Beach Walks

My favourite form of exercise on the island is going for a beach walk. I often forget how lucky we are to be able to wear shorts in January and stroll along the beach. I have heard some say that Seven Mile Beach is the sandiest most beautiful stretch in the Caribbean, but looking at pictures of other beaches, I find it hard to justify any beach as the most "beautiful." With the many different beaches it is so easy to vary the type of beach walk, so I never get bored. When I am feeling like a good work out I grab my I-pod and head to Seven Mile, where you can literally walk for 7 miles on the white sands. This beach is best for gawking at the colourful floral print clad and sun burnt tourists. It is also the hub of the island day-life. From jet-skis flying across the water, to the para-sailers in the sky, there is always an array of activity. This beach is also good for some self-esteem boosting, as there are always plenty of people who are larger, crazier and more fashion naive than myself. Plus, with the new hotel being built, there are loads of local workers who whistle and yell every time a woman (girl or granny) walks by.
For the days when I want to get in a bit of a sanity walk (the kind to make you forget your day and rest your soul), I can leave right from our place and walk along South Sound. We live right across the street from a beautiful little bay, guarded by a far off reef. On windy days I can hear the huge waves crashing as the open sea laps at the barrier reef. On calm days there is hardly a ripple in the tourquoise waters. The strip of beach is quite thin, but it is always void of human life. I love to stroll around, pick up shells and stare straight out... imagining I can see Venezuela. Some of my best thinking is done while wandering this stretch, but the beach is also good for running alongside. In fact, in the evenings it seems like one long treadmill, as all the island's athletes go for their run along the straight stretch of road.
When Blake and I want to go for a walk to get away from it all, or imagine what the island would have looked like before inhabitation, we head to the North Side. There is a huge section of land that is protected by the National Trust, therefore it is completely barren. You can walk for hours and not see any sign of life. Somedays there are horses that lazily stroll by with a rider on top, but most of the time you have the beach to yourself. This area is also best for beach combing. Since it is uninhabited, there are lots of interesting things to find. Unfortunately the wind blows in a lot of junk from the ocean as well. My favourite thing about the North Beach is the way the wind blows off the water and bends the tips of the palm trees. When you look all the way down the beach you can feel what it would be like to be shipwrecked on a deserted island!
Some days we just want to have a mini vacation and a little stroll. On those days Rum Point is the destination. With the most adorable little inlet, and shallow calm crystal clear waters, it is hard not to feel relaxed. It is also nice to have a full service bar and restaurant right on the beach too. As it is a 40 minute drive from home, we usually pack up a good book and spend the whole afternoon out there. A mudslide tops the whole experience off.
The final beach I must mention is Smith Cove. It isn't much for walking, since it is really just a cove, but the snorkelling there is amazing. The dark blue water rushes in between the two ironshore jetties and laps up the sloped beach. The ironshore is also good for jumping off as well. This area can get bombarded by a tourist bus with absolutely no warning, and go from fun to frantic in mere seconds, but they leave as suddenly as they come, and the calm is restored.
So, on this wonderful Friday evening, I am heading out on a walk along South Sound to relieve the stress and tension of a long but rewarding week of work, by gazing at the final rays of sunlight reflect off the cerulean sea. Have a great evening!!!

Pictured from top Shoe Tree on South Sound Beach, Mom at Rum Point, Seven Mile Beach, Sunset at Smith Cove, beautiful and natural North Beach