Hike Martinique’s Mount Pelée – L’aileron trail

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section. 

Martinique Hiking – An amazing trail to the tallest peak on the island!

While researching the 10 tallest peaks in the Caribbean Islands, one of the most attractive hikes to me was Martinique’s Montagne Pelée, or the Mount Pelée Volcano Trail. Seeing pictures of the massive green mountain dominating the Caribbean Island landscape with its long open ridges and steep peaks really got me excited. Having had the Montagne Pelée Volcano trail at the top of my list of dream hikes for several years, it was great to be in Martinique and finally have the opportunity to experience it for myself! After reading several reviews, a common recommendation was to start the hike as early as possible in order to reach the peak before the clouds inevitably roll in, removing the chance for some amazing views from the top.  Well, I have to say, our experience was not exactly consistent with those recommendations. The sky was fairly clear when we left Saint-Pierre, however after gaining some altitude on the 10+ minute drive to Le Morne-Rouge, we could see the sky was getting grayer.  Another 10-15 minutes later and it was pretty grey and lightly drizzling by the time we reached the trailhead parking lot.

As a result, our morning adventure, or at least the first half of the hike, was in a combination of fog, mist, clouds and even a little light rain. The good news, however, is that the second half of our hike, which luckily included my exploration of the mountain peak, was under a near-cloudless, sun-filled sky. So clearly (pun intended), the trail conditions and views are highly dependent on the weather system around the volcano on the day of the hike.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section.

FYI – Besides a couple of other really long trails, there are three main routes to hike Mount Pelée: A relatively short hike from the west side of the peak; A longer hike from the north side of the peak; and a slightly longer one from the southeast side of the peak.  We chose to hike the latter, known as the L’Aileron Trail which can essentially be divided into 3 main trail sections plus the spur trail to the peak. The first is a long steep climb up the side of the mountain to gain altitude and get near the top of the volcano. The second section is a nice ridge walk around the top of the crater known as the Caldeira. Then there is the spur trail to the actual peak, which at 4,583 feet (1,397m) above sea level is the tallest peak in Martinique, and the 10th tallest in the Caribbean Islands. The third main trail section is a shortcut across a deep ravine to get back to the first section without going back around the crater rim.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section.

OK, so back to our hike… We left the parking lot around 8:30 am, heading past the fenced-in telecom station and up the trail. For the first couple of hours the trail is basically straight up the side of the mountain.  There was little time for a warm-up as before we knew it, we were climbing stairs.  This first section is the longest part of the hike, and unfortunately for us, we were completely surrounded by a wet grey blanket. There wasn’t much for us to see from a ‘view of the island’ perspective, so our eyes were pretty much glued to the mostly washed-out steps we were climbing. This part of the trail had plenty of areas with wood planks partially buried in the ground, although many had little earth between them, having been eroded by the frequent rain.  The distance between the steps varies, with most being around 2 feet in height – Kinda awkward, but much better than a mud slick. We also traversed several natural, but no less difficult, rocky ground areas as well. Everything was a little wet, so it was good that we focused on the trail, proceeding fairly slowly to avoid slipping. The trail was quite busy, which also slowed our pace as we passed people or others passed us. OK, I’ll be honest, stepping off the trail once in a while to allow others to pass, gave us a well-needed opportunity to catch our breath. I have to say though, in all our previous Caribbean Island hiking experiences, we have never come across more than 2 or 3 other small groups of people on the entire trail. That was not the case here – There must have been a hundred people hiking at pretty much the same time as us. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones that read about starting the hike early.

Back to the trail… The steepness of this first section varies over time, with some reasonably easy gradually rising sections, while others are quite steep requiring us to use both our hands and our feet to move forward. While we were enveloped by grey mist and couldn’t see too far in the distance, I was struck by the lush green vegetation that surrounded us. Even with few trees in sight, nature is pretty cool! All along the trail there are posts/markers, 14 in fact for this first section alone, that identified where we were on the mountain. After a good couple of hours, we eventually reached the top of this first section, going up and over the peak of this mountain top. From there we walked across a nice relatively flat section, skirting the occasional muddy puddle, again allowing us to catch our breath before pushing onto the next section of the trail.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section.


