More than four decades ago, the attraction of Cyril Bay lay in the stark white pebbles that characterised its beach. Hikers and those boating it to the beach always left with a pebble or two as a souvenir to the unique beauty of this spot. The return climb uphill would not have permitted more to be toted in backpacks.
This was the novelty of the area when neighbouring beaches within La Vache Bay were composed of bare sand, with a minor scattering of brown and white pebbles in sheltered pockets below overhangs. Fast-forward to the present, elders in Maracas and Las Cuevas communities will tell you that this was a thing of the past, long before high seas altered the popular gravelly beach into one of sand. Frank, a seasoned fisherman in the area, commented on the epoch that is typical of our coastlines.
“The gravel is still out there in the sea. That will not go far. In time, the water will return them to shore.
” “Before the time when the white gravel composed the beach, the beach was as it is now, and just as it was back then, boats will be able to now reach up to the waterfall to fill water.” popular: A finger of stone called Fishing Rock that is a convenient spot to cast lines into the rich fishing grounds of Cyril Bay. Cyril Bay was highly prized as the best beach within La Vache on Trinidad’s North Coast.
What made it so special was the amazing whiteness of the compacted pebbles. An added bonus was a convenient finger of stone where rock fishermen cast their lines to catch some of the shoals of fish that could be seen in the clear water. After the 20-minute downhill trek from the North Coast road, hikers welcomed the presence of a small waterfall that spilled onto the beach and provided a source of cool, fresh water.
On our recent visits to the beaches of La Vache Bay, we found that erosion had played a major role in their appearance. As with most beaches around our islands, cliffs were collapsing during periods of rough seas, resulting in total submergence of hitherto sandy areas. family time: Father and son, above, enjoy the ebb tide on the sands of Paragrant Beach.
Beachgoers who drive down the steep, serpentine roadway to Paragrant often turn back as they find that the incoming tide has covered the sands. Timing the ebb tides here is crucial to enjoying the sands of this beach. At Cyril Bay, our time was also cut short by the rising surf.
We searched the length of the beach and found remnants of white pebbles here and there and within small caves. Dark-coloured stones were scattered across the sand. This writer missed the crunching sounds of the waves frictionising over the pebbles and bringing that salty smell that you only experience from full marine waters.
Instead, there was the uninterrupted swishing of foam over the smoothened sand as it surged up the beach. Some visitors were happy for the almost pebble-free sands as they basked in the quiet ambience of the bay while the boys of the family accessed the fishing rock, as they called it, to throw their lines. They did not mind the cast of hundreds of crabs that skittered along the surface of the rock to ultimately hide in the cracks and niches along the sides.
Some fisherfolk also beached to replenish their supply of water and cool down under the showering waterfall. Cyril Bay, like others around our islands, has shown its vulnerability to changing marine conditions. Still, it remains one of the favourite beaches within La Vache, no matter the tides.
As the surge of one large wave washed up the beach, this was the signal for everyone to begin the return hike up the hill. Most expressed their gratitude that the tides had permitted them to enjoy this peaceful part of the North Coast where crowds and blaring music were absent. One family who had roasted the large fish they caught promised to return next weekend.
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