MUST SEE ISLA ISABEL NATIONAL PARK MEXICO
MUST SEE: ISLA ISABEL NATIONAL PARK, MEXICO 🇲🇽
Isla Isabel National Park is a Mexican national park and protected area located off the coast of Nayarit southwest of Mazatlan. This isolated island was one Jacques Cousteau’s favorite places and Cousteau himself made the recommendation to the Mexican government to designate this island as a National Park. He spent a great deal of time here and has aired many specials on this fabulous gem. The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau aired in 1975.
Isla Isabel is one of the main nesting islands for seabirds in the Pacific, including large colonies of Magnificent Frigate birds over 11,000 Fregata magnificens , Blue-footed Boobies Sula nebouxii, Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster and Sooty Terns Sterna fuscata. Marine life is rich, with over 24 shark and ray species, three species of sea turtles, the California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus, Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae and Killer Whale Orcinus orca.
The island is uninhabited by humans, though there is a seabird reproductive research program run by UNAM and tourists visit to camp, fish and bird watch. After having depleted a huge colony of Sooty Terns, which in 1978 had over 150,000 pairs, cats were finally eradicated from the island in 1995 and the Terns are slowly recovering. The biodiversity and migratory populations of animals that live and return here year after year is a stunning MUST SEE.
MUST SEE La Lonja de la Seda, Spain
La Lonja de la Seda, Spain
39°28'27.7"N 0°22'41.9"W
The UNESCO Silk Exchange BUILDING in Valencia
Valencia, the “Medina al-Tarab” (City of Sand), is one of the oldest cities in Spain. The city was founded on the banks of the River Turia in 138 BC by the Romans, and began to prosper in the Andulasian period (714 AD-1171 AD). The advent of Islamic culture brought with it a myriad of trading activities related to paper, silk, leather and ceramics and placed Valencia as a commercial hub. After witnessing a brief period of decline, Valencia again revived its importance in the 15th Century, a period which is also referred to as the “Golden Period of Valencia”. They are noteworthy monuments related to the Silk Roads heritage and to the silk industry in the city. La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) in Valencia, Spain, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an iconic example of Gothic architecture. It's a must-see due to its historical significance, stunning design, and cultural value. Here's why:
La Lonja was built between 1482 and 1548 to serve as the city's silk trading center during the height of Valencia's economic power. Interestingly, this building replaced a previous building which was called the oil exchange and was where the trade of agricultural oil and other business was conducted. The rising prosperity of Valencia in the 15th century led to the building of the Lonja, the current silk exchange. The exchange was a symbol of the city's wealth, where merchants from all over Europe and the Mediterranean came to conduct business. The building showcases stunning Gothic architecture, blending civil and religious influences. The main hall (Sala de Contrataciones or the Contract Hall), with its incredible vaulted ceiling supported by twisted columns, is a masterpiece of design. This is where merchants come to discuss and negotiate contracts. The twisted columns were meant to look like palm trees branching into the sky. The columns themselves were painted brown, the branching up high green, and beyond, blue. While the hall is still stunning today, this painted palm forest was surely a very different look than the bare sandstone of today and must have been very impressive.
The patio and the tower are notable parts of La Lonja as well. The Patio, or inner courtyard, has an open-air design that is stunning, offering an insight into the architectural ingenuity of the period. The tower is fortified with defensive features, symbolic of the importance of the building in the city's trade and security. It is said that traders who were found guilty of fraud were imprisoned in the tower. The ornate detailing in the form of carvings and sculptures is another highlight of the building's grandeur.
In 1996, La Lonja was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional contribution to the architecture of Europe and its importance to Valencia's historical development. It remains one of the best-preserved examples of civil Gothic architecture in Spain. It stands out among this style of architecture as well for it is among the few that was not a church or a cathedral. Inside, visitors can admire a series of frescoes and sculptures, as well as a collection of artworks that showcase the wealth and artistic sophistication of the time. The building also houses exhibitions about its history and the importance of the silk trade in Valencia's rise as a Mediterranean commercial powerhouse.