Near a small shelter, a few different paths intersect, including the trail that ascends the volcano from the north side of the island. This provided us with a couple of options on how to get to the actual peak of Mount Pelée. We could have taken the steep plunge down a near-vertical ladder-like set of stairs in order to cross a deep ravine. This would have taken us on the most direct path to the plateau near the peak, however, we chose to journey counter-clockwise around the rim of the volcano to get views of the north and west side of Martinique, the Caribbean Sea, as well as down into the volcano itself. The trail along these ridges took us on a pleasant roller-coaster ride up and down small hills.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section.
Not much to see looking down into the crater…

That said, as we were still shrouded in clouds, we really couldn’t see very far through the mist until we were almost fully around the Caldeira. Even without the long-distance views, it was still a very interesting hike. Again, there wasn’t a tree in sight, although the ground is blanketed with dense vegetation. The plants are mostly green although there are yellow accents everywhere as well as some colourful red flowering plants occasionally poking out through the sea of green.  The ground was quite muddy, and we encountered a few areas where it was simply unavoidable getting a soaker.  For most of the walk around the crater rim, I felt that we were gently descending, making it a pleasant and easy walk.  It was unfortunate that we couldn’t enjoy views from the north side of Mount Pelée as I’m sure they would have been spectacular, however our luck was about to change at the western end of the trail where it connected with the trail that approaches the volcano from the west of the island.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail is an amazing diverse volcano hike with a steep mountainside section, a rolling hill ridge section, a challenging rocky section and a wild ravine section.



At this point, the trail becomes very steep as it ascends the mountain. We were about halfway through our final push up the west side of the volcano when the clouds started to thin, providing gaps that allowed us to see how high we were, also revealing amazing views of the Caribbean Sea in the direction of the town of Le Precheur. A great reward for making it this far! After about an hour after starting this second trail section, we crossed over the mountaintop and came to another small cement shelter near the top of the volcano. This area is a relatively flat plateau with no real view of anything as it is surrounded by areas of higher ground. My hiking partner decided to rest here while I pushed on to the tallest peak of Montagne Pelée, following the spur trail known as Le Chinois.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!
Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!



The Le Chinois spur trail was extremely uncomfortable and somewhat difficult to traverse, mostly because there is no real ground to walk on. Most of the trail is a collection of big black wet boulders strewn across the landscape, many of which have fairly sharp protruding edges jutting upwards. Definitely, the trickiest part of the entire hike, requiring good balance to avoid taking a spill. The whole area is so incredibly lush and green with low-growing vegetation though, that I didn’t dwell on the negatives. My excitement was mounting as I knew that I was so close to the peak! After gaining more elevation by climbing a couple of hilltops and crossing a little gully, I could finally see the peak – A small flat(ish) surface composed of large grey boulders and blocks. After a short climb up to the awkward viewing platform, I joined just over a handful of people who had each found their own little space on the giant rock pile.


Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail takes you to the top of Martinique!
Ya just can’t get any higher than this in Martinique!



The peak was still veiled in clouds, although every once in a while a few seconds of blue appeared, providing an opportunity to experience some pretty special views. After a few minutes, I left the peak and found a much safer and more comfortable viewing area on an incredible ledge facing south. From the top of Martinique, through windows in the clouds, I enjoyed some amazing views of the central and southern parts of the island, the Caribbean Sea and even Saint Lucia in the distance. I stayed here a while, soaking in the incredible scenery and warmth of the sun. A very memorable experience!

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!


Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!

After about an hour, I was back at the shelter with my partner preparing for the journey down the volcano.  After a small snack, we headed up and over yet another mountaintop that offered a great view and perspective of the tallest point on the island that I had just visited. After descending a short distance down this mountaintop, we entered a steep side of the ravine we had earlier decided to go around. This turned out to probably be the most treacherous part of the entire hike. 

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!

