The Morne Champagne hike connects two of the most beautiful beaches of Anses d’Arlet. Grande Anse d’Arlet beach and beach in the town of Anses d’Arlet. The town of Anses d’Arlet is also known for these seasonal villas, these diving schools and its seaside restaurants. Mask, Palm and Snorkel mandatory to discover this! In addition to these magnificent beaches, the territory also has walking routes that allow you to enjoy the view from the various hills over the beaches and the Caribbean Sea. These routes generally make it possible to join the beaches together in order to link sporting activity and family relaxation. The Morne Champagne hike is the very example of an idyllic family route, making you discover the history of the (military) community, the biodiversity with its pond attracting birds and the seaside vegetation located on the morne .
You can do this hike in both directions, depending on where you are. I realized it by the beach of Grande Anse. The starting point for the hike is easy to find and easy to get to.
Itinerary (Click on the link)
To get to Grande Anse d’Arlet beach, head south of the island (A1, N5 then D7A) and take the Trois Ilets (D7) exit, cross the town of Trois Ilets, then go towards l’Anse à l’Âne, pass in front of this beach and continue straight leading you to climb a hill with many bends. You will pass in front of the sign Gallochat then Ravine de l’Anse Noire, then after a few tight bends, you will see a bus shelter then a sign telling you to turn right towards the two coves, Anse Dufour and Anse Noire. Do not turn and continue straight, you will go down the hill and some tight turns will take you to the beach of Grande Anse d’Arlet at the bottom of the hill. Go past the cove and stay alert as you will see the sign for the Morne Champagne hike just after the bend. Another point of reference, you have a restaurant “L’Escale” just after the sign or a sign of a diving school “Abyss Plongée”.
You can also access these beaches from Le Diamant by taking the D7 which will take you through a roundabout with a lambi sculpture, take the first right, you will arrive at Grande Anse d’Arlet beach (Attention on weekends, there is a one-way street along the beach).
Parking level, given the proximity of the beach, places on the sides of the road can be quickly taken. I advise you to come early in the morning or late afternoon to have a better chance of finding a place near the start of the hike. Park on the side of the road and take the path on foot. It is a dead end road with houses at the end. Little chance of finding a place.
For this hike, I decided to do it at the end of the day in order to enjoy the sunset on the Caribbean side. Take the path then turn left when you reach the cul-de-sac (photo below). You will arrive from a path with a small sign indicating the direction of the start of the hike. Walk two minutes and be careful, on your left, you find the start of the hike.
First advice: Do not hesitate to do it with several people in order to leave a car on each cove so as not to go back and forth.
Le Morne Champagne
Start of the hike
The path takes you on a rocky course with a slight drop. The route measures 2.1 kilometers and connects the beach of Grande anse and the beach of the village of Anses d’Arlet. It will take you 1h30 to 2 hours round trip.
From the start of the trail, you can enjoy a view of Grande Anse beach.
After 20 minutes of walking, you observe paths going to the right towards the Caribbean Sea. Take the path on the right and go forward for 5 minutes in the middle of the vegetation (watch out for the acacias and their thorns)
This off-road path leads you to a spot on the edge of the cliff, facing the Caribbean Sea where you can admire the view of Grande anse beach and for the more patient, a magnificent sunset. Here is a preview, click on the photo below.
To return to the main trail, be careful to retrace your steps. I speak from knowledge because the vegetation is the same everywhere and you can end up on a path taking you straight in the wrong direction. In particular on the photo below, take the path on the right.
Again on the main path, walk 10 minutes and you will find a pond on your left. You will have the chance to see water hens or other birds coming to drink.
Continue your way, the path climbs again. You will notice yellow lines and crosses on the stone path.
Follow the yellow lines to a path on your right which will take you to the ruins of an old platform consisting of a battery of cannons and a powder magazine.
Go back along the path to the left of the building, always follow the yellow lines that you can also see on the tree trunks. You will arrive in front of an oratory.
Turn right, the gravel track descends. you will have the opportunity to have after 10 minutes of walking, a view of the beach of Petite Anse.
The trail continues to descend. Be careful where you step, the path is very rocky.
Arrived at the foot of Morne Genty, the path leaves the undergrowth and arrives in the rue du Morne Champagne and will lead you along the beach of the village of Anses-d’Arlet. Take the opportunity to refresh yourself.
If you have chosen to go back and forth, you just have to pay attention to the yellow markings in order to find your way back. Follow the yellow horizontal lines.
| In terms of advice,
Ø Traffic in Martinique: During the week, you will face traffic jams around industrial or commercial areas, especially in the morning, in the direction of the South (Rivières Salée, N5) to the North (Fort-de-France, A1) and from the East (Robert, N1) to the North (Fort-de-France, A1), from 7 am to 9.30 am, and vice versa at the end of the evening from 5 pm to 6.30 pm. Think about your route in order to adapt to this traffic which can be dense and easily waste time. Ø Equipment: Good pair of sneakers that grip or hiking shoes, hiking stick, sportswear, hiking bag (knife, flashlight, headlamp, k-way, cap, sunglasses, sunscreen). Ø Health: – Difficulty: 5 out of 10, rhythmic walk with slight elevation changes over short distances, possible with a baby carrier or with children over 6 years old. – In normal times, always start the hikes at the earliest in the morning after it is up to you to judge what you want to do like me (sunset). The daytime heat during minimal sporting activity can become quite stifling. – Go at your own pace and plan the time you will need based on your physical condition. – Most important, always a bottle of water per person and something to snack in your bag. With the heat, all fairly physical hikes can be dangerous with fatigue. Miscellaneous: you can go swimming nearby at the beaches of Grande Anse or the town of Anses d’Arlet. Don’t forget your flippers, masks and snorkel |
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1 Comment
Petite Anse, plage et snorkeling dans le bourg des Anses d’Arlet. – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Friday July 21st, 2017 at 03:14 AM
[…] Divers : vous pouvez aller voir à proximité les plages de L’Anse Dufour , l’Anse Noire, Grande Anse ou faire la randonnée pédestre du Morne Champagne. […]