Tombolo de Sainte-Marie

Between roughly January and April the currents off Sainte-Marie build a bar of sand between the shore and Îlet Sainte-Marie a few hundred metres out, and for those months the islet can be walked to dry-shod across a strip of beach that simply is not there the rest of the year. The bar breaks up as the season turns. Signs mark whether crossing is currently safe, and the islet itself is protected.

What you actually see

• The seasonal bar - a sand strip that forms and disappears with the year.
• The islet - the protected rock a few hundred metres offshore.
• The crossing - walking to an island that is only reachable for part of the year.
• The Atlantic setting - the exposed northeastern coast the bar forms on.

When to go

January to April is when the bar is usually present. It breaks up as the season turns and timing varies each year. Check locally before travelling for it.

Honest expectations

The bar is not present every year on the same schedule and can be gone or unsafe. Crossing when it is breaking up is dangerous and the currents are strong. The islet has no facilities.

Nearby

Fond Saint-Jacques is inland, and the Saint-James museum is nearby.