Silk fiber production process
Loom in the Requena Silk Museum. / Image provided by Ester Alba
The main activity of the Valencian silk industry from the fifteenth to the end of the seventeenth century was the production of silk fiber, a job that was carried out intensively from March to June. “The production of silk fiber was a very intense activity carried out in a very specific season, but it was vital for the survival of peasant families”, explains Professor Ricardo Franch. It started by warming silkworm eggs through different methods, like using body heat or the warmth of the sun, but not before a ritual that involved bringing the silkworm eggs to the church to bless them. The enormous dedication required by this process was due to the fact that the income was obtained in June, coinciding with the payment of different leases. Thus, silk harvesting was essential to obtain the income needed to meet the economic demands of peasant families. When June arrived and the worms had already finished the cocoon, the silk was spun. This work, carried out mainly by women, was hard and left its mark on the hands of the peasants who pulled the thread after soaking it in hot water.
It's easy to visit La Lonja as it is centrally located in Valencia, close to other historic sites, such as the Central Market and Valencia Cathedral. The building is open for tours, and it's often less crowded than other famous sites in Spain, allowing a more relaxed visit. La Lonja de la Seda is a must-see for anyone visiting Valencia due to its stunning architecture, historical significance, and status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It beautifully represents the peak of Valencia's commercial and cultural influence in the Middle Ages, making it a vital part of the city's heritage.
https://oceanposse.com/spain/
MUST SEE: La Fortaleza & San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico
MUST SEE: La Fortaleza &
San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site are significant landmarks in San Juan, Puerto Rico, showcasing the island's rich history and colonial heritage. La Fortaleza & San Juan National Historic Site serve as a reminder of Puerto Rico’s role as one of the earliest and last bastions of Spanish dominance in the Americas. Visiting this MUST SEE UNESCO site by boat is best from San Juan Bay.
San Juan Bay is a significant harbor and anchorage point on the north side of Puerto Rico,, known for its deep waters and natural protection. It serves as a popular spot for both commercial and recreational vessels. The bay is surrounded by historic sites, such as La Fortaleza, El Morro and San Cristóbal forts, and offers beautiful views of the city and surrounding areas.
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza, also known as the Governor's Palace, is the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. Built between 1533 and 1540 by order of the Spanish king, Charles V, it served as a fortress to protect the city from pirates and corsairs. In 1846, La Fortaleza was remodeled to become the official residence of the governor. The remodeling was designed by the Spanish architect Fernando Trueba, and the building was given a neoclassical style.
La Fortaleza has been the official residence of 170 governors of Puerto Rico and now stands as the oldest executive residence in the Western Hemisphere. It is a historical and cultural landmark of great importance to the island. In 1983, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as part of the “La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site”.
San Juan National Historic Site
This historic site encompasses several key components, including the forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal, which were built to defend the city from maritime attacks.
- Fortifications:
- Castillo San Felipe del Morro: A 16th-century fortress that offers stunning views of the ocean and the city. It played a crucial role in the defense of San Juan.
- Castillo San Cristóbal: Built in the 18th century, this fortification was designed to protect against land attacks and is the largest fort built by the Spanish in the Americas.
Both La Fortaleza and the San Juan National Historic Site reflect the historical significance of Puerto Rico in the context of Spanish colonial rule and military strategy in the Caribbean. They are vital for understanding the island's past and its cultural heritage.
MUST SEE: MONASTERY OF THE HIERONYMITES AND TOWER OF BELEM LISBON, PORTUGAL
MUST SEE: 
Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém
Lisbon, Portugal
The Monastery of the Hieronymites and the nearby Tower of Belém are UNESCO world heritage sites that represent the story of the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Standing along the Tagus River at the entrance to Lisbon harbor, the Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Tower of Belém . To some the estuary the town of Belem sits on is a perfect metaphor for what the historical landmarks at Belém emphasize – Portuguese influence going out across the ocean and the consequences of all that came back across the sea.
THE MONASTERY OF HIERONYMITES or JERONIMOS
Construction of the Monastery of Hieronymites began in 1501 and culminated 100 years later in 1601. Today the structure exemplifies Portuguese Gothic Manueline style art at its best. The Monastery with built near the launch point of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's first voyage and its construction was funded by a tax on the profits of the yearly Portuguese Indai Armadas. There was in fact a church in this spot falling into disrepair where it is said that Vasca da Gama and his men stopped to pray before their historic departure to the New World after which he proclaimed the discovery of the sea route to Asia. In 1880, da Gama's remains and those of the poet Luis de Camoes (who celebrated da Gama's first voyage in his 1572 epic poem, The Lusiad), were moved to new carved tombs in the nave of the monastery's church, only a few meters away from the tombs of the kings Manuel I and John III, whom da Gama had served. The monastery was originally a monastery for the Order of Saint Jerome and was built in such proximity to the Tagus river so that sailors could stop in to pray for protection before setting out to sea. It became the necropolis of the Portuguese royal dynasty of Aviz in the 16th century and was abandoned in 1833. In 1983, the Jerónimos Monastery was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém .
