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| The glorious beach |
In early March, we took our first weekend trip to the coast, about 2.5 hours west of Antigua. Other than a small fishing village and a couple of hostels there wasn't much around, making it the perfect escape.
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| The mangroves |
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| C chillin' out |
Our hotel was called El Paredon Surfhouse and I'd heard about the place through word of mouth. Set right on the volcanic beach, there are a couple of charming bungalows on stilts, a dorm, small pool, and kitchen.
I really loved the relaxed atmosphere and there were plenty of hammocks for watching the world go by. The beach was quite popular with surfers from the city and looked like a pretty beginner-friendly spot to learn. Next time, we are definitely going to try bodyboarding, which I have missed greatly since leaving Hawaii.
El Paredon really did feel like the edge of the world and in a way - located miles down a bumpy dirt road - it is. The coastline is rather barren; dark volcanic sand, crashing waves, miles of empty shore, buzzards circling, dusty fields, baobab trees and thatched huts that somehow made me think more of Africa than Central America.
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| View from our bungalow |
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| Warning... |
One of the highlights of the trip was an early morning mangrove tour. Our fantastic guide took us out in his canoe and negotiated the narrow passageways just off the river. The tide was low, so this was no easy task, but we saw a ton of avian life including parrots, ducks, herons, eagles, and several species of Kingfisher. The community is working with a US-based environmental organization to promote sustainable logging and conservation.
Mangrove wood is exceptionally strong and reaches maturity quickly. By replanting and carefully monitoring logging practices the residents can maintain a healthier ecosystem. Unfortunately, some rules are difficult to enforce. For example, the area used to be home to a large number of iguanas but since their meat and eggs are considered a delicacy, poaching has greatly reduced the population.
Another fun activity was our stroll over to the village. There was a small school, church, and a few tiendas. Residents were friendly and I loved how the streets were literally made of sand; the windswept houses with scorched yards full of chickens and children playing soccer.
One of the main reasons we visited Paredon was so I could participate in a yoga workshop hosted by Yoga Freedom. It was a really great experience - relaxed and informal yet challenging. The instructor was very knowledgeable and it was wonderful to practice on the beach at dusk.
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| The village |
The website for Yoga Freedom is:
Information on El Paredon: http://www.paredonsurf.com/
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