Below the surface

RECENTLY named one of the Best Small Towns in #California by Country Living Magazine, the charming town of #MorroBay offers visitors some of the most breathtaking coastline and unspoiled open spaces in the state. But search just under the surface, or along Morro Bay beaches etched with tide pools, and find lingering living species that are uncommon to most—creatures that you cannot find everywhere. Here, kayaking and paddle boarding provide up close encounters with these underwater residents in their natural environment.

"Morro Bay is a very biologically diverse place," explains Mary Robinson, owner of Morro Bay Stand Up Paddleboarding. And she should know. Mary leads tours that focus on nature and animal life inside the Morro Bay harbor. "The harbor is not only home to a multitude of birds and marine mammals, but hundreds of species of the lesser known invertebrates, which are as biologically important."


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Paddletopia

THE Town of Surfside is a beautiful walkable beachfront community located in South Florida, between Miami Beach and Bal Harbour. Incorporated in 1935, the Town is home to nearly 6,000 residents and includes exceptional hotels, a unique downtown shopping district, pristine beaches, and year-round activities. Surfside captures the range of experiences offered within its limits through a marketing campaign that positions it as “Miami’s Uptown Beachtown,” where the duality of luxury and laid-back lives collide.

Head to Surfside, #Florida for the town’s first-ever Paddletopia. Presented by Surfside’s tourism bureau, this groovy two-day affair will transform the 96th Street waterfront park in Miami’s Uptown Beachtown into a FREE weekend-long festival with paddle boarding, wellness brands, fitness demos, healthy snacks and family activities on May 19 & 20.

Paddletopia will feature stand-up paddle boarding along the Intracoastal; wellness expo with fitness classes and family boot camp by Sweat Studio Miami; an eco-fashion showcase courtesy of tropical knitwear label KRELwear and Pink Coral Miami; live DJ, “chill out” lounges under colorful pergola tents and much more.

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Galakiwi guiding the way

FACING Waves is a unique and inspiring #paddlesports TV series broadcast in 44 countries around the world. The TV series takes you to the worlds most interesting paddling destinations, connecting with locals to share stories and adventures. Facing Waves is about more than pure adventure thrills, as each 30-minute episode also aims to highlight the beneficial impact of tourism on local communities.

For the #GalapagosIslands, Facing Waves will follow a group of Galakiwi adventurers around the islands for 10 days. With the support of the Ministry of Tourism and permits from the Galapagos National Park, a film crew will capture the spirit of adventure and responsible land tourism in the Galapagos Islands.

By visiting San Cristobal, Floreana, Isabela and Santa Cruz the wide range of ecosystems, wildlife and activities will be on full display for viewers to see the wonders of the Galapagos.

 

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Tour the Galapagos Islands on a stand up paddleboard

SAN CRISTOBEL based Galakiwi Adventures has launched the most in-depth #SUP tour of the #Galapagos Archipelago.

Tim Cooney, said "We've had SUPs in our office in the Galapagos for many years, but felt it was finally time to offer them on our public tours. This new tour is all about enjoying the beautiful water in the Galapagos. We have packed this trip full of SUP, snorkel, swim and kayak options."

This 10-day Galapagos SUP tour includes some activity on the water almost every day. It is suitable for people with any level of SUP experience, as each SUP activity can be substituted for kayaking.

Visiting Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal, this SUP tour is set to launch in January 2017, with departures every other week. Details about the new Galapagos tour are available on their website at www.galakiwi.com. To kick things off, Galakiwi is also offering a free day tour to Espanola Island for early bookers.

Picture  Credit: www.galakiwi.com

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Turneffe Island Resorts relaunches

TURNEFFE Island Resort a unique private island oasis offers adventure-seekers a personalized experience with unparalleled fishing, diving and snorkeling excursions. Spread across 14 acres, this hidden gem island at the southern tip of the #Turneffe Atoll is 35 miles off the coast of #Belize City and only 30 miles from the world-famous Great Blue Hole.

The resort specializes in all-inclusive fishing, diving and snorkeling packages for avid water enthusiasts. From the lengths of the saltwater Turneffe Flats to the depths of the Great Blue Hole, guests have easy access to Caribbean waters – and seasoned guides who grew up on the water of the centuries-old Turneffe Atoll channels, lagoons and reef.

“We are delighted to unveil the new Turneffe Island Resort on our 15-year anniversary. We’ve renovated the property, as we do after each season, but we’re especially excited to make a dramatic debut for guests, both returning and new, this season,” said Deborah Finkler, sales and marketing manager, Turneffe Island Resort. “We’ve enhanced our special adventure packages and have a brand new website to allow visitors to virtually experience all the luxury and adventure that the island and surrounding Caribbean waters can offer.”

The resort is known as one of the only places in the world where one can chase the elusive “Caribbean Grand Slam”, catching a bonefish, tarpon and permit, all in one day. Guests can also fish for snapper, barracuda and jack for a truly unforgettable fish story.

The resort offers multiple dives per day with Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)-certified guides, a weekly night dive and trips to one of the deepest dives in the world, the legendary Great Blue Hole, a collapsed 1000-year old oceanic cave, where divers head 130 feet underwater.

