Cow Island

I'm going to try and get this post out before Ian and I have our long overdue housewarming BBQ, with hopefully another post tomorrow. The first trip I'm going to tell you about happened about three weeks ago, when we decided to explore the southern coast. We originally thought to go to Jacmel, a cute little artsy town on the beach, but it was the weekend after Tropical Storm Isaac passed and a whole bunch of garbage has washed down the mountain and into the water, so we squashed that plan. Instead we went further west along the southern coast, to an island called Ile a Vache.

Our hotel on Ile a Vache

Ile a Vache is a beautiful little island with a small population and a couple hotels that cater to expats looking for a weekend away or even travelers looking to take a week or so. The place where we stayed had a bit of the "resort hotel" feel, you payed an all inclusive price for the boat ride to and from the island, accommodation and food but are still required to buy your drinks. The trip there took about 4 hours, and we were only staying one night, so we tried to make the most of our time there.

Lover's Island

The first thing we did came recommended by guests we met getting off the boat - it was a getaway to "lover's island". Lovers island is this amazing sandbar in the middle of the ocean, far enough away from ile a vache and the mainland that you have complete privacy but still amazing views. The sandbar is maybe the size of a tennis court, and they drop you off with an umbrella and a cooler of drinks and come back whenever you want to be picked up. Ian and I brought our snorkel gear so we took and underwater tour around the island, and just enjoyed staying out in the sun.

The rest of our time was spent eating great food, looking at great views and snorkeling around the hotel. There were some interesting coral and fish to see around the hotel, and apparently there are even spots to go diving, which I'd like to check out when we get back. One night definitely isn't enough, so we'll need to make the most of a long weekend our next trip there.

The other interesting part about the weekend was the drive to and from. I had never been this far along the south of the horseshoe, and it had some beautiful scenery - rolling hills, lots of palm trees and jungle-y forest stuff, and the southern coast that faces the Caribbean sea is just beautiful. I might almost have enjoyed the drive as much as the trip! Fortunately there are a few more towns to check out along that coast, so I'll get to pass through again....