The lagoon behind the historic quarter provides a quieter counterpart to the ocean beach on the other side of the peninsula. Pirogue canoes work the water in the morning, setting and retrieving nets; the catch — tilapia, barracuda, mullet — goes straight to the stalls in the market on the lagoon side of the historic town.
You can arrange short pirogue trips with fishermen at the lagoon edge, either to cross to the further shore or to explore the mangrove channels that line the coast to the east. The light on the water in the early morning, with the colonial buildings reflected behind, is one of the more pleasant views in the region.
The lagoon also provides the best vantage point for photographing the historic quarter from the water side — the silhouette of colonial rooflines against the sky reads very differently from here than from inside the streets.