Saint Martin’s Best Kept Secret – Pinel Island
Known as “Saint Martin’s best-kept secret,” Pinel Island is a white sandy islet in the Orient Bay, a mere 5-minute (5 Euro/per person) boat ride from French Cul de Sac. In the heart of Saint Martin’s National Natural Reserve, this island is unique in its geographic exposure, land, and sub-aquatic topographies. Reefs and vegetation have been carefully guarded and protected for ten years, preserving the beauty of its beaches and reefs. Pinel Island is an essential tourist stop for all who want experience the beauty of Saint Martin-whether you’re into water sports or simply want to relax.
There are beautiful sandy beaches for sunning, fantastic snorkeling, and if you feel like bringing your hiking shoes, you can hike to the two deserted (clothes optional) beaches on the opposite side of the island.
Le Karabuni
There are only three restaurants on the island, and a great bet is Le Karabuni, specializing in grilled lobster, salads, and seafood-and what many claim to be the best rum punch around. Owners Erick and Marion ClГ©ment, a French couple who moved to the island 20 years ago, named the restaurant Karabuni after the Swahili word for “welcome.”
Sit outside and let the waves wash over your feet as you relax with a tropical cocktail. Enjoy a lunch of grilled lobster or the fresh catch of the day, before you head back to the beach for some sunning or snorkeling. The last boat heads back to Cul de Sac around 4 p.m., so don’t get too relaxed or you’ll miss your ride!
Le Karibuni
(+59) 0690 39 67 00
www.karibunipinel.com
Wakawa Eco-Klub
One of the best ways to spend a day at Pinel Island is a morning or afternoon of snorkeling in Saint Martin’s Natural Reserve. The beauty and richness of ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea is a known fact. The snorkel trail at Pinel is rich and varied: you can discover corals, sea fans, urchins, lobsters, shellfish, fish, turtles, and rays. Wakawa Eco-Klub provides a unique and safe snorkeling experience for most ages and all levels. Small groups have a guest to guide ratio of 8:1, ensuring the best service possible. An expert guide is there to help you improve your snorkeling technique and identify marine life you may have missed on your own.
With Wakawa Eco-Klub, ecotourism is not just a claim. Wakawa’s Pinel Island Eco Snorkel tour aims to bring you to a fragile and protected area in a low impact way. They prevent damage to the reefs from kicking and standing by teaching proper snorkel techniques and providing snorkel vests to keep you buoyant. Instead of sunscreen, they’ll give you Wakawa Wax-which gives you protection from the sun but doesn’t cause the detrimental effect of coral bleaching that regular sunscreens do. Through briefings, fish identification cards, and Amphicom technology (a special system where you can hear a narrative and music through your mouthpiece while underwater) you will not only enjoy the beauty of the ocean, but learn more about it.
As guardian of the Pinel Marine Park, Wakawa conducts a reef check twice yearly to monitor the health of the area. In addition, a percentage of revenue is donated to the Saint Martin Nature Reserve for their conservation efforts, directly benefitting the local community. Every month, Wakawa sponsors a Saint Martin school, for a day of snorkeling and activities focused on environmental awareness.
The Wakawa Experience
As you step off the boat onto Pinel, a white sand beach greets you. Sit in the shade of trees while your snorkel guide gives you a short briefing before fitting you with state-of-the-art equipment (masks, snorkels, fins and snorkel vests) provided by their partner Mares.
Your guide will help you get comfortable with your gear in shallow water. As you glide slowly through the water, the bottom will turn from sand to sea grass to reef. Try to count the school of tang, watch as a turtle has a snack, hover above a group of squid, wonder at the grace of a ray… While you’re watching the wonders of the ocean you’ll be learning about the reef and its creatures by listening to our pre-recorded program. The Amphicom system plays music and narrative as you snorkel, making the experience more enjoyable and informative. The technology works by sending sound by bone conduction directly through your teeth when you bite on the mouthpiece of the special snorkels.
You will access the snorkel trail down a gently sloping ramp into water shallow enough to stand up, making the activity accessible to everyone from 7 to 77 years old. The trail itself is a quarter mile long, ranging between 3 and 24 foot deep and reserved exclusively for Wakawa snorkelers through a buoy system. The water is extremely clear throughout the year, and average temperature is between74 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition to the snorkeling, guests have access to two beaches on Pinel. The first, located right next to the Wakawa Eco-Klub office offers restaurants, chairs and umbrellas. The second is a natural and unspoiled beach only a few steps away offering panoramic views of St. Barthelemy, Caye Verte and Tintamarre.
In case of an emergency, all Wakawa guides and surface support personnel are trained in CPR and First AID, and of course have oxygen and an automatic defibrillator on hand.
Wakawa Eco Club: www.wakawa.org
For details on the French West Indies island of Saint-Martin visit
January 2, 2010
Posted in: Caribbean