Bridge of the Americas at sunset
the marina
We left for the ferry at 6:45 to check in. It's a short walk from Country Inn & Suites.
trees on the grounds
Sonya "ready" to go
where you buy the ferry tickets
the walkway to the ferry
Scott & I walking to the ferry
The ferry left at 7:30 and takes a couple of hours to get to
Contadora Island. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had gotten the new high
speed ferry with great seats outside in the back. Scott and I sat out there the
whole way.
pulling away from the dock
Scott
Scott & Sonya
leaving the city behind....
Scott
Sonya taking in the sights
We arrived at Contadora where you have to gather your bags
and get on a small boat that takes you as close to shore as he can and then
someone grabs your bags and you get out and wade to shore the rest of the way.
Fun stuff! Actually, they got us quite close today. The tide was in our favor.
arrival at Contadora
getting off the ferry into smaller boat
the ferry
our smaller boat on the left of the fetty
Scott & I waiting for luggage
getting our bags searched
We waited a bit longer than we were comfortable with for Tony the manager of Contadora Islnd Bed
& Breakfast to pick us up in a golf cart. (the main mode of transportation
on the island) He sent his son to get us and he gave us a short tour of the
island before taking us to the B&B. Scott got quite a few photos of the area while we waited for our ride.
the Point Hotel (we stayed there last time)
close-ups of some artwork on the walls of the hotel
Scott went up to the restaurant/bar area of the hotel to get our photo
waving hi to Scott
There was way too much paperwork to
check in and get a golf cart rented, but we finally got it done. Our room
wasn’t ready, but Scott & Sonya’s was so we stored our things in there and
started to get ready to go snorkeling. Before we got too far into that process,
our room was ready so we got settled in first. Tony made us reservations for
Casa Tortuga which is the best restaurant on the island. (in my humble opinion)
It is closed on Monday, so tonight was the only night we could go.
school & church
arrival at the Contadora Island Inn B&B
our room
police station and restaurant
Lunch at Dois
We grabbed lunch at Dois Restaurant which was very good. We went back to the Inn to get our snorkel stuff. Then we were off to Playa Larga (long beach) to snorkel. Here Sonya
would experience another first and one she wasn’t sure she would enjoy. I don't think Scott had ever snorkeled either, but he's fish in the water.
Scott & Sonya in front of B&B
their patio
Playa Larga
Scott
Sonya getting ready to snorkel for the first time
Scott with Go Pro
Scott & Sonya
Sonya is OK
It was
low tide so there were lots of rocks exposed and it made for a difficult entry
as well as an even more difficult exit when we were finished. That said, Sonya got
right in and snorkeled away like a pro! We finally got out around the rocks and
found some great fish.
Parrotfish
Parrotfish & King Angelfish
wrasse
Pufferfish
Parrotfish
me
Many of you know of my “foot issues” (can’t point my
toes or wrap them around something ..like the rocks we had to walk over to get
in and out) so I had horrendous foot cramps and could not snorkel back. Greg
virtually towed me back and I wasn’t able to stand up and walk back over the
rocks to get back to shore. Scott got my Keen water shoes and brought them out
to me so I could walk back with some support on my feet. We all were torn up
from crawling over the rocks. (hands, knees, feet & more!) All in all
pretty sucky snorkeling, but the kids were thrilled. We hung out at the beach
for a while and then went back to get cleaned up for dinner.
dead crab on the beach
old boat
Casa Tortuga is run by a man from Italy who serves a set
course meal. It has numerous courses and it’s whatever he has fresh and on
hand. (no choices) We did that last time and it was delightful. (expensive but
worth it) This time we opted to have 2 pizzas (at $25 each) and we let him
choose what he wanted to put on it. Both were yummy. He makes a very thin and
crispy crust like a flatbread crust and the ingredients are fresh & tasty. Greg
and I each had a dessert, but the kids passed.
Casa Tortuga Restaurant (and his house)
Scott & Sonya
The owner cooking
guests sign their names anywhere on the outside or inside the restaurant
Exhausted we all went back and relaxed after driving around
the island in the dark to see it at night.
