Island Hopping the Carribean!

h2olm · Since 07 Jun 2006 124 Posts Stoked

We just returned from 2 beautiful weeks of island hopping in the Carribean, so I thought I should share the experience with you all!
We were able to hit Los Roques, Margarita, and Aruba!
We first flew to Caracas and caught a flight out to Los Roques. Los Roques is an archipelogo of some 50 small islands. We had a posada (hotel) on Gran Roques. The place is called Posada La Gaviota, and everything is included for you the moment you arrive. The service was impecable, and the people were warm and eagar to assist you with anything needed. You don't really kite on Gran Roques (not that you can't), instead, you hire a boat to take you to any one of the islands to kite for the day. Our hotel loaded a cooler, gave us towels, chairs, and beach umbrellas to take with us each day. Thank God for the umbrellas. There is no vegettaion on a lot of the islands, and you can burn sitting under the umbrella with you shirt on!
The kiting on Los Roques was amazing, to say the least. The trade winds blow all year, but, from January till June, they are at their best. I only took my 10m kite, and I was able to kite everyday on Los Roques. There are endless possibilities for down- winders. The boat you hire to take you out will meet you on any other island that you want to go.

After Los Roques, we flew back to Caracas and caught a flight to the island of Margarita. The island is dry and arid, but they do have mountains around 3,00+ feet. This help to drive those trade winds even harder. The thermal effects adds about 10 knots there. We had a sweet hotel right on the beach in El Yaque. The main beach is filled with so many windsurfers. Kiters have to launch upwind of the windsurfers, and there is a line that you can not cross until you are out about 500 meters. The launch was just a couple of hundred yards upwind from our hotel room. The beginners and intermediates put in a boat and shuttled about a mile upwind so they can down wind it back to El Yaque. Where I launched, if there were 10 kiters on the water, it was considered a busy day for kiting. It was great to have so much space.
I thought my 10m kite would handle most conditions. In Maragrita, there were a few days when there was no way I could hold that thing down. I was lierally blown off the water, so I went windsurfing on some afternoons on 4.5m and 4.2m sails. A 6.0m or 7.0m kite would have been fun on those days.
El Yaque is such a windy spot. For those of you who think that windsurfing has been canceled, you should see the place. It gets more crowded that the Hatch on a good weterly day! There are so many windsurf centers up and down the beach. There are only a handful of kite centers though. Those centers can help to arrange kite trips to other islands such as Coche and Cubagua! But the kiting is just epic around El Yaque.
From Margarita, we flew back to Caracas and flew to Aruba! Of course that Beach Boys song played over and over in our heads: "Aruba, Jamaica, oooh I wanna take ya"... We had a beautiful condo just across the street from the Beach. There are lots of big resorts on the leward side of the island. You must kite at the end of the long line of resorts since the buildings block the wind. I would normally not want to kite on an offshore wind, but in Aruba, that's just the way it's done. Of course this make the water buttery smooth! There are many boats from all of the schools to help keep an eye on you. The wind seems to blow nearly 24/7! Kiting near the resorts was only permitted until 10am and only after 4pm! Once 4pm come, the kite come out to play and it's quite a sight. The water is emerald green until you hit the "blue highway" way off shore. Once out on the blue highway, the wind is so consisten and it cranks! It just makes for a tough time getting back in though.
Well that is enough words for me for one day. It was an amazing journey! We were out for 15 days, and kited 12! The days I didn't kite was only beacause were were traveling. I hope you all are enjoying some of the Carribean sunshine that we brought back with us!
Hope you enjoy the photos below.

Mark · Sun Apr 13, 08 9:53 am

Sweet pics. Thanks for sharing. Aruba is on my list. You just bumped it up.

Kraemer · Since 24 Apr 2006 1736 Posts Sky Pilot Unicorn Captain

You lucky bastage! That's a hell of a trip. Especially Los Roques!
Nowhere in the western world is like Los Roques... Margarita is also
really good, with amenities none the less! Good thing you scored on wind!

Nak · Mon Apr 14, 08 9:08 pm

Very cool! Definately going to have to head down there one of these days. Don't forget to post any helpful travel tips you learned along the way! Very Happy

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Apr 14, 08 10:28 pm

life is unfair. beautiful pics!!

tonyb · Tue Apr 15, 08 3:41 am

Very cool! Thanks for taking the time to share the info and post the pictures. Looks like a trip to Los Roques needs to be planned for next year!

Tony

Rico · Since 13 Mar 2005 1219 Posts Vancouver Photographer

Like the sunset

h2olm · Since 07 Jun 2006 124 Posts Stoked

Getting in and out of Caracas was the most difficult part, but it was just mainly waiting as things are not on the same "schedule" as they are in the US. Be prepared to pay some airport taxes.
Los Roques was my favorite place I think. Don't get me wrong, the wind in Margarita reminded me of the winds here at home. But no where else can beat the colors of Los Roques, and it's variety of conditions. If you hit it right, you can get some great wave riding in too!

Kraemer · Since 24 Apr 2006 1736 Posts Sky Pilot Unicorn Captain

Los Roques is a dream come true...

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

Those pics are sweet - totally jelous you don't have a wetsuit on Mad

h2olm · Since 07 Jun 2006 124 Posts Stoked

No suit needed there. I was one hell of a shock when I went out this past weekend. We did a down winder from Home Valley to Steveson on Saturday. The air was great, but the water was a shock to the system. Not like the 80+ water of the Caribbean.

Hurricane Mike · Since 19 Jun 2006 128 Posts Stoked

WOW- great pics. The water reminds me of Florida without all the crazy retired people. Hopefully next trip, you go you take ALL of your friends.

see you on the water,

Huricane
http://www.active.com/donate/kb4c2008/HurricaneMike2008

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Nice Holm! Looks awesome.