THE TOWER OF Belém
The nearby Tower of Belém was built between 1514-1520 while the Monastery of Jerome was also under construction with the same stones. The Tower was built during the reign of King Manuel I as a fortification defending the entry to Lisbon. Indeed a heavily armed 1,000 ton ship, the Grande Nau, guarded the estuary at the mouth of the Tagus until the fort’s completion. There are 16 or 17 openings for cannons and ditches around it that were used as dungeons. The Tower was not a spartan fortification however; the Tower of Belém was also built elaborately as a symbol and a celebration of Portuguese power and triumph in the New World commemorating Vasco da Gama's famous expedition to Asia in the late 1490's. By the early to mid 1800's the tower’s function changed into a lighthouse and customs house to collect tolls on mariners entering and exiting port. The Tower is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world. The Tower of Belém is considered one of the best examples of the architecture of its time, known as the Manueline style, but it also includes distinctive Moorish features such as ornately decorated turrets. The Tower was adorned with intricate carvings much like the nearby monastery. All the symbols had a bearing on passersby: some stand too welcome visitors, grant safe passage to explorers, others to protect the shores and people of Portugal while threatening and scaring off invaders.
MUST SEE: LA RUTA DEL CAFE in CHIAPAS MEXICO
MUST SEE: LA RUTA DEL CAFE 🇲🇽 CHIAPAS MEXICO
One cold January morning in the late 1800's, Arthur Erich Edelmann, his wife Doris, and seven other colleagues set sail from Hamburg, Germany, all from Perleberg, a small town an hour and a half from Berlin. Erich had a coffee machinery factory in his hometown, owned by his family, which was facing financial problems when they received and invitation from the Mexican government to bring their machinery and their expertise to the fertile region of Chiapas, Mexico. It would be amazing to know what they felt when they read that letter of invitation? That is a story that we do not know and perhaps we never will. What would you have thought to go from the deeply familiar to a place that seemed like a different world. Would you take a risk, abandon your business, your city, your people, your country, your language to start from scratch in a place so far away, so different in culture, language, nature and climate?
Erich traveled for three weeks across the Atlantic until he arrived at the Port of Veracruz, where he took a horse-driven cart with his people to go to Soconusco, Chiapas to the wild and untouched lands that he and his family would soon call home.
Before arriving in Mexico, we suppose that Erich had to have read all the information available about Chiapas, about Mexico and its culture, its people, language, nature, its history. However, there was nothing that could have prepared him for the intensity of his new life.
Erich, Doris and their people arrived in Huixtla, a small village with some houses built in adobe and palm trees, inhabited by friendly indigenous families who gave them the mules and human capital necessary to reach their final destination. From there, it took them another 8 hours to be able to transport along the newly created dirt roads, which looked like tunnels through the dense jungle. On their way they could observe the Tacaná, a volcano whose eruptions transformed the land around it into a fertile paradise.
With the help of workers from San Cristóbal, San Juan Chamula and Guatemala, Erich and his team of architects and engineers began to harmonize the land, build the first houses for the workers, the mill, roads. Erich and Doris lived for 11 years in one of these simple houses, couldn’t afford a bigger house, not yet. The priority was to prepare the land, build all the necessary infrastructure to work, keep people working, provide money and work, houses and food. The priority was its people and the priority was coffee.
They put a lot of work into investing in this long-term project so far from home, a lot of determination and hope, a great risk and a gamble. All that work, all those years, until finally: the first harvest and the start of Finca Hamburgo.
This exemplary coffee Resort Located in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas with More than 130 years of history and culminates as a cultural and extremely worthwhile experience
Argovia is a partner and initiator of the Coffee route in Chiapas, with cabins, outdoor pool, Spa, Yoga area, Restaurant, Bar, Event areas and tours.
Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, and it borders the states of Oaxaca to the west, Veracruz to the northwest, and Tabasco to the north, and borders Guatemala to the east and southeast. Chiapas has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean.
