Friday 16-March: Woke up in the beautiful Britannia Bay of Mustique, another name that reminds Glen of England. Today we will cycle the island, but first we put up our big sun shade as the sun is getting pretty intense these last few days … we must be out of the cool season now. Getting the bikes out the boat, into the dinghy, offloading ashore and putting them together is a pain so we hope it will be worth it.
As we cycle along the coast road there are coconut trees and grass right down to the water’s edge, and behind the beach there are picnic tables and BBQ areas. It’s all very pristine. But as we cycle north the road goes into thick wild forest full of mahogany trees that overlap across the top of the road, giving us excellent shade as we puff our way up the steep hills. Occasionally there are grandeur entrances to private properties and we wonder which celebrity owns each one. We know that Mick Jagger, Raquel Welsh, Brian Adams and Tommy Hilfiger have houses on this island.
As we work our way around to the windward side, the paved road suddenly ends and turns to a sand road up a hill. Glen shots up the hill thinking, “I hope Oana is OK cycling in this sand”. At the top he waits … but no sign of Oana. Then a distance “Glen!!!” can be heard. Looking back down the hill there is one GoCycle on its side, entangled with Oana! Oh dear! She is rather shaken and grazed on her arm, and sand it seems has entered all parts of clothing, as well as all the bike. Oana really doesn’t do injury, but after the usual expletives we are on our way again. This time we are walking the bikes on the soft sand road.
Happily, just around the corner the road is paved again and we are back on our saddles. We end up on Pasture Bay, a very wild beach with no one on it. Meaning also there is no rubbish on it, it’s pristine, leaving you to imagine how this islands might have been before European invasion. There is also a very nicely done trail path all the way along the coast.
As we go back inland we pass forests of trees full of flowers and scents, plus some houses with amazing views over the ocean. Oh, to be able to have a quick peek inside these little palaces! The next beach is the prettiest, Macaroni Beach. Long white sands that have recently been cleared of seaweed. Behind the beach, under shady trees, are lawns with tables. A pickup arrives with 4 locals, a large gas BBQ and food. Before long the table is set up in the shade and the BBQ cooking. One of the houses has arranged a BBQ lunch on the beach for today. There are a few people relaxing on the beach, but not many. A beautiful place.
Further on, we come to the airport. It’s just a thin tarmac strip on a grassy field. Only small propeller aircraft can land here. Then on the north side we take a view over L’Ansecoy Bay where the French flagship Antilles struck the reef in 1979. It was high-and-dry on the reef for many years but in the last few it slid off into deeper water and now cannot be seen. The other highlight of this bay is Mick Jagger house which is situated on a sand isthmus between the main island and another large rock. The locals say that of all the celebs, Mick is the one who comes the most.
Round on the NW side we are in the Cotton House Resort, made out of the remnants of a plantation estate. The whole area is manicured to perfection, and yet not over done. At the Beach Cafe we have a drink and view of the menu… and viewing the menu is all we do. It’s rather pricey! A quick swim in the sea cools us off and we lie in the sun beds to dry off before proceeding.
Just before the dock we stop at Mustique Depot, a shop that oddly resembled a mixture of IKEA and ACE Hardware. Lots of imported goods like swimming pools chairs, BBQs, TVs etc. All very highly priced. We also stop in at the Firefly restaurant, Patrick’s, which overlooks Britannia Bay. A very nicely decorated restaurant with amazing view over the bay, but devoid of any customers. Apparently it will be busy this evening. So we vouch to come back later.
By 4pm we are back at the dinghy. In just 6 hours we have been on all the roads and seen as much as we are able to see on the island. A very pleasant cycle ride, we both agree.
In the evening we head ashore again, this time by foot, to seek out any night life on this Friday evening. First we visit Firefly, which is again all but deserted, then walk to the village hoping for some local life. One thing this island doesn’t have is any street lighting, so we are walking in the pitch black darkness under a starry sky. But we have our torch.
In the village we end up at The View bar, the only local restaurant on the island. But there are only a few locals here. Apparently tomorrow, Saturday, is the big night. Maybe we stay another day and see for ourselves. We do chat to a couple who explain how the island works from their point of view. As we guessed, all the local inhabitants here are 100% involved in servicing the 100 luxury homes.
