s/v Nine of Cups Venezuelan Out-Islands

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In addition to an extensive coastline, Venezuela has 72 islands in the Caribbean...most accessible only by boat.  Though each island and island group shared many traits, each had a personality all its own which we endeavored to discover and explore.  We spent 1-1/2 months in the islands before ever heading to Puerto la Cruz and the mainland.  Without exception, we found the islands a delight.  The few inhabitants were friendly and courteous.  The politics of the mainland were never evident in these outlying areas and even the cosmopolitan island of Margarita showed little evidence of the political unrest endemic elsewhere in Venezuela.

Our informal entry to Venezuela and South America was Los Testigos, about 90 miles from Trindad.  Los Testigos (the witnesses) are a small island group consisting of 5 main islands and several smaller ones.  It is a fishing village of about 160 inhabitants with a small school and church and a Guardacosta (Coast Guard) station.  The climate is dry and the breezes are constant.  The anchorage is cool and calm.  The snorkeling is excellent and there are huge sand dunes to climb.  This view of Nine of Cups is taken from the top of the sand dune.

Along with 4 other cruising couples, we took a day long guided tour of Isla Margarita.  Unlike the other islands, Margarita is very cosmopolitan and a vacation mecca for the Venezuelans.  The tour included forts, castles, scenic vistas, history and legends.  Later, with the boat,  we circumnavigated the island.  One of the highlights was a visit to El Valle del Espiritu Sancto (Valley of the Holy Spirit) which had a lot of historical significance and legend associated with it.  It seems that a statue of the Virgin Mary was carved out of wood and painted  in spain in the late 1490´s and brought to Isla Cubagua (an island not far from Margarita) in about 1510.  In 1541 a huge earthquake and tidal wave hit the island and all was lost.  A year later, the Virgin was found floating, totally undamaged by earthquake, tidal wave or a year in the water, and this they considered a miracle.  She was then brought to Isla Margarita where she is kept to this day in a basilica.  We did get a kick out of the cart upon cart of "Virgins" for sale in the plaza outside the church.  No irreverence intended.

Picture in your mind a beautiful, mostly deserted Caribbean island with palm trees swaying and white sandy beaches... you´ve just conjured up Blanquilla.  About 50 miles north of Margarita, the 6x5 mile island is flat, low lying and very desolate... populated only by a Guardacosta station, and a few fishermen, wild donkeys, iguanas and cacti.  The cruising guide shows an anchorage on the west end right near the two palms.  Sure enough, here it is.

The Gulfo de Cariaco is 35 miles long and never more than 8 miles wide.  It is bordered on the north by the red clay hills of Peninsula de Araya and to the south and east by mainland Venezuela.  Both sides of the gulf offer spectacular scenery and wonderful anchorages.  The very best part of sailing in the gulf was meeting up with dolphins... lots of them.  We saw dozens of them all jumping and swimming in our bow wake.  It was a joy watching them.  We ran up to the bow and watched 6 to 8 to 10 of them at a time jump in unison in front of us... as if they had choreographed it in advance... just for us.  This is a shot looking down at two of them from the bow.

Our meeting with the local "abuela" and lots of kids highlighted our visit ashore at isolated Cubagua.  The kids met our dinghy and "helped" us beach it. We were asked for powdered milk which we later delivered along with several other useful gifts and some popcorn which we shared with the kids on the beach.  In exchange, the kids gave us some very fine shells and their mom gave us some great fish for dinner.

Laguna Grande is an almost surreal setting.  The anchorage is surrounded on three sides by red mountains that rise rather steeply from the water to about 600 feet.  We climbed to the top of one and oh,  the views were spectacular.  Laguna Grande is quite large and there are several little bays and islands... all of which were visible from the top of the hill.  The climb was somewhat arduous... somewhat steep and lots of shale and cactus to keep your attention.  We stopped frequently ostensibly to take pictures, but I was catching my breath if you really want to know the truth!  You can barely make out the Nine of Cups at anchor.