Pinel Island, mon Amour...

If you come to St Martin and you don’t spend a day on Pinel Island, I am sorry to tell you that your vacation would be a giant fail!
And you can trust me one this one, I worked there for over a decade, I know what I am talking about!

This tiny unhabited Island, just over a mile to go all the way around it, is really the postcard of the treasure island. It is only a few hundred yards from the coast of St Martin, facing the French Cul-de-Sac. It is very easy to get there and you have 2 options. Some ferries leave from Cul-de-Sac and go up and down all day. Or you can rent a kayak or a stand up paddle to go across by yourselves. the island of Pinel protects the bay of Cul-de-Sac from the ocean’s swell, so the waters are always very calm there… and in between you will find Little Key where you can stop and rest if you need to! The second option is the best way to spot some sea turtles and eagle rays along the way: kayaking or paddle boarding with Caribbean Paddling!

The side of Pinel which faces St Martin will show you one of the most beautiful beach in the world… Crystal water, very calm, very shallow, so as you can imagine perfect if you have young kids with you! But you will also see some happy grownups there!
You will find two great restaurants, with beautiful Caribbean setups, wooden shacks covered with palm leaves, beach chairs, live lobsters, great cocktails, the whole paradise package!
Right in front of the pier you will see Yellow Beach restaurant, where you will be able to experience the famous “Tables-in-the-Water”. Enjoy a bottle of wine as you stand over a table with the sea up to your waist line… you can also eat on those tables!
Further down the beach you will find a nice gift shop to get a few souvenirs and next to it the other restaurant, Karibuni, with its beautiful setup and nice creole influenced cuisine.

But before you sit on a lounge chair and have your first cocktail, you should hike around the island first. It is a very easy 40 minutes hike to go all the way around, and when you’ll get up the “hill”, you will have a 360 point of view from which you will see St Martin of course, Anguilla, Tintamarre and St Barths… not too shabby!! You will also find two other secluded beaches along the way.
So after the crossing aboard a kayak and a nice hike, you have my blessings to get a few drinks and a great lunch! Don’t worry for the ride back on the kayak, the wind will push right back where you came from!! But be careful, Pinel can be tricky!! I recommend you don’t make big plans for that night!

See y’all there soon, because I don’t work there any more but I still go there very often!