Pinel Island

[dairyou]

Hello!

My family and I would like to go to Pinel Island while in St. Martin. We prefer not to pay for the Disney Excursion to get there.

Have any of you gone to Pinel Island without Disney's help? Do we just hail a taxi and they can take us there? Is there an island close to where we dock that is nice?

Thanks for all your help,

Deb

 

[BalooCA]

Let me preface this by saying that it has been about 4 years since I went on the Pinel Island Excursion. When I went they loaded us on a bus (not airconditioned) and drove for what seemed like an hour. It was very crowded and not particularly comfortable. Then they loaded us onto boats and ferried us over to the little island. On the island is what seems like a little family operation, they rent locker, snorkel gear, beach chairs, unbrella's and run a little snack shack. It's very rural and kind of homade feeling. The snorkeling is not very good. The only plus is that it's kind of small and shallow, it would be good for a family with small children who wanted to do some beginner snorkeling and maybe one parent wanted to sunbathe a bit. Over all I was not impressed with the trip. I would not do it again. It was too far to go for too little. I would not bother figuring out how to get there on your own. The guide on the excursion said the best beach on the Island is Orient Beach. That's where I would go if I ever go back.

 

[jlawall]

We went there last summer and had a nice time. You could probably go by yourself. I would also like to go to Orient Beach if I ever go back there.