The Path to Morgan’s Head

Morgan's Head - view from the dinghy

The path sports numerous pretty painted tiles

It’s a terrific winding dirt path through the forest’s edge along the entire western side of the island: mostly shaded, always scenic, with an occasional view out to the sea. Morgan’s Head affords views to the north and west, overlooking the blue-variegated waters adjacent to the deep, well-marked channel. We walked this path at least a couple of times a week – we were weathered in at Providencia for six weeks. Though the path itself wasn’t too strenuous, our thighs (okay, Anne’s, Chris’ not so much) always burned after hiking up the two steep runs of steps getting to and from the path, and we’d sometimes sooth them by settling in for a nice cool drink at one of the little restaurants along the sidewalk.

Can't...resist...dirt...path...

Chris taking a moment of peace along the trail

Limitless view from Morgan's Head (oh, and us)

One set of the steep stairs we climb while walking to Morgan's Head...

...and a thirst-quenching reward for our exercise at a sidewalk restaurant

Santa Catalina: Providencia’s Little Sister

The colorful view along Santa Catalina's waterside sidewalk

 Providencia is not alone out there in the Caribbean Sea, but closely accompanied by tiny Santa Catalina (often referred to as just Catalina), which lies off the northern tip of Providencia. The two islands are separated by a (very) narrow strip of water that is spanned by Lover’s Lane, a low (high winds from the east splash waves onto the decking) and colorful bridge. Catalina is adorable, and we often spent time there. A sidewalk runs the entire length of the southern/southeastern end of the island, past little restaurants and bars, homes, and posadas (guest houses). And what beauties they are, colorfully and imaginatively painted, and surrounded by tropical trees and vegetation. Gazing into the shallow water alongside the opposite side of the sidewalk, we often saw a couple of small eagle rays swimming and sifting through the mud. At less than one foot across, these little guys were a far cry from their grown kin out on the reefs, which can boast of wing spans of up to eight feet. At the eastern end of the sidewalk is a cannon and a view out over the lagoon toward the reef. At the western end are steep stairs up to a lookout watched over by a statue of the Virgin Mary. Just above are the sparce remnants of an old fort (Fort Warwick), and beyond are steep stairs down to a beach. Across the beach starts the path out to Cabeza de Morgan (Morgan’s Head), an outcropping that resembles – you guessed it – a head (but only from the water). We tried several of the little restaurants along the sidewalk – good, sometimes great, always inexpensive food and drink, including an island specialty, corn ice cream (which tastes a lot better than it sounds). Pablo Escobar apparently owned a property (now a ruin) atop Catalina – some friends found their way there when they visited the island – but we never discovered the path to it.

The sign points the way...

...to Lovers Lane, the bridge linking Providencia and Catalina islands

Beautifully painted home and garden...

...and another!

Locals' pride

What's more intriguing than a partial view?

Beautifully painted cistern at sidewalk-side home

Chris admiring the cannon that marks the sidewalk's eastern end

Providencia: Great for an Out-of-the-Way Getaway

The locals call the island Providence, though now that it belongs to Colombia, it's officially Providencia

If you’re looking for a vacation on a beautiful island full of friendly people but not many tourists, give Providencia a try. Providencia is a small island off the coast of Nicaragua. Although it belongs to Colombia, the culture is more Caribbean, which the inhabitants are quick to point out. English is the predominant language here, which certainly made it easier for us. My first observation was how uncrowded the anchorage was – only three other boats – considering how many people we spoke with in Panama said who they were headed here. The island is kind of in the middle of nowhere, so I guess they just bailed or bypassed it. During our time here, numerous boats did pass through, but few stayed. Too bad, as it’s an incredibly charming place. The main anchorage is off of the main town of Santa Isabel. Town might be stretching it a bit, being quite small, but they had everything we needed: grocery stores, restaurants, bars, rental scooter shop. There’s a public dock for easy access, and so appreciated, since sometimes it can be quite difficult to find someplace to put in to come ashore. Actually, what with the lighted channel markers lining the way into the bay and the free dinghy dock, the hardest thing about checking in was finding Mr. Bush, the agent you’re required to use for checking in and out. After some wandering (Mr. Bush doesn’t give the best directions, but some friends had provided a photo of his office, which made finding it easier), we were officially arrived in Providencia. [FYI: To reach Mr. Bush’s office, come in to the public dock (open square just north of the long ship dock), go right for one block, and take your first left. Walk up the hill, past the commercial area (several grocery stores, scooter rental, restaurants, bank), until you see an orange and white building on the right-hand side of the road with a store on the ground floor and a balcony above. Go up the stairs to the balcony and knock on the door – that’s Mr. Bush’s office.] Ferries and flights arrive from San Andrés daily, so there are tourists, but it’s a much lower-key tourism than in San Andrés. There are numerous guest houses (posadas), small hotels, and boutique resorts scattered around the island, the greatest concentration around Bahia Aqua Dulce (Fresh Water Bay). We were here for six weeks waiting for weather to head further north, so we got to see quite a bit, which I’ll talk about in upcoming posts.

Santa Isabel waterfront from the anchorage

Ship dock at Santa Isabel, the fast ferry from San Andres at the end

Brightly painted benches lining the sides of the waterfront square reflect the island's marine heritage

Mr Mac anchored in Providencia with the steep, craggy hills in the background

Threatening weather out beyond the anchorage off of Santa Isabel