With direct flights from US cities Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York to Belize City, Turneffe Island Resort is remote, but not difficult to get to.

For more information on Turneffe Island Resort or to book your trip, please visit http://www.turnefferesort.com

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Picture Credit: By Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA - A stop on an atoll, CC BY 2.0 commons.wikimedia.org 24321078

Surfs Up!

SURF Snowdonia which opened to the public in 2015 is a genuinely revolutionary outdoor adventure destination which is a showcase for the first ever publicly accessible Wavegarden®. The 300-metre surf lagoon is home to the longest man-made surfable waves on the planet. The lagoon has been built on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, the UK’s capital of outdoor adventure, around eight miles from the sea. 

There are plenty of other activities on site from bodyboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and surf kayaking. The Crash and Splash activity lagoon built on an area of water the size of two Olympic swimming pools features an obstacle course with overhangs and inflatables which will test skills, fitness and luck.

As well as water-based facilities, #Surf #Snowdonia features a whole range of attractions for those who just want to watch and not get wet. The Surf Side Café Bar complete with a 50-metre viewing gallery just metres from the water entirely glass-fronted allows visitors to enjoy food and drink whilst watching the surfing action close-up.

On-site accommodation is available in the shape of wooden camping pods which come equipped with under-floor heating and electric sockets. They are serviced by a (shared) heated shower and toilet block.

www.surfsnowdonia.co.uk

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All aboard in Kingsbridge

KINGSBRIDGE on the Salcombe Estuary in South #Devon will host the Flat Water Distance Race (part of the 2015 UK Stand-Up Paddleboarding National Race Series) on October 24. 

Stand-Up #paddleboarding, which originated in Hawaii, is a variation of surfing in which riders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves thorough water. 

Spectators will have a clear view of the event from the waterside, and holiday letting agency Toad Hall Cottages has range of properties in the town and the surrounding area. 

www.toadhallcottages.co.uk 

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Off to the Azores!

AS BOTH Ryanair and SATA International now fly direct (in under five hours) to the Azores from London, holidaymakers have the opportunity to explore the relatively little-known Portuguese archipelago for the first time this summer.

The nine islands in the group offer a world of green volcanoes and wildlife hidden in the middle of the Atlantic.

Here are some of the things to do on #TheAzores:

Swim with wild dolphins –The #Azores is the only destination in Europe where wildlife lovers can swim alongside numerous species of dolphin in their wild, natural habitat. Species include the bottlenose, spotted, and striped dolphins. No pens involved; just jump off the boat into the ocean. Swimming with dolphins excursions with local operator Futurismo (www.futurismo.pt) on Sao Miguel Island.

Stand up paddle board in a volcano crater –Few can claim to have glided across the waters of a lake in a volcano crater. Rent a paddle board or take to the water with an instructor for a stand-up paddle boarding lesson at the lakes of Sete Cidades on Sao Miguel Island. Azores Adventure Islands (www.azoresadventureislands.com).

Eat dishes cooked in the crater of a volcano – Discover the art of cooking in a volcano in Furnas, Sao Miguel Island; a subtropical valley and historic village inside a sleeping volcano crater. It is here that villagers prepare the traditional dish, Cozido das Furnas, before burying pots of the stew in the ground. The earth here is so hot that it cooks the dish in a morning.

Look a whale in the eye – There is nothing quite like looking a whale in the eye, and there are few better places to do that than in the Azores. Rib boats go out to the oceans surrounding Sao Miguel, Pico, Faial, and Terceira islands in the spring, summer, and autumn in search of the 25 resident and migratory species.
Blue Whales can be seen in the Azores most commonly in the spring. Whale watching trips with Pico dos Adventurous (www.picosdeaventura.com).

Dive with sharks and pelagic sea life –Experience the adrenaline-rush of plunging into the Atlantic Ocean in search of pelagic sea life and Blue Sharks. Wary at first, these curious predators tend to approach and inspect each diver as they gain trust. After this, they will often swim slowly among a group. Dive from sites such as Condor Seamount (accessible from Pico and Faial), where average sightings typically range from five to 15 sharks per trip.

Walk through ancient magma chambers –There are ancient magma chambers on Pico. With hard hats and torches, travellers can take tours through the volcanic formations.

Drink volcano wine in UNESCO vineyards –Sample the Azores' volcano wine at UNESCO vineyards in the foothills of Pico Mountain, where walls of black lava stone protect the vines from the salty Atlantic Ocean. The main wine produced here is a white Verdelho wine, which can now be enjoyed and paired with seafood at restaurants across the islands.

www.visitazores.com


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Picture Credit: "DSC07951 (373824538)" by Feliciano Guimarães from Guimarães, Portugal - DSC07951Uploaded by tm. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, http://www.flickr.com/photos/34607557@N04/3736497413">DSC_0199</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license), "Lagoa fogo, são miguel" by Weedonio - Own workby uploader. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, http://www.flickr.com/photos/82622112@N00/6009363444">Wine and volcanoes - Pico Island</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)