Category: Hiking

Driving to the South by the West shore of the Basse-Terre to the Baille-Argent. Here starts our hike to – Piton de Belle Hôtesse (777m), gîte Belle Hôtesse, Piton Gand Fond, Piton Baille Argent. This is a part of the track going by the hills across the Basse-Terre. The track is not a full loop but ends not too far from where it starts and we hope we will manage to get back to the start as well. The track starts with a rather steep but not very tough uphill segment. It is shady in the rain forest.

For today we have a Mont Caraïbes loop hike. Near the begin of the track warnings say that the storm Maria has visited this place and that one should take into account fallen trees and landslides. Luckily we met a man who has made the loop yesterday, and the weather conditions ar rather good for the walk as well.

Les Saintes is a group of islands South of the Guadeloupe butterfly (that is how Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre looks like in the map). Boats go there several times per day – in half an hour we are on the main island of Les Saintes – Terre-Haute (or the high land). The little town is full of tourists. One can get all kinds of vehicles (from bicycles to six-seater electric cars). Everybody then drives back and forth by the narrow winding roads and streets of the little island. We join the minority that use their legs.

Destination for today is the Carbet waterfalls – they are three in total, we go for the first and second.

The path from the parking place to the second waterfall is covered with tiles and features ladders. One can view the  waterfall from the sight point at some 100m distance. Closer access is not allowed but the sight is gorgeous anyway. 

Path to the first waterfall is not as boring. Ladders and footbridges for the start but then gradually this transforms to a rocky path..

Today we plan to get to  Soufrière (1467 m), the highest summit of the Lesser Antilles and the most active volcano of the region (the latest eruption lasted 8 month in 1976 and 1977). Currently there is a smoke on the volcano as well. We are not the only ones wit the intention to see the volcano. All the way to and from it there are a lot of others ahead and behind us.