During the kids’ second week of the holidays, we rented a small house in the west of the island, just a stone’s throw from two rather popular spots: Boucan Canot and Les Roches Noires. Two places, two atmospheres. Boucan Canot has always been a favourite with young people, who flock there in droves. It’s also the first beach you come to when heading west from the north of the island. Les Roches Noires attracts fewer people. The beach is nestled between the marina and the town. People go there for the beach, but also for the town of Saint-Gilles, which has an aquarium, diving schools and shops. In short, you can see that it doesn’t attract the same sort of crowd.