We parked our jeep in the village of Cul-de-Sac, located
just past the spectacular Orient Bay, and mingled with the friendly wild donkeys roaming
around in the parking lot.
We caught the small boat to the island around noon – I
wish we had caught the first boat so we could have spent a full day! The shuttle boat leaves every 30 minutes from 10am
to 5pm and the ride costs $7. The ride takes about five minutes and the water
is very calm.
Once on the island, paradise! We checked out our surroundings on this tiny
little island lined with sandy beaches; the calm, crystal clear, sparking water
was absolutely stunning!
The view of St.
Martin in the distance, with its hills, was just amazing.
We brought our own snorkel gear and
explored the reefs along the snorkel trail.
We found a trail and took a small hike to the other side
of Pinel Island, which offered sea grape trees and a completed deserted beach
and enjoyed the tranquil silence and scenery.
The island offers three little restaurants, Le Karabuni, the
Yellow Beach restaurant and Up on the Key, as well as a small gift shop. Since we had already had lunch, we didn’t try
any food but Pinel Island sparked my never-ending love for pina coladas.
We bought a couple rounds and drank them on the beach,
savoring the tasty treats topped with just enough delicious ground
nutmeg. After a couple drinks, we
relaxed in the shade of some umbrellas on the beach. To this day, I have never
tasted a pina colada as tasty as the ones I drank on Pinel Island.
Around 5pm, we reluctantly caught the last boat back to
the mainland with the rest of the stragglers on the island. Seems we were not the only folks who wanted
to spend more time there – the boat back to St. Martin was packed!
Look like y'all had a blast! I've never been to St. Martin except in transit to Anguilla, and island I really love.
ReplyDeleteI'm a book and travel blogger. I'm an old follower of yours and I'd love it if you'd drop by my blog some time, too.
Thanks for stopping by! I have been offline a lot this summer but do check out your blog and really enjoy it! I loved your blogs on Anguilla and am kicking myself for not going there while on St. Martin. I am an avid reader as well so I look forward to more reviews, always trying to find a great book!
ReplyDeleteAllison, My wife and I share your love of Pinel. Found it maybe 10 years ago and make it a stop every time we get to St. Martin. We always hike to the top of the small mountain behind the main beach for a photo. Amazing how the beach changes every year. We have traveled to many of the Caribbean islands and you also can find stories about our travels by going to http://lifewithldub.blogspot.com/ Click on the St. Martin/Sint Maarten link to see photos and stories. Thanks for the pixs and story. Heading back there next April. Larry
ReplyDeleteHi LDub, thanks for reading...and I really like your blog! I would love to get back to St. Martin and show my husband Pinel...hopefully sometime soon! We share your love of the Caribbean but have yet to repeat an island/trip - we want to see them all!
ReplyDeletei wanted to ask if you think it would be easy to catch a cab to and from the Cul-De-Sac..my hubby and i will be coming off a cruise ship for one day and wanted to go to Pinel..since we wont have a car, how difficult do you think it would be to hail a cab there? I am mostly worried about getting a cab BACK to the ship....do cabs frequent this spot?
ReplyDeleteHi Fluffy, I don't recall there being any cabs near the parking lot at the ferry...just a few donkeys lol. Perhaps you can ask the cab driver to come back and pick you up at a certain time? This might have changed, it's been a few years since I have been there.
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