Route3-North Side Gooseneck

Approximate Time: 4-5 hours

Difficulty: Strenuous

Guided?: A guide will accompany the whole day- from the drop off point to the end of the route.

Things to Bring: Lunch, shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, camera, binoculars.

Description: This is one of our longest routes. It starts at the man-made cut that provides access through the mangroves between the north and south sides of the island. As you wind your way through the canal, you come out on the north shore of the island, where you have spectacular views in both directions.  The reef, about a half mile off shore, offers protection from large waves or rough seas as you make your way west down the northern coast. At your leisure, you can paddle with the current, with white beaches and bizarre rock formations on your left and the vivid, healthy reef on your right.

Before cutting back to the south side of the island, you can stop for lunch below the impressive rock outcropping at Camp Bay, enjoying the cool sea breeze as it blows in from the north. Here, on a beach by yourself, with a cold beer, staring off into the emerald water towards Cuba, with the sound of waves breaking on the reef in the background, you can truly experience the essence of the Caribbean.

Then, once lunch is done and you're ready to move on, you cut back across the island through a very narrow channel that winds its way deep into the most remote part of the mangroves on the island. Inaccessible by anything but kayak, you can make your way into the various open pools where birds wade among the soft mud bottom and crocodile tracks criss-cross the path. These areas are known habitats of crocodiles, but they are very seldom seen and are extremely wary of humans. Should you happen to see one hiding off in the bush, you should consider yourself lucky.

This entire section of the trip is a magnificent look at the mangrove eco-system. All of the plants you will see play a part in making the entire environment work, and your guide will be happy to explain the process as you witness it first hand.

Finally, after coming out into the broader mangrove canals, you'll have just a short paddle down a much broader channel back to the south coast of the island where a Mango Creek boat will be waiting to take you back to the lodge. After a full day on the water and a good amount of paddling, it's the perfect time to kick back and enjoy the evening on your cabana deck.