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Wave Therapy

Paddling Paradise Guarantees Peace of Mind

November 2001

Story by Susan Enfield Esrey 

Slickrock Adventures' Belize Private Island Vacations

Sea kayaking's fundamental ease is more Zen than lazy: The rhythmic paddling motion allows you to open your mind and senses to the natural elements above and below. You commune with birds that swoop astonishingly close, memorize the coastline's every feature and feel the pull of currents and tides.

Which isn't to say that it can't also be a challenging sport. Aimlessly tooling around a tropical bay, after all, is nothing like braving a frigid, storm-whipped chop along the cliffs of Nova Scotia. 

Late fall is the perfect time to head out on a sea-kayaking trip. Summer's scorching rays are gone, but the water's still warm. The crowds have abandoned beaches, lakes and rivers, leaving them in tranquil solitude. Here are some of the best -- and most accessible -- of this season's paddling paradises.

Central America: Belize

If you can't decide which sounds better -- Caribbean snorkeling or tropical-water sea kayaking -- get your fill of both in Belize. Touted as the world's second largest reef (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef), the Belize Barrier reef protects the country's entire coast, creating multiple possibilities for coastal expeditions. 

For a unique, beginner-friendly paddling foray, head southeast of the Belize Barrier reef (35 miles east of the coastal town of Dangriga) to Glover's Reef, a National Marine Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.