Pinel Island Questions

Hello,

On our upcoming cruise, we are considering spending our day in Sint Maarten on the French side at Pinel Island. I have a few questions about this:

1) We like to use the St.Maarten local transport buses that circumnavigate the island when we visit. It's cheap and we like interacting with the locals. Where should we get off of the bus to catch the ferry?

2) Where does the ferry depart from? I believe that is it a $6 fee. Is that roundtrip or each way?

3) Are there beach clubs on the island to go to? If so, are they all at the main beach or are they spread out to the other beaches as well? Do these clubs have food, bathrooms, wifi, etc.

4) I heard the main beach gets very crowded very quickly. Are the other beaches on the island good to visit? How can you get around on Pinel Island? What are their names, which do you prefer?

5) Chair rentals. How much are they, and are they at all of the beaches? Do they take American money?

Thanks in advance for any help that any of you provide! I really appreciate it!

Are you certain that a bus goes anywhere near the Cul de sac area where you catch the ferry from? If so how long did you hear it takes to get from Back St Phillipsburg to the drop off near the Cul de Sac?

I am not sure any bus goes to Cul-de-Sac - where the Pinel ferry terminal is. I think for a cruiser to rely on buses to go to Pinel is beyond adventurous - I think you need to rent a car or rely on taxis.

The round trip ferry ride to Pinel and back is 10 euros or 12 dollars per person payable in cash before you get on boat for ride over to Pinel.

At Yellow Beach it is 25 dollars to rent two chairs and one umbrella - to get a cushion on a chair is (I think) $5 dollars more. We always go to Yellow Beach - just always have in part because it is closer to snorkeling - but I assume Karibuni is same pricing for chairs and umbrellas.

Ferry, Yellow Beach, and Karibuni all take US Dollars as well as Euros. Yellow Beach and Karibuni both have good food and OK restrooms. They set up a public restroom of sorts a couple years ago but it is currently unusable.

I believe both Yellow Beach and Karibuni claim to have wifi but I have never used wifi on Pinel so do not know how good it is - or if and how they charge for it.

Pinel never feels all that crowded to us - it may feel that way to you on a busy day. On a weekday, even with a few huge ships in port, it is not all that crowded. If you hike around the island you rarely encounter more than a few other people.

See my post on caribbean paddling they have a package that gets you to there place next to where the ferry is located.You may have to use there kayack to get to the island or if you ask them they may change the package so you can take the ferry( not sure they will do that though)

See my post on caribbean paddling they have a package that gets you to there place next to where the ferry is located.You may have to use there kayack to get to the island or if you ask them they may change the package so you can take the ferry( not sure they will do that though)

Can you put a link to your post please? Thanks :)

caribbeanpaddling.com this is the site to book with & arrange a taxi to pick me up & bring me back They will send you back info on the cab after you pay 50 % deposit for the package. Hope that helps

caribbeanpaddling.com this is the site to book with & arrange a taxi to pick me up & bring me back They will send you back info on the cab after you pay 50 % deposit for the package. Hope that helps

Yes, I found it, thank you 😊

See my post on caribbean paddling they have a package that gets you to there place next to where the ferry is located.You may have to use there kayack to get to the island or if you ask them they may change the package so you can take the ferry( not sure they will do that though)

How much did a return ride and kayak rental run pp for the day. If it's one or two people it might be cheaper and less hassle to do it this way even if you don't use the kayak at all. We have paid over $90 for a small car on a busy winter day.

It's costing me $79 for a person package ,but if you go to there web site( see above post ) & shoot them an e-mail they will let you know.They answered me in less than a day.Hope that helps

It's costing me $79 for a person package ,but if you go to there web site( see above post ) & shoot them an e-mail they will let you know.They answered me in less than a day.Hope that helps

So if a kayak costs $39 they are charging $20 pp each way for transportation for their patrons. Not bad to me because knowing that you have a ride back from the Cul de Sac is "priceless".:D

My family heads to St. Martin nearly every year and we have been to Pinel quite a few times!

1) Please don't take the risk at figuring out public transportation to the cul de sac! Unfortunately, it is just tucked away enough to make it a huge gamble. You could take the bus to Orient Bay and then grab a taxi to the ferry (should be much cheaper then!)

2) You'll see signs, but it is right passed Orient Bay in a little inlet.

3) If nothing has changed, there are two restaurants/bars on the island (both French, one MUCH cheaper and great American restaurant got shut down...for some reason :(...). Both have decent food and drinks and the prices are comparable to touristy places elsewhere (not the cheapest).

4) The beach only holds but so many people, so "crowded" isn't the right word. Even packed, it isn't that bad! I would suggest getting there as early as possible to stake claim to a few good chairs. Also, the island is very small, so you can walk the entire place. The beach, from one end to the other, takes just a few minutes to walk. But, you can explore the peaks of the island and the other secluded beaches (not nice enough to lounge on though) -- worth walking around the whole place!

5) The prices are the same as other places ($10-$12 maybe?...) and yes they take US currency.

The only thing to add is that if you plan on going to Pinel, just realize that will take up your entire day. Only because once you're there, you may as well stick around. I would only suggest going here if you want a day mainly lounging on the beach (not many, if any, activities or programs for visitors). With that said, it is BEAUTIFUL and, holy hell, HOT......It seems to be 10 degrees warmer there!

I just got back.See my post I also have a telephone # of the cab service for you.its Joyce's taxi service (french side #) + 590 690 40 74 97

dutch side 721 553 1900

there web add is theresahelligar@yahoo.com

I got her card for you she said you could call or e-mail her she is very friendly & on time,I would use her again next time Im in st martins

If you need more info let me know