The pristine beach at the private club on the Santiago Peninsula did not disappoint – check for this attribute of paradise! We spent several afternoons here enjoying the sun, surf and sand. Marteen would pack a cooler of cold beverages and snacks and drive us the short distance to the club. From the parking lot, we entered a spacious open air pavilion with showers, bathrooms, couches and TVs, a great place to catch the ocean breeze and retreat from the searing sun when we’d had enough. A set of steps led down from the pavilion to a concrete walkway with outdoor rinsing showers, and then, to the sand. The beach was partially shaded by palm trees with plenty of lounge chairs and bamboo canopied tables for picnicking. More often than not, we had the entire beach to ourselves!
The beach was indeed pristine – no rocks, shells or garbage, not even a stray bottle cap or gum wrapper. On our first visit, however, we learned just how efficiently the granules of this unblemished sand absorb heat. Kicking off our shoes (don’t you hate the feeling of sand in your shoes?), we lugged the cooler and our beach paraphernalia across the shaded sand towards a picnic table, but began a contorted version of the bunny hop once out of the shade as the sun soaked sand began searing the soles of our feet! Lesson learned – sand in the shoes was a small price to pay for not scalding your feet – even when going for a swim, we kept our shoes on, only removing them in the damp sand by the shoreline.
The water was refreshing – not too cold, but invigorating in the 90 degree heat. The breeze kicked up just the right sized waves to make bobbing and floating upright effortless, affording us a panoramic view of Manzanillo bay ringed by its blue tinted mountains and cliffs This was also a great vantage point to watch the comings and goings of freighter traffic in Mexico’s largest and most important port. Being so close, the beach was our go to spot whenever we had a few hours before or after other activities; it was also where we enjoyed our final hours in Manzanillo between checking out of the villa and heading to the airport for our flight home!
The waters surrounding Manzanillo are renowned for sport fishing and the diversity of aquatic species. With no avid fisherman among us, we thought snorkeling would be a more enjoyable way to experience the marine life, so we arranged a half day snorkeling trip in adjacent Santiago Bay. Marteen drove us to the local marina on the peninsula. Boats of all types and sizes – yachts, sailboats, fishing boats, tour boats, dinghies – harbored here. We were to meet the captain of our snorkeling boat by the sandy beach next to the marina.
Captain Johnny was waiting for us alongside his boat anchored near shore. After signing the usual waivers, we got fitted with fins, mask and snorkel (which appeared high quality and hopefully leak proof). Weirdly, we had to don orange flotation devices before boarding the vessel, but once we left the bay, it was ok to remove them. There was no more mention of wearing life jackets for the rest of the trip, so we pushed them under the seats out of the way – maybe tours get audited when leaving the harbor, but once a boat returns safely with its passengers, life jackets are a mute point!
Within fifteen minutes, the villas and private clubs, hotels and restaurants dotting the waterfront and surrounding cliffs gave way to bare rock, sometimes with navigation aids perched atop, and large swaths of forested mountains. In the distance, we spied white mounds poking through the water’s surface that could have been icebergs but for the 90 degree temperatures. As we neared, the eye watering, acidic smell was our first clue that this Manzanillo ice was really the pungent droppings of thousands of sea birds.
Johnny dropped a fishing line in the water as we motored. Guess we were going to fish after all! My husband volunteered to man the rod and within ten minutes, the pole bent and the line began jerking. A catch. With some assistance from the captain, my husband successfully reeled in a blue fin tuna. Johnny had plans for this fish while we snorkeled.
Johnny cut the motor when we reach a small bay tucked between two rocky outcrops with a reef below. Donning our mask, snorkel and fins we tumbled overboard and began exploring. The joys of good equipment – a well fitted mask with clear lens is like looking through a spotless window; you quickly forget you are looking through glass. With the clear water and penetrating sunlight, the world below vibrated with color. Schools of black striped sergeant majors, yellow fringed and blue faced, swam by. Coronetfish, shaped like long thin pencils with big unblinking eyes and pointed snouts floated along the reef, bobbing in rhythm with the waves overhead. Nibbling on the fan like coral, were a other varieties of reef fish – grey white spotted puffers, yellow, black and blue angels and fluorescent yellow Mexican goatfish. A highlight was spotting a moray eel tucked beneath a bed of coral.
Onboard, Captain Johnny gutted and filleted the tuna we’d caught enroute, cutting it into small chunks and mixing it with chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers to make a sashimi salsa. Served with mini tortillas, it was a tasty and fresh snack after snorkeling.
Captain Johnny then pulled out his guitar from a compartment to serenade us with a montage of the Eagles greatest hits. He played well and had a nice voice so we enjoyed the impromptu concert before motoring back to the marina.
The next day we formed a foursome for golf. I’m not much of a golfer but always take the opportunity to play when invited – it’s not the game as much as the beautifully landscaped course and a chance to see local flora and fauna that attracts me. So we slathered on suntan lotion and grabbed the bag of balls and tees that we brought from home (we’d rent clubs at the course – its too much work to cart ours from home for one day of golf!) Marteen drove us to the nearby golf course.
I played well enough to have two remaining balls for the 18th hole. The course was replete with hazards – marshy ponds with posted warnings not to retrieve balls due to alligators, lush vegetation bordering the fairway that swallow golf balls. But the silver lining is that these natural hazards are wildlife habitats, often home to birds, reptiles and small mammals. Although not proper golf etiquette, I discreetly photograph the flora and fauna as I wait to tee off (one of the advantages of playing the women’s tees when the rest of the foursome plays the men’s). That’s how I got a shot of several black herons perched on a low tree branch above a pond.
Another tee box adjacent to a small creek had a row of black and white birds with long spindly legs lined up like soldiers on guard duty in the shallow water. Although they resembled sand pipers, these birds were actually black-necked stilts, aptly named for their stilt like legs. Black-necked stilts feed on tiny aquatic invertebrates while wading rather than swimming, so are typically found in shallow water, like salt marshes as well as human modified habitats like golf courses.
The 18th hole proved to be memorable – it afforded us a fantastic view of the bay and beach where we’d boarded our snorkeling boat, but was a mediocre golfer’s nightmare. Goodbye remaining balls – at least we wouldn’t have to cart any home. A par three, we teed off toward a small green situated on the end of the peninsula across the bay. A slice to the right or left, the ball was in the ocean but a long slice might nail sunbathers or swimmers on the beach or in the water. Fore!!!
My first drive veered right, was short and landed in the bay. Trying to compensate, I hit my mulligan shot longer and nearly nailed a couple walking along the beach. My partners and even the caddy continued to plop balls in the water, until finally with one ball left between us, my son hit the green. Driving our carts over the concrete causeway connecting the tee and green, we watched him sink our final golf ball in the cup!
Back at the clubhouse, we ordered drinks on the patio waiting for Marteen to retrieve us. Near the hedges, a green eyed tuxedo cat had successfully pounced on an unsuspecting bird and was literally shaking the feathers, and the life, out of it. After repeated clawing, the feline dragged the lifeless carcass to a corner of the patio, settled down in a patch of shade and daintily began nibbling its catch, warily eyeing us to ensure we didn’t interfere. Not exactly the wildlife viewing I’d expected, but nonetheless fascinating to watch the skilled hunting of an animal we think of as cute and cuddly!
