Day 7 - Snorkeling

John and I dashed out for bananas after breakfast (10 bananas and a pineapple = $12 – this place is not cheap!). Then the group packed up the cars and headed over to the Tres Palmas Nature Preserve for some snorkeling around 11:00. We’d been told today would be our best bet this week for it because of the big swells on other days. Talking (again)to the dive charter people, they said there really aren’t any places around Rincon for good snorkeling but just off shore in the Reserve would be our best bet. We were just by the boat put-in and it was busy with beachgoers and small sailing and motorboats coming and going. There were several other groups of snorkelers nearby. It took us a while to find a spot to get in the water but we settled on a spot just in front of the restaurant we didn’t go to last night (La Copa Llena). Marie, Paul, John and I put on out gear and got into the water. John blew a flipper almost immediately and had to go back in. The three of us spent about an hour paddling about 100 feet off shore and looking at the coral and fish. Compared to the US Virgin Island and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (the two places where I have done extensive snorkeling), the coral here was prosaic with a small fish population. The water was a bit turbid (with the heavy swells) but it was good to be diving. Back on land, Gail had been sitting under a tree watching an iguana climb around above her. I walked up to Steps Beach with Marie and Rita, finding a swing fixed to a tree over the water and trying it out.

We headed back to the condo about 15:00 where we showered off and munched lunch. Took a bit of a break until heading back out to La Copa Llena to get a table with a sunset view. Had a great dinner although the sunset was a disappointment as clouds just at the horizon obscured the final moments of the set. Looking around, it seemed that most of the patrons are statesiders and English is the only language you hear. The wait staff at the Copa (as well as at the Shipwreck) are all from the US. Rincon is a tourist mecca and there are a lot of stateside people visiting and working here. Most of the Copa staff turned out to be surfers down here for the winter season. Tomorrow is supposed to be a good surf day (20-foot waves) and the waiters are looking forward to a great day. Headed home about 19:30 to an early bed in prep for an early start tomorrow (Mayaguez and Cabo Roja and back to Rincon for the afternoon market).

The weather, in general, is hard to beat. Temps range from low 70s in the early morning to highs in the mid-80s. There is a breeze blowing almost constantly. The skies are clear with some patchy clouds. An occasional, brief shower comes by but moves on shortly. It’s easy to see why this area is popular with tourists.Read more