Jardins de Balata – Garden of Balata

Welcome to the municipality of Fort de France, the prefecture of Martinique. The city of Fort de France shelters a covered market where you will be able to find local fruits and vegetables as well as honey and others souvenirs and locals specialities. Fort de France also has a maritime port allowing you to travel either to the Dominique and Saint lucie islands.  In terms of architecture the city of Fort de France offers severals monuments such as the Schoelcher Library, the Saint Louis Fort ( monuments open to the public during the patrimony day or the parc of the savane with its known statues.

The area of Fort de France is composed of several districts such as Didier, Cluny, Dillon, Ravine Vilaine and even Balata. Concerning this last district you will be able to find the famous “garden of Balata” that will allow you to discover the the faun and the flora under landscape gardener structures of many countries especially the region of the Caraibes.

 

Itinerary

 

To reach the Balata Garden coming from Fort de France, take the A1 than the D41, and take the exit of Balata N°3. Straight ahead, the road is rising and you will drill along the marvellous “Sacré Coeur of Balata”.  After a few minutes drive and many twists, you will see a yellow sign on your left and a big portal. It is the entrance of the Balata shooting Camp. Keep going for a few minutes and then you will the sign for the Garden of Balata indicating to turn left in 50 meters and where to park.

The parking offers many facilities and you will not have any difficulties to park. You will then see the Restaurant ” La Luciole” the entrance of the garden is nearby.

The entrance of the garden costs 13,50 euros per adults with the cost of the Saint Pierre Zoo. If you wish, this ticket may allow you to go free during one year in the garden. The costs for children form 3 to 12 years old is 7, 50 euros, the entrance is free for the children under 3 years old. All the informations are available on their web site.site internet

 

The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. nonstop every day and 365 days per year.  The garden is open to all public and the journey is adapted to handicapped people.

 

Jardins de Balata

 

There you are in the traditional house. In the inside of this house you will see two rooms for your convenience.

In the first room on your left, you will find a video presentation of the garden, in which Jean Philippe THOZE, a horticulturist, landscape painter and artist will explain his passion for the botany and will expose the creation of the garden.

 

In the right room, you will see traditional clothes and by the windows the sweet drinking through for humming birds. Enjoy and take the advantage to make pictures of those wonderful birds.

 

Then continue your way simply by following the map and the sign of the visit.

 

The journey will bring you to discover different universe, all nice to discover and admire.

 

The Garden is composed of different viewpoints that are separated in different part. The first big part of the garden is « Les Broméliacées ».

 

The Broméliacées, issued of the same family of the pineapple are using other plants to live, they can survive without roots. The Broméliacées seen in the garden use their roots to fasten to the stumps. The origin of this plant is South American with also endemics species of the Martinique.

 

Before arriving to the second part named the « Palmeraies » you will see on your right an atypical variety of the Caribbean. You will often see it in Martinique under the name of « Figuier Maudit » (sheltering spirits according to the tales), also named the « Ficus Etrangleur »

 

Let’s continue the visit in the second part of the garden « the Palmeraie » where you will zigzag in the middle of different varieties. You will then learn with the help of the information maps that palm trees do not have a trunk but a stalk filled of marrow or fiber.

 

The way goes up to a first pond to reach the « Allée Royale »

 

Follow this way and after the « red Latanier of the Reunion, » (on your right); take left just before the traditional house.

Latanier Rouge

 

You will find yourself following plants that will offer you a wonderful show by the beauty of their flowers.

                  Alpinia                                                                          Rose de Porcelaine

 

You will then be by the Japanese pond.

 

You will there be able to see as by the first pond, fishes but especially wonderful blue water lilies (or blue lotus)

 

The way continues to the Pandanus than to the tropical plants.

You will admire the Pandamus Panaché, the Balisier beak of Perrot or even the queen of Malaysia.

 

After walking this way, you will have the choice either or not to keep going your walk passing by the trees that will offer a panoramic view of the garden but also of the bay of Fort de France.

 

I choose the walk through the trees. You must read the instructions in order to be sure to be able to go there. Pull the wood gate, there we go, the adventure may begin.

 

  View of Fort de France’s bay

 

View on the garden

 

The end of the way in the trees ends by stairs reaching the initial walk. At this place you will meet the three well known by their history in the Caribbean.         

Fromager et Gommier

 

“Le Fromager”is a massive tree with a thorny trunk and that can reach disproportionate heights (up to 60 meters). There are many histories of malefic spirits around this tree.

“Le Gommier” is a rangy tree with a red trunk. Well appreciated by navigators as many boats were directly cut in the trunk of the gommier tree.

“Le Bakoua” tree also called the hat tree. The leaves of this tree are used for the confection of the well-known hat the Bakoua.

Bakoua

The way is zigzagging again bringing you to the last pond.

 

From the pond, you will be able to admire the bay of Fort de France but also the height of the way to the trees that you have reached.

 

Last part of the garden,  « the Bambouseraie » with an astonishing particularity, the bamboos see below. They can reach 30 meters height.

Les Drendocalamus

 

The walk ends in the middle of the bamboos and brings you to the last view point.

 

Ending by the Allée Royale. Go through the traditional house to enter the souvenirs shop of the Garden of Balata.

 

Do not hesitate to visit their web site  site internet   in order to learn more about this garden. It is an essential place to visit in Martinique, so do not hesitate!

 

TIPS, Ø  Circulation in Martinique:  During the weeks you will encounter many traffic jams from 7 a.m. to 9. 30 a.m. in the industrial and commercial areas. Especially mornings driving from south(Rivières Salée, N5) to the North (Fort-de-France, A1), but also East (Robert , N1) going North , you will find the same traffic jams every evening on the other side from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Tip, think of the way and time you want to travel in order not to lose time. Ø  Sanitary conditions : –          Easy to access : the parking is easy to access and for the all family ( the walk is adapted to handicapped people) Ø  Free visit and tasting : –           Interest: 5 / 5, The garden is wonderful and instructive. You will be amazed by the different points of view that are offered to you. Price of the visit (13,5O euros per adult and 7,50 euros for children from 3 to 12 years old). Ø  Opening hours: Open nonstop every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Others :  in  the proximity you have different walks to do such as  the ride of Absalon, la Boucle, la Fontaine Didier for example , or you may also continue on the balata road to reach the route of the Trace that will bring you to the north to discover walks, welcome site ( Forêt d’Alma) and waterfalls ( the Gorges de la Falaise).

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Dom Loisirs et Culture at your service.

 

OLIVIER Damien, your humble guide.

The Dom Loisirs et Culture Team is comitted to protecting the biodiversity of overseas departments.