Pinel Island
French Caribbean island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pinel Island, also known as Îlet Pinel, is a small Caribbean island off the french coast of Saint Martin.
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Native name: Îlet Pinel | |
|---|---|
Pinel Island seen from Saint Martin | |
  Pinel Island  Pinel Island  Pinel Island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 18°6′22″N 63°00′52″W |
| Archipelago | Lesser Antilles |
| Area | 0.115 km2 (0.044 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 1.945 km (1.2086 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Administration | |
Geography
The island is a limestone ridge that was once part of the Saint Martin coast, which is now lies around 170 m away.[1] The island has 4 beaches and 4 rocky shores.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]
Nature
The island is part of the Saint Martin Natural Reserve.[1] It is covered by a dry savannah of short grass (Greasy Donna) with some thorous groves except for goats (introduced species), lizards (ame), iguana (Iguana nudicollis),[5] 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.[6]