Los Testigos

9th September 2008

11. 22 N 063. 08 W

After a beautiful moonlit sail, from Grenada, in almost ideal conditions we arrived at the remote islands of Los Testigos. Here time has stood still. There are only a few dwellings in this small fishing community which is accessible solely by boat and travelled only by foot. The people here do have their own school and church but shopping and medical care necessitates a trip to the mainland. The sea is clear and sparkling blue and the light is pure. The air is filled with the songs of cicadas and the occasional outboard on a passing fishing boat. Hundreds of frigate birds silently ride the thermals, gliding so high they become mere specks in the sky.

We arrived at this unspoiled, tropical paradise on a fiesta day! The quiet village on Isla Iguana Grande was inundated with visitors. A campsite had taken over the foreshore and the Polar beer tent hosted guests from the mainland and locals alike. Music and laughter blotted out the peace and tranquility. Pirogues raced round the islands as their passengers squealed in delight. Revelers spilled out to Isla Langoleta where they cooled off at Playa Real, sipping cold drinks as they stood waist deep in the cool waters of the Caribbean Sea. As the last light of the day faded an explosion of fireworks filled the air, promising a night of celebration. But as darkness descended peace returned to the anchorage and, thankfully, the promised party failed to disturb us.

The following morning we set out to explore Isla Langoleta. The rocky islands are mostly scrub land, harshly pruned by the goats that roam there, and littered with thousands of cacti. We followed a goat track to the top of the hill where we enjoyed magnificent views towards Isla Conejo with its nesting birds. We soon discovered how the prickly pears were spreading so effectively across the landscape, their barbed spikes gripped our skin, forcing a section of plant to break away and be carried to a fresh area. A task normally performed by the goats, I assume. As we clambered back down, startled hermit crabs froze in their tracks, waiting for the danger to pass. Dozens of them were gathered in the shade of a tree, all sporting stylish snail shells in matching colours. Further along the shore an imperious iguana surveyed his rocky outcrop as sea birds flew above him, unaware of his obvious importance.

Later in the day we took a dinghy ride over to Isla Calentador, a rocky lookout for pelicans and boobies. Here we tied up to a buoy marking fish traps and donned our snorkel and fins. The impressive fan coral garden was a delight and a multitude of various reef fish hurried about their business. Visibility was about 20 meters in the pristine water and it was clear that this would be a beautiful dive site. Sadly, however, scuba diving is banned in this area and we had to satisfy ourselves with snorkeling and free diving.

Sadly we were only allowed to stay a couple of days as we had not cleared in to Venezuela but, should the opportunity arise, we will be back!