Las Salinas

Salt depot at Salinas

Salt pans evaporating before the salt harvest

Looking out the back of Hotel Salinas

After an overnight run from Isla Beata, we arrived at Salinas.  The town gets its name from the numerous salt pans.  Pans are constructed by dividing a large, low area into individual ponds (pans).  Sea water is allowed to enter a pan, then it’s blocked off to inflow.  Over time, the water evaporates, concentrating the salt.  Eventually, the salt is raked up and collected.  Think about that next time you pick up your salt shaker!  Cruisers have a great base at the Hotel Salinas.  There’s a dock you can land at, a lovely lounge/bar/restaurant that overlooks the bay, and an incredibly helpful proprietor, George (Jorge in Spanish).  We met up with a couple of Canadian cruisers, Wade and Diane on Joana, and George got the four of us a ride to the town of Bani to shop at a grocery store.  On the way back we stopped at one of many roadside stands to buy some wonderfully delicious and delightfully inexpensive pineapples, avocados, and watermelon.  In our three days in Salinas, we did a little kayaking and a lot of walking.  To the east of town are some funky hills, really high sand dunes with patches of vegetation growing on them.  People were friendly, and we enjoyed our stay.

Funky dune hills