Barra de Navidad

We arrived in Barra de Navidad (25 miles north of Bahia Santiago) on February 25^th and we’re still here! Barra was one of our favorites last year and we are not disappointed this year. It is a unique place situated between a beautiful ocean beach and a huge lagoon.  The anchorage is in the lagoon. We anchor in 8’ of water. Most of the time the lagoon is like a mill pond except for a regular afternoon breeze which usually dies down about sunset.  It’s been nice to have flat calm quiet nights with NO movement – like anchoring up in the PNW! 

Sunrise in Barra de Navidad (Lagoon)

There are a lot of good restaurants (some with fast wifi) and shops in Barra, but it’s not as “touristy” as most of the bigger towns and the prices are very reasonable. There are quite a few tiendas to stock up on fresh food, several lavenderias, a great beauty salon where we both got really good haircuts for 45 pesos each (3.50), a good mercury outboard mechanic, a great butcher shop and a great fish market.

Every morning the French Baker comes by in his panga delivering baquettes, quiche, pies, croissants, and other pastries. You can call ahead on the VHF and place an order or you can just see what he has when he comes to your boat.

The usual: 2 almond croissants and a baguette

There is also a 24 hour water taxi service.  A panga will arrive at your boat about 10 or 15 minutes after you call them on the radio and will take you into the town for 25 pesos round trip (around 2.00). If we are going to get back to the boat after dark we usually take the water taxi.

The water taxi dock in Barra.

Ramon, one of the water taxi drivers.

 When we take the dinghy in we tie up at the Sands Hotel where they are “cruiser friendly”. They have a pool and showers that the boats in the anchorage can use as long as they patronize the restaurant and/or bar. It’s also OK to leave the dinghy there if you’re spending the day in town.

We happened to be in Barra when the town was celebrating Mardi Gras.

The stage in the central plaza all painted for "Carnaval"

One of the truck drivers for one of the floats.

We bought tamales for breakfast the next day.

Mocajate dinner for Jim and Todd.

This little girl was peeling potatoes at her parents food stand.

After Mardi Gras they were taking down the rides.
These animals were piled up on the street.
Would you want to ride on these scary animals?

Barra was hit pretty hard by a hurricane last fall.  One section of the waterfront was hit pretty hard, but apparently most of the damage was from rain, water, and mud which has all been cleaned up and it’s “business as usual”.

The town of Colimilla is across the lagoon from Barra. There are several restaurants there on the water and that’s where our favorite fish market is.

This little old panga is out in the lagoon
 fishing in the mornings and evenings.

Do you think they've been to Ivar's in Seattle?

Colimilla fishmonger.

Two girls on their way home from school in Colimilla.

The Colimilla beach.

We’re not sure how much longer we will be in Barra – it’s one of those places that gets more comfortable and harder to leave the longer you stay – but when the winds change to southerlies we will start to head north again.