Welcome to the commune of Vieux-Habitants, a commune located to the west of Basse-Terre. This community has rich land renowned for coffee and cocoa farming or for the beauty of the gardens and abundant vegetation (Domaine de Vanibel, Café Chaulet or the Habitation La Grivelière).
The main economy is tourism (agritourism), you will have all the necessary services (gas station, seaside restaurants, post office, banks, etc.) in the towns and main axes (N2).
The main road between the neighboring towns by the sea conceals numerous panoramas, sites and coves to discover. Take the time to stop there.
The Habitation La Grivelière is a coffee house (related to the inhabitant and not the house) which dates from the beginning of colonization. The visit of this place is a pleasure for the eyes by the architecture of the period buildings (restored in 2009) and by the environmental setting (surrounded by royal palm trees, fruit and coffee trees) adorned from the entrance by a beautiful watermill. You will have to discover the biodiversity and the way in which coffee is grown. For coffee lovers, a tasting is offered at the end of the visit.
Open every day of the year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except from late August to mid-October.
Guided tour every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exceptional opening on Heritage Day.
Itinerary
To reach the beach, from Pointe-à-Pitre, take the N1 towards Basseterre and Petit-Bourg then D23 (Route de la Traversée). This route will offer you many stops to satisfy your curiosity and your desire to swim in the river. At the end of this road, you will arrive on the Caribbean side (N2), follow the direction of Bouillante, Vieux-Habitants. Arriving in the town of Vieux-Habitants, you have to find the road to Grand’Rivière which runs along the bed of the Grande-Rivière de Vieux-Habitants and which will take you after many switchbacks to the Habitation caféière La Grivelière. You will dive further and further inland where the cooler, wetter climate will give you a spectacle of lush greenery.
On site, you will have parking spaces. If they are taken, you can park on the side of the road.
The Habitation Coffee de la Grivelière
Montez les escaliers vers l’accueil pour commencer le début de la visite. Vous serez accueillis de manière chaleureuse par un guide qui vous fera découvrir dans un premier temps des fruits et vous parlera de l’histoire de l’habitation.
Different formulas of visits exist to discover this house. Here is the link. The prices fluctuate between 6 to 24 euros depending on the formulas.
Open every day of the year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except from late August to mid-October.
Guided tour every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exceptional opening on Heritage Day.
I chose the formula at 7.50 euros with the guided tour and the tasting offered.
Climb the stairs to the reception to begin the beginning of the visit. You will be warmly welcomed by a guide who will first introduce you to fruits and tell you about the history of the house.
Following the visit, you go up to the buildings of the house to discover a first coffee and cocoa tree with which she will explain the difficulty of growing them and obtaining quality coffee beans and cocoa. Different varieties exist giving an anthology of flavors.
The first panoramas are offered to you, mixing rocky landscapes and lush vegetation.
You continue the visit by discovering the various historic buildings that were used at the different stages of coffee cultivation to extract its aroma and the coveted commodity.
The architecture is magnificent and you will have the opportunity to go around the buildings with always very good explanations from your guide.
The still functional water mill will also be turned on to show you the period equipment that was used to work the raw material.
Period equipment
A little history ……
In 1761, this house was owned by the Jacobin brothers. It was originally named Caféière Saint-Joseph.
In 1843, it became Habitation la Grivelière when Auguste Périollat obtained the estate.
In 1987, the site was classified for its buildings and in 1848 became the property of the Regional Council.
In 1995, beginning of the restoration of the buildings.
In 1997, the green association is responsible for the management of this heritage and launches a program of reconstruction.
In 2016, the end of the program, the site has regained all its charm of yesteryear and offers many tour options to discover this historical jewel of agrotourism.
A guide at your disposal and who will make you discover the smallest corners of the site.
Last route of the visit with its botanical garden. You will observe medicinal plants, flowers and fruit trees along the route, taking advantage of the very humid climate of the site.
End of the visit, you head to a last building where you will have the pleasure of enjoying a coffee with a magnificent view of the surrounding setting.
Do not hesitate to browse their website to find out beforehand about the news and the various services of Habitation La Grivelière.
It’s up to you to discover it now !
| In terms of advice,
Ø Traffic in Guadeloupe: During the week, you will face traffic jams around the Jarry area, especially in the morning, in the direction of Le Gosier towards Pointe-à-Pitre or Petit-Bourg towards Pointe-à-Pitre and vice versa in late afternoon. Think about your route in order to adapt to this traffic which can be dense and easily waste time. Ø Visit and tastings: – Interest: 5 out of 5, an essential place for agrotourism and the history of Guadeloupe. A site with magnificent architecture in the middle of lush vegetation. A very pleasant setting to interest you in the knowledge and culture of coffee and cocoa. Very good guides and a place that lends itself to cultivation and cultivation. Paid guided tour. Different formulas (link in the article) Ø Opening hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except from mid-August to mid-October. Different formulas of visits proposed. Miscellaneous: You can enjoy the waterfalls and beaches (Saut d’Acomat, Anse à la Barque, Réserve Cousteau) nearby, visit the Maison du Cacao or go on the hiking trails located nearby. |
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Dom Loisirs et Culture at your service.
OLIVIER Damien, your humble guide
2 Comments
Anse à la Barque, un coucher de soleil magnifique – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Thursday October 11th, 2018 at 08:02 PM
[…] Divers : vous pouvez découvrir à proximité, la Plage de Malendure et l’Îlet Pigeon ou encore vous orienter sur la visite de l’Habitation caféière La Grivelière (incontournable). […]
Le Musée du Café – Dom Loisirs et Culture · Monday December 24th, 2018 at 01:31 PM
[…] vous pouvez aller visiter l’Habitation la Grivelière situé à proximité, profiter des plages situés côté Caraïbes quitte à contempler le coucher […]