A 5-minute boat ride from French Cul-de-Sac, Pinel Island is a day-tripper's castaway fantasy, an uninhabited isle where jade peaks frame a half-moon beach and you can spend hours noodling about in the clear, bottle-green lagoon. This tiny island (and protected nature reserve) has two beach bistros, each with its own beach chairs and umbrellas (€20 for the day) in the powdery white sand. Our favorite is the French-run Karibuni, now in its 20th year of business and set in a palm grove inhabited by flitting birds and big iguanas. The food alone is worth the trip: grilled lobster and fresh fish, and fresh salads and tropical fruits. You can get cheeseburgers as well as mahi-mahi burgers, not to mention fresh ceviche, shrimp kebabs, and barbecued ribs. Most dishes come with island-style Creole rice. Drinks are rum-centric, but you can't beat a chilled Carib beer for your beach idyll. To get to Pinel, take one of the small ferryboats that leave from French Cul-de-Sac daily on the hour from 9am to 5pm; it's $6 per passenger.