Welcome to the island of Marie Galante, located in the south of Guadeloupe and made up of the municipalities of Grand Bourg, Saint-Louis and Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante. It is in area (158 km2), the largest of the three islands that surround Guadeloupe (La Desirade and Les Saintes). This islands reachable by maritime transport and by an aerodrome, has kept all its charm of yesteryear. The pace of life is peaceful there, the environment and the landscapes have been preserved there with the “hundred mills” and the ponds which once served as a water point for consumption and everyday activities. In terms of activities, this island is quite diversified with its hikes, magnificent white sand beaches and these dwellings which are the only ones to titrate a rum at 59 degrees in Guadeloupe. You will necessarily find your happiness between nautical, pedestrian and cultural activities. In terms of services, the island is home to craftsmen with shops, restaurants with magnificent settings and diverse atmospheres. You will find banks, post offices, gas stations in each municipality. The island is quite large, so it is best to rent a car when you arrive in the town of Grand Bourg.
The island has many treasures to discover such as its three distilleries and their stories.
La Distillerie Bellevue (website link), free visit and tasting every day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (except December 25 and January 1)
La Distillerie Bielle (website link), free visit and tasting every day from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. except Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (high season).
La Distillerie Poisson (Père Labat) (website link), visit and free tasting from Monday to Saturday from 7am to 1pm.
Habitations Bellevue is a distillery located in the town of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante.
The Habitation Poisson (Père Labat) and the Habitation Bielle are located in the town of Grand Bourg.
Access by boat
o access the island of Marie-Galante, you have two main accesses from Guadeloupe by sea transport. From the Bergevin maritime guard located in Pointe-à-Pitre and the Saint-François maritime station, you will have a 45 min to 1 hour crossing.
We left from Pointe-à-Pitre. For timetables and reservations, check the website of the company “Express des îles”. Other companies exist but we were satisfied with this one. The crossing can be hectic on the way out, plan for seasickness if no one is already prone to this case.
When you arrive in Grand-Bourg, it is best to rent a car because the island is large. (Plan ahead). Many local or more familiar companies (Hertz) exist on the island.
To access the Poisson distillery, from Grand Bourg, head towards the town of Saint-Louis by the coastal road (D206) and pay attention to the signs. You will have to turn right at the roundabout (D201) then left a few minutes later to enter the site of the Habitation du rhum Père Labat.
To access the other two distilleries, starting from Grand Bourg, join the N9, towards the town of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante. Pay attention to the signs to direct you first to Distilleries Bielle and then to Distillerie Bellevue, taking the D202 road (on your left).
Itinerary
To access the start of the hike, starting from Grand Bourg, join the N9, towards the town of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante. From its village, take the D201 road to orient yourself towards the North-East of the island. After a 15-minute drive, take the road that runs along the northeast coast of the island. Follow the road to a place called Les Coqs where you will see a tuff road (white) on your right which will take you to the start of the hike.
The road is located before that of the gîte de l’Anse du Coq if you are coming from Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante.
Proceed on this tuff path to park at the end before a barrier. No space is provided.
Caye-Plate
It is through this tuff path that you can observe this geological formation. A 15-minute walk is enough to find yourself at its level and enjoy its panorama that it offers on the rugged coast. The site is accessible to the whole family and you will not have great difficulty (few elevations). However, be careful of the sun, because you are exposed all along the walk.
This path will offer you some panoramas.
As you progress, you will discover paths that intertwine in the middle of the shrubby vegetation. Take your precautions to find the right path taking you to the seaside. Also be careful not to get too close, the cliffs are dangerous.
Arrived at the level of the seaside, Caye-Plate offers you a spectacle with the waves breaking on the cliffs of the coast and its palette of colors according to the bottoms and eddies of the foam.
Following the hike, turn to your left to find the tuff path to resume the loop of the walk to Anse du Coq.
The Loop of Anse du Coq
The Anse du Coq hike is a loop that will give you magnificent panoramic views of the cliffs and outcropping rocks. The walk is accessible to the whole family and covers 3 kilometers (loop). The walking time is 1h00 to 1h30 with an elevation gain of 56 m.
Beware of the harmful effects of the sun, hiking in direct sunlight.
When you return to the tuff path, continue along the coast through the shrubby vegetation on the back coast.
You will see a color code that will guide you throughout the loop.
Arrived at the level of a new tuff path, orient yourself so as to go along the side.
You find yourself again on a path plunging you into the shrubby vegetation bringing you closer to the edge of the coast.
In about fifteen minutes, you are in front of Anse du Coq. A very wild beach where it is very dangerous to swim.
Once on the Anse, you can take advantage of the magnificent setting that presents itself to you.
Click on this link to have a first video preview of the panorama on our Facebook page.
The rest of this hike is done by the back of the cove.
You will dive into a back beach forest to find the departmental road.
The vegetation has changed, less victim of the trade winds from the coast, the forest is denser and the flora higher. You are in a dry forest.
You will have about twenty minutes of walks before finding the departmental road.
Once on the road, a sign will tell you to turn left to continue on the loop of the hike. Take the opportunity to admire the architecture of the houses or any oxen plows that you will see on your way.
You will pass in front of the Anse du Coq gite then take the following tuff path on your left.
You will see a pond among the countless that exist on the island.
It’s up to you to discover it now !
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In terms of advice, Ø Traffic on the island of Marie-Galante: Prefer renting a vehicle because the island is quite large. You will enjoy driving on this island between the landscapes and the very fluid traffic, you will have no time constraints, a real pleasure. Ø Equipment: Good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes, light clothing, hiking bag (knife, flashlight, rain jacket, cap, sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent). Ø Health: – Difficulty: 4 out of 10, route possible for the whole family depending on physical condition. Path in full sun, shoes adapted because rocky passage. – In normal times, always start hiking as early as possible in the morning. 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: Other hikes can be found in the area, the Sentier des Galeries or the Sentier de la Côte Est. You can also return to the town of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante to enjoy and eat on the Beach Feuillère. You can visit the Bellevue Distillery and discover the many mills located in the surroundings (Moulin de Borée, Moulin de Boulogne,…). |
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OLIVIER Damien, your humble guide.
3 Comments
Le sentier de la côte Est, Barreau – Morne Constant – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Thursday December 6th, 2018 at 09:56 AM
[…] randonnées se trouvent dans les environs, le Sentier des Galeries ou encore Caye-Plate et la ballade de l’Anse du Coq. Vous pouvez également revenir sur la commune de Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante pour profiter et […]
Le sentier des galeries, la géologie en guise d’oeuvre d’art – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Wednesday February 20th, 2019 at 06:16 PM
[…] randonnées se trouvent dans les environs, le Sentier de la côte Est ou encore Caye-Plate et la ballade de l’Anse du Coq. Vous pouvez également revenir sur la commune de Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante pour profiter et […]
La Plage de la Feuillère – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Wednesday April 24th, 2019 at 09:59 PM
[…] randonnées se trouvent dans les environs, le Sentier des Galeries ou encore Caye-Plate. Vous pouvez visiter la Distillerie Bellevue et découvrir les nombreux moulins situés dans les […]