Foto: marie-chantalle · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Travel guides
Île-à-Vache, Haiti: getting there, things to do, where to stay
Île-à-Vache guide: boats from Les Cayes, Abaka Bay beach, Lovers' Island, the national park and places to stay.
Île-à-Vache is an island about 15 km by 5 km, 10 km southeast of Les Cayes. There are no cars on the island: life moves at a different pace.
Getting there
Boats leave from the Les Cayes wharf and the crossing takes 30 to 45 minutes. There are public boats, and hotels and guides can arrange the trip for you. Visit Haiti quotes about 50 dollars round trip.
Things to do
- Abaka Bay Beach: white sand and calm water on the northwest coast. Visit Haiti ranks it among the country's best beaches.
- Lovers' Island (Île des Amoureux): a sandbank in the middle of the sea, 15 minutes by boat.
- Madame-Bernard: the island's "capital", with a market where boats from every village come in.
- The national park: since 2013, 11,235 hectares of coral reefs, more than twenty beaches and one of the largest mangrove forests in Haiti.
- History: in the 17th century, the pirate Henry Morgan used the island as his base.
Île-à-Vache
An island about 15 km by 5 km, 10 km southeast of Les Cayes. The boat ride from Les Cayes takes 30 to 45 minutes. In the 17th century it was the base of the pirate Henry Morgan.
Madame-Bernard and its market
The island's "capital", with a lively market where boats from other villages and the mainland come in.
Île-à-Vache National Natural Park
Protected since 2013 (11,235 hectares): coral reefs, more than twenty beaches, a lagoon and one of the largest mangrove forests in Haiti.
Abaka Bay Beach
A white-sand beach with calm water on the northwest coast of Île-à-Vache. Visit Haiti ranks it among the country's best beaches.
Lovers' Island
A sandbank in the middle of the sea, 15 minutes by boat from Île-à-Vache.
Where to stay
Note: according to Visit Haiti (2025), Abaka Bay Resort and Port Morgan are temporarily closed. Call before you go.
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