Our new destination is Isle de Pines which is about 80nm from where we are anchored (MB’e Kouen).  In order to get there we have to head southeast which is directly into the tradewinds.    So, we waited for a really light wind day and headed in that general direction with the plans of stopping at an island named after Matt – Ilot Mato.

We decided to break up the trip into a few days as opposed to doing an overnight.  So, our first stop will be Ilot Mato which is about a 39nm trip.

From the map below you can see the many reefs surrounding the tiny little island of Mato.  Matt expertly maneuvered the boat to the anchor spot.

We anchored around 3:00p and quickly hopped in the dinghy to explore ashore.

A Snake Filled Mountain

We learned that there was a “trail” to the top of the mountain.  We found the “start” which was a little sketch as it was totally overgrown.  

It wasn’t that this was a particularly steep incline as it was only 150′ to the top.  And it wasn’t that it was a long hike as it only took us 40 minutes (up and down) and was a mere .4 miles. 

But what was difficult was the fact that the “path” was incredibly overgrown, you could not see the ground, there are huge holes all over the place, the ground caves in, and there are poisonous snakes!  Yep, snakes!

Just when you think you put your foot on solid ground it gives way and you land inside someone’s living room.  Thank goodness there were no occupants in any of the holes I fell through!

The views of the anchorage were lovely.  You could see the reef jutting out from the island to the anchorage.

This view almost makes the hike worth it – “almost.”

Our blog posts run 7-8 weeks behind actual live events. 

We were in Ilot Mato toward the third week of June 2026.

Find Ilot Mato on No Foreign Land.

Be sure to check out the beautiful Ilot Kouen in our last blog post.