Speaking of Undiscovered! The village of Pearl Lagoon is delightfully off grid, a living example of the Caribbean of yesteryear populated by an English-speaking Creole community whose island is laced with dirt roads and dotted with coconut palm trees, whose rhythm is reggae and cooking leans to fish, shrimp and lobster, sautéed in coconut milk, steamed in butter and garlic. On tap also is a host of luscious, locally-raised tropical fruits. In town you find a few family-run guest houses, choice little restaurants and bakeries, ranchos or clubs with reggae nights, a baseball stadium for a population that loves the sport, a cannon from British protectorate days, and a whitewashed Moravian church welcoming all to evening services. Touring here is at its best by boat, tucking into rivers and exploring mangroves, stopping at Miskito and Garifuna villages, picnicking and swimming among the Pearl Keys.
A dozen islands make up the archipelago that is the unbelievably romantic and enchanting Pearl Keys: sheltered by reefs, palm-shaded and fringed with dazzling white sands and turquoise waters. There are no overnight facilities in the Keys, but you’ll find all you can wish for in swimming and snorkeling. Under the guidance of the Wildlife Conservation Society, efforts are being made to protect the marine environment of the Keys, which provide a crucial breeding, developmental and migratory habitat for turtle species like the endangered Green and Loggerhead sea turtles and especially for the Hawksbills. Turtle season is June-November.
Getting there: By motorboat from Bluefields