A Personal View of Coco Cay
by Chris Aves

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First, a small amount of history and facts to set the scene. Coco Cay, formerly known as Little Stirrup Cay, is one of the Berry Islands, a collection of cays and small islands in the Bahamas located between Freeport and Nassau. The 140-acre island is less than a mile long and only about 200 yards wide. The history prior to RCI’s purchase (lease) in 1990 is somewhat sketchy. It does appear that Eastern/Admiral Cruise Lines had use of the island during the late 1980s.

My wife and her girl friends like to snorkel. Perfect, they are taken care of. The husbands, with the exception of myself, are not beach people, so they choose to stay aboard and enjoy the activities provided on the ship (mostly the nonstop buffet!). I swear that, if they put another buffet on top of the rock climbing wall, my buddies would take up rock climbing! That leaves me. I also am not much of a beach person; however, I do really enjoy a good walk, especially along a picturesque sandy beach.

We are tendered over from the "Sovereign" to Coco Cay, which only takes a few minutes, and arrive at the first part of the beach, where they encourage snorkeling, at about 10 in the morning on a perfect January day with the temperature hovering around 80 degrees. I have always wondered why the majority of visitors congregate at the closest beach to the tender station? Proximity to restrooms, the bar, the beach buffet, who knows? But there is a sea of humanity -- in fact, you can see more people and blue loungers than sand!

I say my farewells to the ladies and head out to explore the rest of the island. I pass another small beach cove where sail boats are being rented, past the volleyball court, and in the distance I see the kids play area. By now, the sea of humanity has dwindled to a trickle. Lounge chairs are available but not many takers. I’m no more than 500 yards from the crowds, and already I'm getting that deserted island feeling. At about a thousand yards, I pass the kids play area and the giant inflatable water slide. That raises an interesting point – if I had not gone on my "walkabout," I would have never known that there was a water slide!

I continue on, meeting just a handful of fellow passengers who are also enjoying the walk. I wish I had taken my camera, as the views were fantastic. At one point, a rocky outcrop forces you to paddle to get to the really secluded beach. By now, crowded beaches are just a memory, and here I am, all alone. Just me, the sand, and the sea. It always amazes me how the mind races in this solitary environment, how seemingly important business problems suddenly have the perfect answer, and how new ideas speed through my mind (everything from new business concepts to where I am going to plant my new crop of fava beans).

Suddenly, I am returned to reality when I step on a sharp rock, partially buried in the sand. If only I had some of those rubber beach shoes, I could have gone further. Having almost reached "Lands End," which I believe is what the far end of the island is called, I thought I had better head back. I did have the foresight to wear a hat; however, as I was only wearing shorts, the rest of me was starting to feel the effects of the sun. As I walked back to the crowds, I kept saying to myself, "What a relaxing place to spend the day." Next time, I should bring my notebook PC and a cooler of cold beer ashore, find a secluded spot, and who knows what new ideas I could come up with?

Before joining the ladies, I realized that the sun was well over the yardarm, so I stopped for a beer at the beach bar. It always tastes so much better in that environment. I spied the girls, with flippers and snorkels in hand, heading out of the water, so off I went to tell them of my explorations, and the peace and tranquility I had found at the other end of the island. To me, this was the perfect day, and I can’t wait until the next time.

Chris Aves serves as the director of the OSSN North Carolina Chapter. You may contact him at chris@vestratravel.com.