The Tobago Cays (pronounced 'keys') are the jewel of the Grenadines. A group of 5 uninhabited islands set in crystal clear water, 4 of which are tucked in behind Horseshoe Reef, breaking up the ocean swells. The water just behind this reef is shallow with a mostly pure sand bottom. The color of the water is just stunning, even to eyes now used to Caribbean colors. I was reading a book up on the bow and every time I looked up, I was shocked all over again at the scene in front of me. And this happened now matter how many times I did this or how frequently. Sue noticed the same thing. We spent two lovely days anchored here and had a wonderful time. Most of the other boats were either too deep or too afraid to go out onto the flats so we had a lot of space to ourselves for a while despite there being many boats here. Snorkeling was fun and they had moorings spaced around the edges of the reef to tie your dinghy to. I finally got Sue in snorkeling but didn't tell her about the 5'shark that swam by until a week or so later. We also saw stingrays, spotted eagle rays, trunk fish and others. Boat boys came around in their pirogues selling all kinds of things like bread, fish, lobster, ice, etc. Not the most cost-effective shopping but handy.

The island closest to us had a picture-perfect little beach complete with a handful of palm trees. Trails ran all over the island and iguanas were everywhere, some just watching quietly, some running off into the underbrush in a sudden mad and noisy dash. The one I kept looking at however was that 5th island. It often had only one or two boats, sometimes none. I wanted pure paradise all to myself. We planned to go out and around the reef the next morning and anchor at Petit Tabac.