Boat Tripping to Find the Caribbean’s Greatest Hidden Treasure By Bel Woodhouse
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here’s just something about being out on a boat. The fresh ocean air ruffling my hair as we were zooming along from Cozumel felt like total freedom. Through unbelievable clear Caribbean waters, our dive boat passed a shipwreck resting in its watery grave in the aquamarine shallows, its rusty hull showing the ravages of time and tropical weather. It was invigorating, relaxing and soothing soaring over the coastal blues of Neptune’s playground. There’s something special about sea air, salt on your skin under a warm sun, and swimming in some of the most amazing ocean waters of the world that makes my heart sing.
Is it just me, or is travel more fun by boat? Playing pirates and letting your imagination whisk you away with the tide. It’s a whole different experience being out on the water, and I always feel as though I’ve enjoyed a mini-holiday when the day is done. Unable to road trip as I live in Cozumel, Mexico’s largest Caribbean isle, exploring the cerulean seas to lesser visited gems is a wonderful alternative. The magnificent smaller islands and marine parks surrounding me are only accessible by boat. And by far, my most amazing experience was a visit to the Cozumel Pearl Farm, the only operational pearl farm in the Caribbean.
About the Pearl Farm Nestled in a wide protected bay on the northern tip of Cozumel, the pearl farm is a private reserve of pristine natural beauty. Broad white sand beaches meet dazzling crystalline waters in this paradise. A huge sand bank changes color as light sea-green water deepens around fifty meters offshore. First to turquoise, followed by the most perfect cerulean blue. It’s like stepping back to an untouched, unspoiled moment in time.
I couldn’t help but stop and take a moment to soak it all in while digging my toes into the warm sand beneath my feet. Something touched the nature lover in me as wildlife wandered all around me. Colorful bird’s flitting among the foliage drew my gaze as iguanas sauntered past, completely unafraid of humans.
What Makes the Farm So Special? Photos (From top): Seaview from the farm; Shipwrecked during Hurricane Irma, Catch the Wave lies in its watery grave; Catch the Wave; Guadalupe, protector of the pearls. © Cozumel Pearl Farm
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In this magnificent Mexican eco-sanctuary, they are doing the impossible —cultivating the Caribbean’s only pearl. The Cozumel pearl is the rarest of the rare. And being one-of-a-kind only adds to the allure.
