Tranquility - A Day Trip from Virgin Gorda to Anegada

On a recent trip to Virgin Gorda, an island in the British Virgin Islands, we decided to day trip to Anegada. Nicknamed the Drowned Land, Anegada is the only coral island in the Virgin Islands' volcanic chain. Surrounded by coral reefs, Anegada is home to the Horse Shoe Reef, the fourth largest barrier reef in the world, which has been known to cause ship wrecks and makes sailing to Anegada difficult.

Anegada is the ultimate tranquil paradise. Only 200 people live on this 15-square mile island, and with the exception of some wandering cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats, and Caribbean flamingos, you will pretty much feel like you're away - far away!

I hemmed and hawed for weeks prior to the vacation about whether to take the public ferry to Anegada or cruise over on an organized catamaran trip with DiveBVI or Double D Charters. Because we wanted to leave early and spend as much time as possible on Anegada, we chose the ferry.  Waking up before 7am on vacation was difficult, but we took the 7:10am ferry on Wednesday.  To view the inter-island ferry schedule, click here.

Less than an hour later, we arrived on Anegada.  We had rented a jeep in advance from Dean Wheatley with D.W. Jeep Rentals (call 284-495-9677 or email dwjeep@hotmail.com to book).  Dean, who is very friendly, met us at the ferry dock and got us in our Jeep very quickly. 

First stop, the Anegada Reef Hotel for breakfast!  Located near the ferry dock, we sat at a picnic table by the water and enjoyed friendly service and coconut rum pancakes (yum!) and bacon.  As you can see below, the view from our table was not too shabby!

After breakfast, we drove toward Cow Wreck Beach, stopping along the way to check out the long stretches of white-sand beaches.  The beaches are great for walking, and we pretty much had the beach all to ourselves, the water such a beautiful color!

At Cow Wreck Beach, we grabbed a few chairs near the beach bar and hopped in the water to snorkel.  We saw a variety of fish, conch shells and coral, not spectacular snorkeling but still a lot of fun.  After our snorkel, we grabbed a hammock and drank a Red Stripe, what a great place to relax!

Around 11:30am, we drove to the northern side of the island, to Loblolly Beach, home of the Big Bamboo restaurant and some excellent snorkeling.  The ride there was long and bumpy (dirt roads!) but we detoured here and there, trying to sight some of Caribbean flamingos that inhabit the salt ponds - no luck, but we did see some from afar while on the paved dirt road earlier. 

As soon as we arrived at Loblolly, the skies darkened and the rain started!  Boooo!  

We took shelter at the beach bar, chatting with the friendly bartenders and enjoying some painkillers and Red Stripes, and later tasted the fabulous grilled Anedaga lobster - absolutely delicious!  Spoiled by Maine lobsters, we were skeptical of this lobster but enjoyed every bite, as well as some delicious sides from Big Bamboo.  I only wish I had photos of the meal.  

Finally the rain stopped.  The skies were still dark, but after a long walk on the beach where I found several sand dollars, we jumped in for a snorkel and were very happy we did!  Even without the sun, the visibility was great, water was very clear.  We saw loads of fish, some interesting coral formations and three large turtles - just beautiful! 

After our swim, we realized we needed to head back to the dock to catch the 5:10pm ferry back to Virgin Gorda.  Dropping our jeep off at the dock was easy. A great day, even with the rain!  If you've been to Anegada, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

To read my trip report on Virgin Gorda, click here.  If you enjoy my blog, don't forget to follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or scroll up to sign up for my emails.  Thanks for reading and I'll leave you with one more picture...ahhhhh.

Photo Blog: Amsterdam's Canals

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has been called the "Venice of the North" for its more than 60 miles of canals, approximately 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. 

Below are some photos I took of various canals during my week-long stay in this wonderful city. I look forward to staying in a house/hotel boat on a canal when I return to Amsterdam someday!  

Enjoy, and to learn more about Amsterdam, click here.  

Exploring Barbados’ East Coast by Car

After ringing in 2011 on Barbados, we found ourselves lazing around on the beautiful beaches this friendly, amazing island offers. Halfway through our 10-day vacation, we rented a small car to explore the beaches on Barbados’ rugged, eastern coast.

We reserved a car in advance with Stoutes Car Rental.  A representative from Stoutes met us at the Accra Beach Hotel and sent us quickly on our way.  In Barbados, the steering wheel is on the passenger side and the driving lane is on the left-hand side of the road, the exact opposite of what we're used to in the U.S.!  Note to folks renting a car on Barbados:  It is very hot here!  Rent a car with air conditioning! 

Following a map, we drove north to Cattlewash Beach, an amazing stretch of beach sprinkled with sea glass, shells and other treasures.  The beach, which is several miles long, was completely deserted and quiet, except for the large, pounding waves.  We could have walked for miles here, as we love long walks combing the beach.  There were no hotels or buildings along the beach - just vegetation and the Atlantic ocean.

Next stop: Bathsheba.  We parked near several tour buses and walked along the beach to explore the huge rock formations, including Mushroom Rock (see photo below), in the ocean. The surf was very rough but there were small, shallow pools of water carved out of the flat coral reef, where people can safely cool off.  This beach is known worldwide for its Soup Bowl, popular among surfers and considered one of the best surfing spots in the world.

The tiny village of Bathsheba had a great "local" feel and hosted a handful of eateries, gift shops and small guest houses.  On our next trip to Barbados, we agreed that we’d like to spend a couple of quiet nights here. As we headed out of Bathsheba, we were awarded us with some amazing views of the beach and village.

As the air temperature increased, we felt the need for a swim!   Next stop was Bath Beach, which offered safe, calm water for swimming, lots of shade from the casuarina trees, a parking lot and bathroom facilities.  The water was warm and amazing.  We tried snorkeling but the small waves clouded up the visibility. We read after-the-fact of a small waterfall located north of the beach and wish we had checked it out. 

Thanks for reading!  To learn more about Barbados, click here.  To read my full trip report on my time in Barbados, click here.

I have to end this post with a few pictures of my FAVORITE beach on Barbados, Bottom Bay (considered south coast, not east coast).  Surrounded by tall coral cliffs, with its picturesque palm trees and sparkling turquoise water, this beach took our breath away!  The surf was too strong to swim but we would have LOVED to jump in here and spend a whole day.  Enjoy!