Cayemites Islands

The Cayemites are two islands, Grande and Petite, lying off the north coast of the southern peninsula in shallow water full of mangrove, seagrass and patch reef. They are farmed and fished, have almost no road, and see effectively no visitors. The channels between the islands and the mainland are the interesting part: clear shallow water, mangrove edges, and sandbars that appear at low tide. Boats go across from Pestel in half an hour.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - shallow clear water between the islands and the mainland.
• The beaches - small strips of pale sand on the seaward sides.
• The reef - patch coral in the shallows, snorkelled straight off a boat.
• The villages - fishing and farming settlements with no roads to speak of.

When to go

November to March is drier and calmer. The crossing is short but open, and wind makes it uncomfortable. Hurricane season runs June to November and this coast is exposed.

Honest expectations

There is essentially nothing built for visitors: no accommodation beyond arrangements with families, no restaurants, no facilities. Boats are fishing pirogues without safety gear. Bring water, since the islands have little.

Nearby

Pestel is the mainland port, and Jeremie is west along the peninsula.