Tobago Cays
On the day God created the Tobago Cays, he must have gotten
a new version of PhotoShop and gone a little crazy with the
gradient color feature. At times, the water color is myriad
shades of light to dark blue. Later in the day under different
lighting, the water may be a palette of greens, from pale
to emerald. When we were here nine years ago, I remember thinking
the water color was so intense it was almost gaudy.
The Tobago Cays are a group of small, uninhabited islands
behind the Horseshoe Reef. Inside the reef, the water is shallow
and sparkling clear. Beyond the waves that break on the reef,
the water is deep and dark blue. Facing the east, the anchorage
receives the full brunt of the trade winds, but the reef knocks
down the waves making the water smooth.
Tobago Cays is a fabulous place to relax, snorkel, swim,
dive, wind surf, and beach comb. If you want shopping, restaurants,
or night life, you won't find that here. There's been talk
of making the cays into a Disney-style park. We certainly
hope that never happens. It's perfect just the way it is,
even if God did go a little overboard with his paintbrush.
Mayreau
Nine years ago, we came to Mayreau with a flotilla of Texans
for the wedding of Jim and Kris Rose on S/V Wind Song.
Their wedding "rehearsal" party was on the beach
in the Tobago Cays, and the ceremony was held in the lovely
Catholic church on the hilltop in Mayreau. It was the most
unique and memorable wedding we've ever attended, so we couldn't
pass through the Grenadines without stopping in Mayreau. The
small island now has electricity and Internet, and chairs
are stacked on the beach for cruise ship day (fortunately
we missed it). Otherwise, it's still a charming place to visit.
The hike up the hill to the church is well-rewarded with a
breathtaking view of the Tobago Cays.
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The beach at Petit Tabac, site of the bonfire
scene in the first Pirates
of the Caribbean movie.
Inside the reef, the water is shallow and
smooth. In the distance, waves break on the reef with deep
blue water on the horizon.
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