Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping
Robinson's Cabins
CABIN $
( 6721-9885; r per person all inclusive US$30)
For shoestringers who want nothing more
than some thatch over their head and sand beneath their toes, this is it. The charismatic
Robinson is good for wacky conversation - he studied in the US and has plenty to say.
There is little to do here, but dining outdoors around the picnic table provides the perfect
opportunity to mix with fellow travelers.
In low season, rates are discounted but transfers to Cartí (US$15) are charged separ-
ately. If Robinson is full, his cousin Ina's place next door offers identical rates and
lodgings. Having moved from a previous location known as Robinson's Island, the loca-
tion can be confusing for boat drivers.
Cabañas Narascandub Pipi
CABIN $$$
( 6501-6033, 256-6239; r per person all inclusive US$65)
These decent cabins offer quiet
with a lovely swimming beach. Robinson's Cabins occupies the other side of the island
The Cays
The undisputed gems of the Archipiélago de San Blás are the Cayos Los Grullos, Holan-
deses and Ordupuquip, a triangle of three virtually uninhabited island chains that are sep-
arated by calm blue-green waters and surrounded by shallow reefs. At the lower left
corner of the triangle are the
Cayos Los Grullos
, which are a mere 10km northwest of
Río Sidra. Heading clockwise, the tip of the triangle is formed by the
Cayos Holan-
deses
(Dutchmen Keys), while the
Cayos Ordupuquip
are located in the southeastern
corner. Despite the lack of tourist facilities in the cays, yachties love to anchor near these
islands, though it takes skill behind the wheel to keep your boat afloat here.
Approximately 100m north of Cayos Holandeses is a spot known as
Wreck Reef
,
which earned its name by snaring all kinds of vessels over the years. The reef's notoriety
stems from the fact that it's fairly far offshore from the closest island, though the water
south of the reef is barely 1m deep - the ocean floor north of the reef plunges 100m in
half that distance. From a captain's perspective, this means that the ocean floor rises
100m to a dangerously shallow depth in half that distance.
Over the years, many experienced sailors have met their end here, though these days
it's mostly smugglers that meet their doom. In 1995 a smuggler's boat filled with TV sets
slammed into the reef at night. Although the smugglers had hoped to skip out on import
taxes by sailing from Colón's Zona Libre to Cartagena, Colombia, they instead helped
