Pinel Island

Pinel Island, also known as Îlet Pinel, is a small Caribbean island off the french coast of Saint Martin.

Geography

The island is an limestone ridge that was once part of the Saint Martin coast, which is now lies around 170 m away. The island has 4 beaches and 4 rocky shores. It is partly surrounded by very shallow shoals with coral. To the west, facing Saint-Martin, lies a 80 m-long tongue of sand juts out into the sea.

History

According to legend, it was after attempting to conquer the island of Saba that a buccaneer, Captain Pinel, discovered this marine refuge. Faced with resistance from the island's inhabitants, the invaders retreated until they ran aground on the magnificent islet in Cul-de-Sac Bay, which has since borne his name.
In 2000 a pre-Columbian site was discovered on the southwestern beach of Pinel Island. Ceramic, lithic, and shell artifacts were found there in the sand.

Nature

The island is part of the Saint Martin Natural Reserve. It is covered by a dry savannah of short grass with some thorous groves except for goats, lizards,'' iguana, hermit crabs and birds. Because of the excessive presence of humans, seabirds pass there but no longer come to nest.

Tourism

The island can be reached by a ferry service from Cul-de-Sac which departs in high season every half hour. There are two restaurants on the island. Several hiking trails travel the island.