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Journal: 3-day kayak tour with camping
From our Sea kayaking journal – 2.- 4. April 2013
3-day kayak tour with camping
Julie from Scotland and Mike from USA are not experienced kayakers, but were looking very much forward to this overnight kayaking adventure. The first day we let the current take us out to Isla Tortuga. The second day we did some snorkeling and visited the Spider monkeys before camping at Isla Cedros. Mike and Julie were quite tired the last day so they were happy that the day’s route was short with several long stops. We returned to Bahia Rica after 3 beautiful days of kayaking and could log about 33 km.
Day 1 (15 km)
After packing the kayaks and a quick kayak instruction at the beach we could start our 3 day kayak adventure. The current was strong and we could float like in a slow moving river the first part of the day. We stopped at the “tunnel beach” at Isla Nancital, but the swell was quite big, so it was only Vigdis that kayaked through the tunnel. The paddle over to Isla Quesera in Curu Wildlife Refuge was very calm and relaxing. However Mike and Julie were very happy to reach land as their arms were starting to get sore. It did not take them many seconds to get out of the kayaks and into the blue water to cool off. We had planned to have a longer stop with lunch here, but plans were changed as the restrictions in the park have become much stricter and you are only allowed to enter through the main gate or main beach.
Fortunately it was still early so we got in the kayaks again and kayaked over to Isla Alcatraz to have lunch there. We got a pretty strong head wind on our way over, so Julie and Mike got to feel the kayaking can be hard work too.
For the rest of the afternoon we relaxed at our private beach at Isla Alcatraz. Well almost private, we shared it with millions of hermit crabs. At last we made it over to Isla Tortuga and were exited to set up our hammock camp. We had dinner at the workers quarters and had the liberty of exploring a bit to see all the birds and animals they have on the island.
Day 2 (11 km)
All of us slept really well in our Hennessy Expedition hammocks and were well rested apart from the sun burn that both Julie and Mike had gotten, so it was time for long sleeve shirts for them. We went straight out the rock in front of Isla Tortuga where Julie could rest on the floating dock while Mike and I went snorkeling. It is always nice to be at the snorkeling spot before anyone else gets there. The water was still murky, but there is so much fish around this rock that it is still really nice.
Half way over to Isla Nancital the water got quite choppy and as we stopped to make a kayak float to have a rest and some snacks Julie started to get sea sick. She had a very though time the last kilometers and I gave her some towing assistance. We kayaked through Boca the Tiburon (the passage between the two Negritos Islands) so that we could stop for lunch at the beautiful little white sand beach at Isla Nancital. After 2 good hours of rest we got into the kayaks to go looking for the Spider Monkeys, and we did not have to go far before we found them. It was a group of 4 females and one pregnant one came all the way down to the kayaks.
The water was calm and nice on the inside of the island and the last leg of the day’s kayaking was pleasant. We set up camp at Playa Langosta at Isla Cedros. Julie and Mike soon found some hammocks the local fishermen had made of old fishing nets and where in heaven. We had a relaxed dinner before Mike and I went out for a little evening kayak tour to see the bioluminescence. It was a dark night and the algae lit up the water around our kayaks. It is just an amazing phenomena and we agreed that Disney must have gotten the idea of Tinkerbell’s star dust from the bioluminescence.
Day 3 (7 km)
We woke up to the most stunning sunrise, and the beauty of sleeping in a Hammock on the beach is that you don’t even have to get out of “bed” to see it. We had a very relaxed morning treating sore muscles and sunburn and Julie and Mike were pleased that the day’s route was short. The lack of kayaking experience was felt in their shoulders and arms, but that is only normal and they did great and enjoyed the kayaking adventure a lot.
We looped around the small bird islands at the east side of Isla Cedros. It has still not rained this year so they are all covered in white from the bird shit. It looks like a thin layer of snow and frost.
We stopped for a rest at Gonzalos beach where we walked through the “hole in the wall” with water up to our waist. It is amazing to feel the power of the water just from the surge of the ocean swell through the hole. We also had to go up to the view point and look back at where we had come from.
From there we slowly made our way along the north shore of Isla Cedros looking at birds, crabs, iguanas and jumping rays. We stopped for lunch at Isla Jesucita. It was very nice to relax in the shade at Alex’s beach and again meet some of the local people living on these Pacific Islands.
At last we just had a short paddle home to Bahia Rica after lunch, which was good as the wind from south came up a bit and made us work harder.
All in all we had 3 great days, some hard work paddling, some smooth easy paddling and a lot of relaxing and exploring. Mike and Julie could proudly log about 33 km on their first real kayaking adventure.
After packing the kayaks and a quick kayak instruction at the beach we could start our 3 day kayak adventure. The current was strong and we could float like in a slow moving river the first part of the day. We stopped at the “tunnel beach” at Isla Nancital, but the swell was quite big, so it was only Vigdis that kayaked through the tunnel. The paddle over to Isla Quesera in Curu Wildlife Refuge was very calm and relaxing. However Mike and Julie were very happy to reach land as their arms were starting to get sore. It did not take them many seconds to get out of the kayaks and into the blue water to cool off. We had planned to have a longer stop with lunch here, but plans were changed as the restrictions in the park have become much stricter and you are only allowed to enter through the main gate or main beach.
All of us slept really well in our Hennessy Expedition hammocks and were well rested apart from the sun burn that both Julie and Mike had gotten, so it was time for long sleeve shirts for them. We went straight out the rock in front of Isla Tortuga where Julie could rest on the floating dock while Mike and I went snorkeling. It is always nice to be at the snorkeling spot before anyone else gets there. The water was still murky, but there is so much fish around this rock that it is still really nice.
We woke up to the most stunning sunrise, and the beauty of sleeping in a Hammock on the beach is that you don’t even have to get out of “bed” to see it. We had a very relaxed morning treating sore muscles and sunburn and Julie and Mike were pleased that the day’s route was short. The lack of kayaking experience was felt in their shoulders and arms, but that is only normal and they did great and enjoyed the kayaking adventure a lot.