Beach walks from Sol Cayo Largo Friday Nov 29 through Friday December 13
Publié : 20 déc. 2019 19:40
The Sol was pretty empty the first week with only a few housing blocks open and few of us competing for the palapas. We were assigned the main floor of block 12 which we were pretty happy with as it faced the dunes and we didn’t seem to have neighbours beside or above us. The “Las Dunas” buffet was closed for the first week so we had all of our meals at the Ranchon “Lindarena” although the “Sol Azul” snack bar was also open. This arrangement was satisfactory but not great for a week as the selection was limited and didn’t change much.
The second week the resort started filling up and all restaurants and bars opened.
For the first week the winds were very calm (blowing from land to sea) and the beaches were quite wide. One could do both the walks below (going east or west) barefoot with only occasionally getting wet to one’s knees or climbing onto rocks. Unfortunately the second week (winds were from sea to land) the beaches were not nearly as broad and one needed footwear in some places. We like to walk every day, so we walked west one day and east the next:
• Walking west (toward Sirena) during the first week one would only occasionally have to climb barefoot onto the rocks in order to get around the point. Once past the first point the walk to Playa Mal Tiempo was pretty easy. At the Mal Tiempo attendants’ shack one either had to enter thigh-deep water or put on shoes and walk 10m through rough rock/bush risking encounters with “bindi” (small spiky burrs which stick into your feet). From Mal Tiempo to Playa Paraiso you can skirt the lagoon on either side, but if you take the ocean side (our preference) you have to walk the final 150m through water ranging from calf to waist deep (depending on the water and your height!). Some folks walking the inside passage spotted a 1m caiman one day. From Playa Paraiso the walk to Playa Sirena was very easy and sandy. This was a surprise as it’s been full of stumps for the last few years requiring a walk through the bush or through deep water. For us the walk from Sol CL to the start of Sirena took 1hr 40min each way. We would usually pitch our beach tent under one of the palapas at Paraiso for an hour before returning.
• Walking east during the first week was again quite easy. From the Sol to Pelicano was straightforward. After the Pelicano nudist zone one had to walk on rocks (we usually did this barefoot) for about 30m to get to the Villa Lindamar beach. From Lindamar the walk was easy past Bravo Villa Coral and Hotel Isla del Sur. Near Villa Iguana there is the crumbling observation point which is usually difficult to walk under/around. However, during most of the (calm) first week we had the rare pleasure of staying on the sand and rounding the corner without wading too far into surf. For the second week we had to walk up through Villa Iguana standard rooms and bungalows before returning to the beach a couple of walkways further on. (Naturists will want to be prepared to “suit up” if you have to leave the beach for this detour.) From this corner the beach walk beyond Iguana and in front of Villa Bellarena and Bella Isla Resort was pretty easy, although there was never a wide swath of beach, maybe 7 meters wide at most. During the first week we were even able to walk past the Ranchon at Bella Isla and to about 250m from the radio tower. This is something that we have not been able to do in years! One way, it took us 1hr 10min from Sol, a bit longer if you had to go up and around at Iguana.
The second week the resort started filling up and all restaurants and bars opened.
For the first week the winds were very calm (blowing from land to sea) and the beaches were quite wide. One could do both the walks below (going east or west) barefoot with only occasionally getting wet to one’s knees or climbing onto rocks. Unfortunately the second week (winds were from sea to land) the beaches were not nearly as broad and one needed footwear in some places. We like to walk every day, so we walked west one day and east the next:
• Walking west (toward Sirena) during the first week one would only occasionally have to climb barefoot onto the rocks in order to get around the point. Once past the first point the walk to Playa Mal Tiempo was pretty easy. At the Mal Tiempo attendants’ shack one either had to enter thigh-deep water or put on shoes and walk 10m through rough rock/bush risking encounters with “bindi” (small spiky burrs which stick into your feet). From Mal Tiempo to Playa Paraiso you can skirt the lagoon on either side, but if you take the ocean side (our preference) you have to walk the final 150m through water ranging from calf to waist deep (depending on the water and your height!). Some folks walking the inside passage spotted a 1m caiman one day. From Playa Paraiso the walk to Playa Sirena was very easy and sandy. This was a surprise as it’s been full of stumps for the last few years requiring a walk through the bush or through deep water. For us the walk from Sol CL to the start of Sirena took 1hr 40min each way. We would usually pitch our beach tent under one of the palapas at Paraiso for an hour before returning.
• Walking east during the first week was again quite easy. From the Sol to Pelicano was straightforward. After the Pelicano nudist zone one had to walk on rocks (we usually did this barefoot) for about 30m to get to the Villa Lindamar beach. From Lindamar the walk was easy past Bravo Villa Coral and Hotel Isla del Sur. Near Villa Iguana there is the crumbling observation point which is usually difficult to walk under/around. However, during most of the (calm) first week we had the rare pleasure of staying on the sand and rounding the corner without wading too far into surf. For the second week we had to walk up through Villa Iguana standard rooms and bungalows before returning to the beach a couple of walkways further on. (Naturists will want to be prepared to “suit up” if you have to leave the beach for this detour.) From this corner the beach walk beyond Iguana and in front of Villa Bellarena and Bella Isla Resort was pretty easy, although there was never a wide swath of beach, maybe 7 meters wide at most. During the first week we were even able to walk past the Ranchon at Bella Isla and to about 250m from the radio tower. This is something that we have not been able to do in years! One way, it took us 1hr 10min from Sol, a bit longer if you had to go up and around at Iguana.