La Gonave Island

La Gonâve sits in the middle of the gulf that carries its name, around sixty kilometres long, dry, limestone and thinly settled. Water is the island's defining problem: there is very little of it, and most of what people use is caught or carried. The coast has beaches and reef, the interior is scrub and cactus over karst, and the pace is slower than anywhere on the mainland. Boats run across from the Côte des Arcadins and from Port-au-Prince, informally and by weather.

The landscape

• The dry interior - limestone, scrub and cactus over most of the island.
• The coast - quiet beaches and reef on the northern and western shores.
• Anse-a-Galets - the main town and the landing point for most boats.
• The gulf crossing - open water with the mainland mountains behind you.

When to go

November to March is drier and calmer for the crossing. The island is hot and water-short in any season, and worse from May. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Practical notes

Crossings are in open boats and depend entirely on the weather. There is almost no accommodation and what exists is basic. Water is scarce for residents and visitors alike, and arriving without your own supply puts pressure on people who have little.

Nearby

The Cote des Arcadins is the mainland shore opposite, and Port-au-Prince is at the head of the gulf.