The lowland, tall perennial rainforest has been almost completely cleared to allow agriculture and ranching. Rainfall decreases moving towards the Pacific Ocean, but it is still abundant enough to allow the farming of bananas, coffee and many other tropical crops near Tapachula. On the several parallel sierras or mountain ranges running along the center of Chiapas, the climate can be quite moderate and foggy, allowing the development of cloud forests like those of Reserva de la Biosfera El Triunfo, home to a handful of horned guans, resplendent quetzals, and azure-rumped tanagers.
How to get Argovia?
To get to the Finca you have to take 8th Street north (reference: intersection with 17th Street west) located on the border of the city, which will take you north, right at the end will become Road to New Germany. 40 minutes of road without changing your way to find the 39km, you´ll find a signal that says “Argovia 5 minutes” turn your way to the right. You will continue by Finca Eduviges paved road better known as New Germany and only 5 minutes more you’ll be in Argovia. We guarantee that any vehicle from compact to mini sedans can access our Finca with no trouble.
Miguel and Tony lead fabulous, custom tours from Marina Chiapas.
MUST SEE: Tairo Atoll – French Polynesia
MUST SEE:
Tairo Atoll – French Polynesia –
one of THE SEVEN TUAMOTUS IN THIS UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
The Tairo Atoll is part of the UNESCO Tuamotus Biosphere Reserve and was the last of the Tuamotus to be recorded and charted by European explorers. The Biosphere Reserve was established in 1977 and consists of 7 low islands of coral or atoll origin: Aratika, Fakarava, Kauehi, Niau, Raraka, Taiaro, and Toau. These atolls are very different from each other in size, shape, openness to the ocean, population and activities. Its character is unique: there are small closed lagoons such as those of Taiaro and Niau, the former being over-salted while the latter is brackish. And large lagoons open to the ocean such as Fakarava, which has the largest pass in French Polynesia 1,600 metres wide.
The Tairo Atoll is particularly fascinating as it is completely closed off to the ocean. While there may not be any permanent human residents there are many plants, mollusks, and fish. In 2022, a team of adventurous scientists from all over the world led by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ventured to Taiaro to investigate this unique atoll. The interior lagoon is warmer and saltier than the surrounding ocean making it an interesting laboratory for interdisciplinary scientists studying a broad range of subjects form endemic species, to evolution, to adaptation, to climate change and more. For an accessible explanation of this mission, check out the description and video in this article:
https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2023/3/10/tiny-atoll-pacific-ocean-offers-glimpse-warmer-world
According to UNESCO, "Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity. They are places that provide local solutions to global challenges. Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. Tairo is one atoll of 7 in the Biosphere Reserve of the Toamotus. It's inclusion is a testament to the unique and phenomenal ecology of the Atoll. Scientists have found a wide range of species inside an atoll that has only seasonal exchange with the outer ocean and hope that the microcosm of Taiaro may present some insight into adaptations to climate change yet to come.
Atolls are evidence of geologic change and great mystery. Once upon a time volcanic islands erupted out of the ocean. Slowly, coral began to encircle and surround the islands. In the Tuamotus the volcanos sunk, collapsed, and/or eroded away into the ocean leaving a ring of coral surrounding lagoons. The Taiaro atoll is a ring-shaped island built up on an ancient volcano that has sunk into the ocean due to the drift of the Pacific Ocean floor. Taiaro is only visible because of the rim of coral that forms a barrier reef 5 km in diameter around the original volcano. The inside of the atoll has a sandy bottom punctuated with coral heads or 'bommies' that host marine flora and fauna. The landmass of the atoll itself is home to endemic birds mollusks, coconut palms and other plants. The biodiversity is impressive.
Nearby, the Tahanea atoll offers a very different experience from Taiaro in that one can enter the atoll and experience the inside and the outside. Perhaps Tahanea offers a glimpse of what Taiaro may be like.
MUST SEE: CIUDAD PERDIDA (LOST CITY) COLUMBIA 🇨🇴
MUST SEE: CIUDAD PERDIDA
(LOST CITY) COLUMBIA 🇨🇴
Ciudad Perdida consists of a series of 169 terraces carved into the mountainside, a net of tiled roads and several small circular plazas.
