TOP 10 BREATHTAKING SAILING SCENES IN THE … inNo matter where you “land” in the Caribbean, either by air or by sea, there is a never-ending sense of breathtaking beauty surrounding you. Sailing offers the greatest variety of perspectives to view this breathtaking scenery. Under full sail or anchored in a port, there are scenes around you on a boat that can never be appreciated from shore at any given location. But it is not all about geography! Sailing offers scenery that goes beyond just the beauty of nature in its wildness. Sailing offers breathtaking scenery of the human kind as well. In this article, we will explore some of the best of all the kinds of breathtaking sailing scenes in the Caribbean, in no particular order. Booking the right sailing charter will likely give you an opportunity to experience each of these breathtaking scenes in one trip.
THE SEA
The Caribbean Sea has the reputation of having the most beautiful waters in the Northern Hemisphere. The colors range from a very light turquoise to a dark blue, depending on the depth of the location and the growth beneath its surface. Swimming in these crystal-clear waters gives scuba divers and snorkelers alike, the most stunning clarity of life below its surface. Often, one can see right to the bottom of the sea from the deck, and diving into the water from a sailboat makes for a refreshing break from the hot sun. Every glance out onto the sea is a feast to the eyes as the sun shimmers on the surface, and the variety of shades of blue makes for breathtaking seascape views.
SAILS IN THE WIND
A sailboat under complete sail is one of breathtaking beauty from shore, but nothing is more awe inspiring than looking above you from the deck of a sailboat, to see the power and majesty of sails filled entirely with wind. It is a sight that you can also feel, as the sailboat slices through the water completely propelled by the wind and the wind is against your cheek and in your hair. More than one first time sailor has gasped at the sensation of the sailboat initially catching the force of movement forward and leaning over to starboard or port as the wind fills the sails. It is an experience of sound as well, turning off the engine and hearing the “silence” of the wind alone in the sails around you.
BEACHES
The beauty of a beach, in all its length and depth, from a sailboat, is unique and breathtaking to behold. From shore, no matter where you look on a beach, it is the white sand you see first, and then the blue waters or lush vegetation. From a sailboat, either sailing by a beach or anchored offshore, the view is all encompassing. The colors of blue, the waves breaking on the shore, the white sand along the beach, and the entire background of lush green vegetation make a landscape in the eyes of the beholder that will remain in your memory forever. This view from the water makes any beach, large or small, the central focus of surrounding beauty. It is like the place you must get to in the middle of a painted canvas.
SUNSETS
Sunset is probably the most popular time of day that sailing charters offer cruises. Why? Sunsets are beautiful to behold from a beach or a mountain top, but there is something about watching a sun set on the horizon of the Caribbean Sea that makes other sunset experiences pale in comparison. Perhaps it is the movement of the boat, the sound of the water against the hull of the boat, or perhaps it is just being surrounded by the sea as you watch the last light of the sun descend over the horizon. The color of the sky surrounds you as the sun turns from bright yellow to orange, to red and, as the sun is reflected in the sky after it has completely disappeared over the horizon, to shades of purple over the now dark blue, almost black sea. Sunsets give an aura of having completed your sun-soaked day with a breathtakingly grand exit, not easily forgotten.
ROMANCE
Closely linked to the breathtaking beauty of a sunset is the human love of breathtaking romance. Anyone who has experienced being with someone they love on the deck of a sailboat, sipping a favorite beverage together, gazing out onto the sea in the foreground and the sunset in the distance, will tell you that it is everything it claims to be…breathtakingly magical!
ISLANDS
Islands hold a special breathtaking beauty from offshore. It could be the stories we read of being lost at sea and then magically coming across this oasis of land as our rescue. It could be the progressive contrast of the blue sea to the white beach to the green jungle. Or it could be the contrast of the mountains rising dramatically out of the sea like an iceberg. Whatever its allure, islands dotting the seascape are another breathtaking scene of the Caribbean Sea from a sailboat.
ADVENTURE
Stepping onto a sailboat is a guarantee of adventure. For some, it is an adventure all by itself. Sailing through different weather systems, on different wave surfaces, in different wind conditions, is enough for many to enjoy a sense of adventure. The activities available on a sailing trip offer added adventure. Exploring the different coastlines by kayak offer adventure around every corner. Scuba diving gives many people an adventure in an underwater world they will never forget. Swimming with turtles is an adventure most people will never normally experience. Sailing IS adventure!
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
One of your most favorite photos from a sailing trip in the Caribbean will be the one with the family and/or friends you experienced it with. The smiles, the tans, and the scenery the photo was taken in, will be the photo that evokes the most cherished memory. It brings back memories, not only of breathtaking scenery, but the fun of sharing that scenery with others. Words spoken, emotions felt, activities participated in, food and drinks consumed, adventures had, all join in one photo. Even the smell of the air, the sea, and the land, come back into your mind to share with those who experienced it with you. This is a connection that is not easily explained to others.
SEA WILDLIFE
Above and below the water’s surface, the wildlife available for you to discover while on a sailing trip will provide you with breathtaking memories, forever etched into your mind, whether you captured the moment on film or not. Dolphins coming to swim alongside the boat as you sail to your destination is an extraordinary experience for the soul and the eyes. These friendly animals of the sea make you want to jump into the water and talk to them! Swimming with the turtles, following them along their journey to somewhere else in the water, close enough to touch them, is beyond surreal! Snorkeling above a stingray as it swims across the sandy bottom is exciting. The vast variety of fish and crabs and coral, of all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors, make your eyes blink in disbelief. The birds you may see as they fly to, and along with you under sail, seemingly coming from out of nowhere, is breathtaking. It may become the sole purpose of your days and nights at sea, to look out for and hopefully spot, that glimpse of something alive and new, above and beneath the Caribbean Sea.
SAILBOATS
And finally, sailboats. Sailboats, in their design and function, are breathtaking. Whatever your favorite design, if you are a lover of sailing and sailboats, being on the water and watching all the various types of sailboats under sail or at anchor, is beautiful to behold. Catamarans, monohulls, sloop, ketch, cutter, wooden, fiberglass, steel, old, new, traditional or modern, sailboats make the breathtaking scenery around you complete.
If you are thinking about taking a vacation that is a little out of the ordinary but packed with beauty and adventure, consider booking a sailing charter somewhere in the Caribbean. You will not be disappointed!