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Isla de La Juventud
Our route when leaving Cayo Campos was to go the inside route, heading northwest to La Pasa de la Manteca crossing the Golfo de Batabano.
Then to head into the anchorage in the bay next to Punta Colombo off of the north of Isla De La Juventud – Isle of Youth. The Golfo de Batabano is all shallow waters so we stuck to the given track or waypoints when crossing, but we found the waters all quite deep enough. The channel La Pasa de la Manteca is through the mangroves and had a number of Cuban fishermen heading to the fishing camp, many of the mangroves were dead possibly from previous hurricane damage, the area was still turquoise calm waters with the hills of Isla de La Juventud in the distance.
Isla de La Juventud, (Isle of Youth) otherwise known before 1976 as Isla de Pinos, (Isle of Pines), is the largest of all the isles in the south of Cuba. The population live in the smaller northern region of the isle where there is mainly farming and large citrus groves. The island is bisected by military checkpoints. The military check points are designed to protect the southern swamplands which a forms the Siguanea Nature Reserve a pristine area.
Punta Colombo
Our anchorage off of Punta Colombo was just under the slopes of the punta/point, which was vegetated with brush and the endemic Cuban palm. The bay shallowed out to what looked to be a rocky beach where there were a few fishermen. The inlet to the town of Nueva Geroma was just along past the bay and we could see roofs from the town in the distance. When anchored there that evening I watched 2 men wade out into the bay, one had a large piece of Styrofoam and a net atop, and the other had a black float inner tube. They floated across the bay and began to lay the net. As it grew dark I lost sight of them but after dawn they were still there and they were hauling the net. It was an incredible sight, one that truly shows the hardship in Cuba, which the people seem oblivious to or maybe just used to.
Leaving Punta Colombo we were unsure where to head, John wanted to get some lobsters from the fishermen in the Cayo Cocos and Cayos Del Perro, but the weather was changing again. So we decided to head to Caleta Puerto Frances a large bay on the south west point of Isla de La Juventud that was reputed to be magnificent especially underwater. It was an excellent choice.
Caleta Puerto Frances
We anchored in the large sandy area off of the eastern bay. The waters, the beach and the shoreline were just stunningly beautiful and there was once again nobody around.
It had been nearly 2 weeks since we had seen another sailboat. And the next evening a small sailboat came in with the single sailor from Norway. We enjoyed his company after not having any for so long.
This bay is used by divers who arrive in dive boats, which round the point from a dive resort on the other side. There are supposed to be underwater caves, black coral beds and a wall, which is popular with divers. Plus apparently once a week a small cruise ship arrives and uses the large yellow mooring buoy in the western most bay. However all the days we were there we saw very little human activity.
On our first day we took the dingy and cruised along the shoreline and then ashore to the beach where we beached it and started to walk the beach.
We found a sandy track above the beach and walked it for a short way, but as it led away from the beachside we returned to the shoreline. John then decided to go back to get the dingy and meet me at the structure that we could see in the distance of the second bay.
So off he went and I continued walking the beach looking for shells and beans. About 20 minutes later I met John at the structure on the beach where he was chatting to the caretaker, Peter and his companion Soul.
They were there for 20 days at a time and then the other crew took over. Their job being keeping an eye on the area, and being available for the small dive cruise that comes in once a week. In the off-season they would see nobody at all.
Peter spends his time carving all different wood into wonderful sculptures of sea life. He was sat there at that time carving a lump of cedar wood that he determined would be a turtle.
During our chat he said how they were having problems with the inverter, the piece of equipment that was attached to the solar panels providing energy to their communications – radio. Could John help? Plus he asked if we had any extra sand paper for his woodwork, any spare matches, maybe a knife and lastly he would love some rum, which he called vitamin-R. We replied we would return after lunch with what we had aboard.
Back we went after lunch, Peter was thrilled by the different grades sandpaper we gave him, some of which he had not been able to get in years. And with the matches to light his cigarettes, his biggest smile came from the rum, which he started to drink. He said he would gift us the turtle he was carving for the items we had given him and could John return at 5:30 or so to pick it up.
We spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling along the waters were the cliffs were part of the shoreline. The corals were numerous in variety and quantity with schools of fish of all types. The water being crystal clear it was a great snorkel.
John went and picked up our turtle carved by Peter. It really is a wonderful carving. He is very talented and to think he created it in less than a full day, just incredible.
Another day we walked the shoreline past the cliffs where there was a bit of beach and then a jagged, rocky shoreline. I was amazed when I looked behind and advancing towards me were 2 Cubans in homemade wetsuit clothing, carrying a buoy, lines, snorkeling gear and large spear gun. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, miles and miles from anywhere and on the rocky shoreline out of the wilds they appear.
They continued in flip-flops to the point where the seas were breaking, climbed off the sharp slippery jagged rocks and disappeared into the swell. – We never saw them till the evening when they swam past our boat towards the shoreline and clambered up the cliff to the top carrying a line holding a batch of fish.
This was a good few miles from where they went into the ocean and at least 5 hours later. Just incredible to go through that for fish!
Anyway on this walk I found dozens of lovely shells and sea biscuits that had been thrown up into the tide pools. It was amazing they had not been broken.
Later we snorkeled the deeper reef and again the corals and fish life was excellent. John saw a ray that was a good 6-foot span, plus it was easy to approach.
We both loved Puerto Frances, it is incredibly beautiful.
Maria La Gorda and Cabo de San Antonio
Off we set to cover the 82 odd miles to Maria La Gorda. We had decided to start early and get into the bay late as we felt it would be easy to pick up a mooring buoy in the dark. We sailed most of the way and for just the last few hours motor sailed. As we entered the bay so the clouds started to cover the moon, it was darker than we had anticipated. After nearly running over a buoy we finally managed to hook it and tie up for the night. The next day we set off for Cabo de San Antonio.
We had thought to go into the mangroves for the first day. John hoped to find the fishermen and trade rum for lobsters. He so wanted to fill the freezer with lobster. Well we did not see a single fisherman. So we headed in to the dock to start our checking out process. The staff we knew were not on duty and we found out that it was the Easter weekend, Cuba was having a Holy week, everything was closed for the week, even the bar at San Antonio. So John was very sad to find out there was little chance of getting lobsters. Meanwhile arriving from Isla Mujares was “Tomorrow’s Dawn” with Mike and Jean our friends from 3 years back. We spent time catching up with them and enjoyed our last day in Cuba.
That evening we were approached by a couple of young guys who asked if we wanted to buy lobsters……John bought all 8 that the guys had and we filled the freezer with wonderful lobster tails.
Cuba is a very special country. It is culturally rich, development poor with many wonderful uninhabited areas. We both would love to return. We both never fully appreciated what freedom was until we traveled into Cuba. However the people of Cuba seem a very happy lot, contented with less at least they appear to be…..