Hidden deep in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains in northern Colombia sits an archeological site called Ciudad Perdida, the “Lost City”. Built by the Tairona people in 800AD predating Machu Pichu by over 600 years. The Ciudad Perdida archaeological site only became an attraction after it was uncovered in the 1970s.
Los Sepúlveda was a small family of looters in Colombia; their story leads to the beginning of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in modern times. The family went hunting in the forests of Colombia when they shot down a wild turkey. Upon retrieving the turkey, they noticed it had fallen on a piece of an exposed staircase. This staircase would lead them to find La Ciudad Perdida. For years after its discovery by the looters, “Treasures from the site, including gold figures and ceramics, soon began to appear on the black market” Archeologists were alerted to these black market treasures and managed to, with the help of indigenous people who protect their ancestral site, trace themselves to the area in 1976. The area was researched and reconstructed over the next 6 years.
Although La Ciudad Perdida is one of the most impressive sites, it’s not alone, only about 30-40% of the sites in the Sierra Nevada region have actually been explored. Thanks to recent widespread access, more and more of these sites are being discovered, and the search for new lost cities has just begun.
Ciudad Perdida was probably the region’s political and manufacturing center on the Buritaca River and may have housed 2,000–8,000 people.
Named Teyuna by the Tairona but dubbed Ciudad Perdida upon rediscovery, the ancient wonder is perched on hillsides and tucked into a dense rainforest.
MUST SEE: 🇵🇫 Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia
MUST SEE: 🇵🇫 Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia
in 2017 UNESCO named Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia a world heritage site for its outstanding universal value, exceptional testimony to 1,000 years of pre-colonial mā'ohi civilization, and central location in the 'Polynesian Triangle'. The 'points' on the Polynesian triangle are New Zealand, Hawaii, and Rapa Nui. Taputapuātea is in the very center of this triangle of oceanic islands. Both the cultural landscape and seascape on Ra’iātea make this a unique and remarkable place one must see. Taputapuātea is an area that goes from the mountains through forested valleys spanning across a portion of lagoon and coral reef and a strip of open ocean. In the center is the Marae of Taputapuātea.
The Marae of Taputapuātea is considered to be the most sacred pre-colonial Polynesian archeological sites in French Polynesia. UNESCO describes this site as:
"dedicated to the god ‘Oro and the place where the world of the living (Te Ao) intersects the world of the ancestors and gods (Te Po). It also expresses political power and relationships. The rise in the importance of Taputapuātea among the marae on Raiatea and in the wider region is linked to the line of Tamatoa ari’i (chiefs) and the expansion of their power. Taputapuātea was the centre of a political alliance that brought together two widespread regions encompassing most of Polynesia. The alliance was maintained by regular gatherings of chiefs, warriors and priests who came from the other islands to meet at Taputapuātea. The building of outrigger canoes and ocean navigation were key skills in maintaining this network.
A traditional landscape surrounds both sides of the Taputapuātea marae complex. The marae complex looks out to Te Ava Mo'a, a sacred pass in the reef that bounds the lagoon. Atāra motu is an islet in the reef and a habitat for seabirds. Ocean-going arrivals waited here before being led through the sacred pass and formally welcomed at Taputapuātea. On the landward side, ’Ōpo’a and Hotopu’u are forested valleys ringed by ridges and the sacred mountain of Tea’etapu. The upland portions of the valleys feature older marae, such as marae Vaeāra’i and marae Taumariari, agricultural terraces, archaeological traces of habitations and named features related to traditions of gods and ancestors. Vegetation in the valleys is a mix of species, some endemic to Raiatea, some common to other Polynesian islands and some imported food species brought by ancient Polynesians for cultivation. Together, the attributes of the property form an outstanding relict and associative cultural landscape and seascape."
Throughout Polynesia the Marae are communal or sacred sites in village life. In order to build a marae in another location, it is said that one must start with a stone from Taputapuātea. The marae are places with different functions. They are places where the world of the living intersected with the world of village ancestors and Polynesian gods. They are places where people gather for ceremony, dance, connecting with the past and with community.
