Ile a Vache (also expressed Île-à -Vaches) (Cow Island) is a small island lying off the south-west peninsula of Haiti near the town of Les Cayes. Administratively it is part of the Sud Department. It is about 8 miles (13 km) long, 2 miles (3 km) wide, with an area of 20 sq mi (52 km²). The western end of the island is up to 150 m high and rolling with several small swamps in the valleys; while the eastern section is swampy, and has a lagoon with one of the largest mangrove forests in Haiti. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Haiti and it has some of the best island scenery in the Caribbean. The population of the island is somewhere between 10,000-15,000 inhabitants. There are two tourist resorts on the island, the Port Morgan and Abaka Bay.
Ile-a-Vache is as unspoiled and beautiful as Caribbean islands get. the native arid scrub is almost all gone, but the native mangrove and numerous house gardens provide home to some of the lowland Hispaniola endemics. The beaches at Ile-a-Vache are postcard beauty, white sand and light azure sea with artisanal sailboats in the distance. The island is densely populated. Everyone is very friendly, smiling, and always willing to point one in the right direction (with or without expecting compensation).
Location: Caribbean, Greater Antilles Latitude: 18º5 N - Longitude: 73º3 W Time Zone: -5 GMT Climate: Tropical; susceptible to thunderstorms, hurricanes, flooding and annual droughts. Temperature: Between 77º Fahrenheit in November to about 86º in August.
