I’m beginning to feel like a Beach Boys song of late having travelled to most of the locations listed in the song. We have now arrived in Aruba the last island in the Dutch Antilles and I guess it feels like we are about to finish our adventure in the Caribbean. Our next port of call will be the remote San Blas Islands located in the very west of the Caribbean sea but they just won’t have the feel of the Eastern Islands with all that Rasta charm. Continue reading “Aruba Jamaica ooh I wanna take ya!”

Curacao is very different from Bonaire. It’s much more industrialized and commercialized, and they even have traffic jams and traffic lights! The island is mainly famous for its’ liqueur and for the Queen Emma floating pedestrian bridge that spans the two sides of Willemstad, the capital. Originally built in 1888 and subsequently upgraded, at 548 ft it’s the longest bridge of its kind in the world. Considering that Willemstad is a busy industrial port, it’s particularly bizarre that all vessels have to enter via this bridge, which swings open on demand, powered by two diesel engines! We got to experience this first-hand when we went to Curacao Marine in the harbour, but more on that later.. Continue reading “The Bridge – Curacao”

Bonaire is considered to be one of the best diving locations in the Caribbean. All the waters around the island are designated as a marine park, and with little rainfall and run-off from the island, the water is amazingly clear and even more importantly, warm! It’s also incredibly easy to dive here because the reef is so close to shore – you can walk in from the shore or jump off the back of the boat and there’s the reef wall right underneath you. So it’s no wonder that we were a tad frustrated not to have our dive compressor working! Continue reading “Under The Sea – Bonaire Pt 2”

For a small island Bonaire packs a big punch. Not only is there fabulous diving all along the leeward (west) coast, but it’s also one of the most fascinating and interesting places we’ve visited because of it’s history and the diversity of cultures, landscapes, wildlife, and activities. Oh, and did I mention the cacti? Lots and lots and LOTS of cacti, which will feature later in the blog… Continue reading “Cactus – Bonaire Pt 1”

This is why we go cruising. To see those small corners of the world that are still pristine and mostly unscarred by mankind’s heavy footprint. Those places that you can’t get to by plane, or car, or cruise ship, only by private vessel. There can’t be too many left in the world, so when you come across them it’s a rare and special privilege. Aves de Barlovento is one of those places. Continue reading “The Birds – Aves de Barlovento”

Whilst there’s been numerous reports of violent robberies and boardings of yachts near the Venezuelan coast, all our information indicated that the remote Venezualan archipelago of Los Roques was far enough from the mainland to be safe to visit on our way to Bonaire. And what a good decision it was! Continue reading “Into The Blue – Los Roques”