Last couple nights here at Colores Del Mar have been very quiet. Our midnight howler has moved on. Extremely peaceful in this house and the views of the Atlantic and the big Island are mesmerizing.
We decided to go to Playa Grande yesterday. I looked on google maps and the walk to purple beach is going to be as far as the trek we took to jumping rock. Both of us just wanted a nice place to hang out.
We drove all the way to the three crescent beaches, something we realized after we had made the hike last week. Also, we made the drive in a 2x4. The road was in better shape than the one that goes out to La Plata, it's becoming very rutted and is getting some seriously deep holes. No need to set up a shelter because of all the palms. We picked out one we liked and called it home for the day.
Playa Grande is so much different than the eastern refuge beaches. Not only is the sand much coarser but the sea is wild on this part of the coast and has a very strong undertow. I would not want to let younger children in the water along this stretch as the it will suck you right out. Neither Lorrie nor I got much past chest deep. For one thing it's difficult to find a spot where you can get into the water because the reef/rock runs right up to the waters edge. It's a beautiful place though:
This next picture is looking back towards our palm, hard to see but it's the blue dot, just left of center:
The coast just looks tropical here, especially with the hills rising in the background. Very private, we basically had the place to ourselves the whole day. Only a couple people showed up, but they didn't stay long. These are just not swimming beaches, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun:
We decided to go to Playa Grande yesterday. I looked on google maps and the walk to purple beach is going to be as far as the trek we took to jumping rock. Both of us just wanted a nice place to hang out.
We drove all the way to the three crescent beaches, something we realized after we had made the hike last week. Also, we made the drive in a 2x4. The road was in better shape than the one that goes out to La Plata, it's becoming very rutted and is getting some seriously deep holes. No need to set up a shelter because of all the palms. We picked out one we liked and called it home for the day.
Playa Grande is so much different than the eastern refuge beaches. Not only is the sand much coarser but the sea is wild on this part of the coast and has a very strong undertow. I would not want to let younger children in the water along this stretch as the it will suck you right out. Neither Lorrie nor I got much past chest deep. For one thing it's difficult to find a spot where you can get into the water because the reef/rock runs right up to the waters edge. It's a beautiful place though:
This next picture is looking back towards our palm, hard to see but it's the blue dot, just left of center:
The coast just looks tropical here, especially with the hills rising in the background. Very private, we basically had the place to ourselves the whole day. Only a couple people showed up, but they didn't stay long. These are just not swimming beaches, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun:
As you can see from the video, these rocks have to be taken seriously. The water I was in was only waist deep. I couldn't imagine being out further and then getting thrown into the shore rocks, ouch! The little pool we found and the end of the video worked out best, we had a buffer to tame the waves down a tad.
After all that fun it was time for a concerted cleanup effort. I know I go on and on about this but it's terrible (just check out this google image search.) There was so much trash out on this beach it was sickening. Such a beautiful place filling up with garbage. Extra large trash bag in hand, (that's something else I'm going to change in the future. Here I am espousing the harmful results of ocean plastic and what am I using to pick up the plastic, a plastic bag.) Anyway I covered a small area and filled my bag to the point it wouldn't take anymore and still allow me to carry it, plus I had to get it into the vehicle yet. These are the largest lawn trash bags we can find in Vieqeus and it was full.
Worst yet, there was a lot more trash right in front of me, but I had to leave it. There are not trash cans, nor pickup, out this far. So your gonna have to haul your garbage back towards the entrance of Playa Grande. There are trash cans there.
Above is what I had to leave. Maybe someone else can take off from where I left. There's a glass bottle in the above photo. I leave those, although I do take off the plastic caps if they have one. This was just walking along the beach and not going up into the vegetation at all. I'm sure there's much more just in a little. What's in the picture above is a good representation of what I find. Clear plastic water bottles are by far the most common, then comes plastic caps in all colors, next it's a three way tie between plastic lighters, flip flops and random Styrofoam. The floating plastic bags are easier to find when the ocean is bringing in seaweed, you can find them among it. Otherwise they get buried in sand and are difficult to dig out. Fishing line and rope are the last common denominators.
While I was busy doing my cleanup I came across this little palm trying it's best to get established. I could see one of those motivational posters with this palm and the word Tenacity under it.
Not sure where we are headed tomorrow. Lorrie is mentioning La Plata, I think she's having withdraw symptoms. Have to say I feel a tinge of it myself.
:-)
We have considered the trek to 'purple beach' every year, as we always stay right in that same neighborhood, but never brought ourselves to do it. Seemed too far. Was thinking we might get a sneak peek through your adventures when you mentioned it. But, sounds like we will all wait till they open 'purple beach'.
ReplyDeleteAmalia