This video is a product of the cumulative effort of cultural and historical groups presenting the significance of Taputapuātea in the past, the present, and for the future.
https://youtu.be/wXbJXHR8-3g?t=391
MUST SEE: 🇩🇲 Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica
MUST SEE: 🇩🇲 Morne Trois Pitons National Park,
Dominica 🇩🇲
Morne Trois Pitons National Park is on the Island of Dominica in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. The volcanic island is quite heavily forested and mountainous, rich in water and fertile soil, and still has a number of (rarely) active volcanoes, volcanic vents, bubbling mud ponds, and hot springs. The National Park was established by the Dominican government in 1975 and made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 for its uniquely stunning geologic (volcanic) formations, its biodiversity, and its huge stores of water. Nearly all the headwaters of the streams and rivers that hydrate and power the southern half of the Island begin in Morne Trois Pitons National Park.
The National Park encompasses a lake called Boiling Lake, so named for the gasses that bubble from beneath it and keep the water temperature to over 95 degrees Celsius. The mountainous landscape is punctuated by three main peaks (hence Trois Pitons) that are steep and rugged with waterfalls, freshwater lakes, and a huge variety of flaura and fauna, several endemic to Dominica.
Preserving Wildlife is important to this Island nation that considers nature prime importance to their survival and food security. In addition to abundant fruit, The Mountain Chicken frog was once considered the nation's unofficial national dish. A decline in their numbers led to conservation efforts including hunting season regulations and scientific attention. However, no amount of regulations can hold back mother nature and both a soil borne fungus and a volcanic eruption resulted in significant reduction in many amphibious animals including the Mountain Chicken. Therefore, in spite of conservation efforts, their species numbers have continued to decline and they are on the brink of extinction. As of November 2023 scientists believe there were 30 known Mountain Chicken Frogs left.
There is hope in that Dominica has actually made tremendous strides that offer hope to the survival of the species identifying genes of resiliency that can be treated to eliminate the fungus illness in the frogs. Time will tell.
SAILORS HAVE BEEN USING THE GULF STREAM FOR CENTURIES
The Gulf Stream is part of a global conveyor belt of ocean current that mixes global ocean waters (salinity density and temperature) around the globe. Like creatures of the sea, sailors have been using different currents in this conveyor belt for centuries. A very important current in the Atlantic Ocean is the Gulf Stream. Basically, SE trade winds blow and drive warm surface water from the mid/south Atlantic between Western Africa and Northeastern South America northwest through the Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico. The turning of the earth and the west winds then drive this current north east up eastern North America. As the gulf stream gets more north it splits in a few different directions towards Europe and the North Atlantic.
The Gulf Stream is very important for the European climate as it brings warm air to the continent that would otherwise be quite cool. The Gulf Stream is 10,000 km long and moves at 2m/sec making it the largest and fastest of all the ocean currents on earth. Some people liken it to a river of water in the ocean. The Gulf Stream was discovered by early Spanish explorers over 500 years ago and was used to both colonize the West and bring wealth and fortune back to Spain. For this reason the Gulf Stream has had a huge impact on the history and culture of the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe.
Consider Christopher Columbus’s final transatlantic voyage, when conquistadors carved out a vast and wealthy overseas empire for Spain, first in the Caribbean as far north as what is now Florida and then on the mainlands of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru: these early ships used the Gulf Stream. Products of these tropical and mountainous territories brought high prices on the Continent, and Spanish galleons sailed home laden with exotic dyes, sugar, tobacco, chocolate, pearls, hardwoods, and silver and gold. These so-called “treasure fleets” made Spain the most powerful and envied nation in Renaissance Europe. Thanks to the travels of Ponce de Leon in 1513, Spanish navigators knew that the best return route from Spain’s rich Caribbean possessions was along the Gulf Stream, through the Bahama Channel, and past the shores of Florida. The Spanish knew they must defend this peninsula to prevent enemies from using its harbors as havens from which to raid the passing treasure fleets. The Spanish built Forts to defend their positions in the New World. One such Fort was built on the East Coast of modern day Florida:
CASTILLO SAN MARCOS, St Augustine Florida
See https://oceanposse.com/castillo-san-marcos/ to learn more about the Spanish Must See Fort along the Ocean Posse route in San Augustine, Florida.
For Ocean Posse vessels looking to cross the Atlantic Ocean the Gulf Stream has been and continues to be very important voyage planning consideration. Two big challenges are the higher amount of large vessel traffic in the Gulf Stream and the warmer water in the Gulf Stream which translates to thunderstorms or worse. For these two reasons many mariners cross the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible relative to their destination.