebra is
Art Gallery
The art gallery in town. quaint; we walked around and saw most of it in 5 minutes enjoying the colorful houses and many chickens with their chickadees along the way. Most of the residents are ex-pats (however, are you even considered an ex-pat if you move to Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory after all… good question). And there are many great stores and restaurants to explore as well as a fantastic bakery and stocked grocery store- everything a sailor needs. Our favorite restaurant was Mamacita’s, a vibrant place with delicious food and the local hang-out. We would dinghy up to their dock, tie up, and enjoy chatting with these ex-pats who decided to make this island their home. Because it is a small island, we would run into these people again and again, walking down the street or doing laundry or whatever- which gave the town a nice feel. And it turns out that the artist we talked to at the gallery also plays live music at Mamacita’s on Saturday nights with a guy named Wiki, so we made a point to be there. It was awesome! These two guys played 5 different drums in a free-style manner; the tempo would quicken and
What A View!
Overlooking Culebrita in the distance- beautiful. slow as both men showed off their skill and expertise. It was very tribal; everyone there was dancing and singing the night away- it was quite a cultural experience, we loved it!
One day we decided to rent a Jeep and drive around the island, explore the different beaches and beautiful vistas. First we went to the west side of the island, where there was good snorkeling and a view of Dakity with all of the boats anchored out. Then we continued on the main road heading east to the other side of the island, amazed at the contrast of the cactus on the hills with the palm trees on the beach- crazy. Along the way there were some horses in the road that we had to avoid, always an adventure. And finally we made it to Zoni Beach, overlooking Culebrita and St. Thomas on the east end of Culebra. Of course Kona was super excited to go to the beach and play ball, but the waves were too rough for a swim. So we just walked the beach instead, to the far end where the cliffs meet the water, and enjoyed the view.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.077s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 6; qc: 30; dbt: 0.046s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Ann Rayburn
non-member comment
Spanish Virgins
Just had an e-mail from a friend that was taking a charter to the Spanish Virgins. Not having heard about the SVI, I tried my luck on Google and thank you Jen and Jay for sharing your delightful discription of this quaint and charming, quiet, restful spot in paradise.