The trail plunges deep into the gorge at a near-vertical angle with most people, including ourselves, scrambling backward, crab-like down the wet rock-strewn trail using both hands and feet with our bums hovering just above the ground.  Attempting to walk down some of the more extreme sections of the ravine walls could easily result in a serious fall. We were rewarded for reaching the bottom of the gorge with a wonderful, unique view of Mount Pele’s green jungle ravine! Unsurprisingly, in order to get out of the gorge we then had to climb a series of steps and ladders to ascend the steep hillside on the other side of the ravine – Although we always prefer climbing up, to scrambling down steep mountainsides.

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!
Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!














Once out of the ravine, we were back at the first section of the trail, although our descent was totally different than what we had experienced just a few hours earlier on the way up. Under virtually clear skies this time, we had incredible views of the south and southeast side of Martinique along with the Atlantic Ocean! Seeing the towns of Le Morne Rouge and L’Ajoupa-Bouillon so far in the distance really provided a perspective of how big and high this volcano is. After another hour or so, we were back at the parking lot. As we left the trailhead, we chatted about how full the parking lot was, as well as the spillover with dozens of cars lining the road as we drove away – Man, the people living and/or vacationing in Martinique sure like to hike! I can’t blame them – this is a great place to enjoy a vigorous walk in nature and take-in some incredible views!

Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!


Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!
Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!
The peak from partway up the first trail section
Martinique Hiking - The Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee trail offers amazing views of Martinique and the Caribbean Sea!
The parking lot from partway up the first trail section















After hiking the Montagne Pelée – L’Aileron Trail, we obtained an even deeper appreciation for how mountainous and beautiful Martinique is, and how amazing and diverse this trail is. There are steep mountainside sections, a rolling hill-like ridge section, a challenging wet and rocky section to the peak, as well as a wild in-and-out of a ravine section.  Relative to other hikes we have done in the Caribbean, this has to be one of our ‘top 5’ favourites. We took our time, taking about 5-6 hours in total to experience this incredible hike, and feel very satisfied that we did it – Thanks to the weather clearing up, this hike created great memories for sure!

Mount Pelee / Montagne Pelee - The tallest peak in Martinique

For more information on hiking in the Isle des Fleurs, check out our Martinique Hiking page

For an overview of the beautiful island of Martinique, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page

ACT Staff

A Beautiful Hot Coastal Hike in Martinique

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

Martinique Hiking – A French Caribbean Island Paradise

With Dominica to the north, and St. Lucia to the south, Martinique is pretty much the centre of the West Indies’ Lesser Antilles. As an “over-seas region” of France and the 3rd largest of the Windward Islands, Martinique is a very unique Caribbean island, and that holds true for its hiking trails as well. The island offers a variety of easy relaxing walks as well as some very challenging/mountainous hikes. Having stopped there as part of a cruise, we were only there for the day – We decided to try an easy and fun looking coastal trail known as the Circuit de la Caravelle.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

The day started off by renting a car in Fort-de-France, which was a bit of an adventure in itself, but we’ll leave that for another day…  Once we finally got our car, the drive from the Capital to the Presqu’Île de la Caravelle Peninsula took just under an hour, as the traffic was fairly heavy.  The main roads on Martinique are large multi-lane highways, however they can get quite crowded.  This made for a fairly uninteresting drive, as I had to keep my eyes on the road and all the traffic. Once we reached the peninsula however, the views and my mood started to improve.  For a short stretch, the road followed the shoreline through a quaint tourist town.  It had a laid-back atmosphere, with beachgoers sun tanning and playing in the water. There were little cafes and restaurants opposite the beach. All this helped to relax our frame of mind after the hectic drive.  As we proceeded, the setting really started to improve, as more than half of the peninsula is a Nature Reserve.

We soon found out that the Chateau Dubuc area is a popular place, as the parking lot was overflowing, with cars parked all along the side of the narrow dirt road.  C’est la vie. It was a gorgeous day for a walk – Very warm and sunny.  At 86 (30c) degrees it seemed hot for early April… and we were about to find out that the couple litres of water we had brought, was somewhat insufficient to replenish the fluids we were about to lose.  Thank goodness we had dressed light and had sun protective hats.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

From the parking lot, it’s a short half kilometre walk to the plantation ruins of the Chateau Dubuc, although we decided to head the other way, and walk the main loop in a clockwise direction.  We headed off for the lighthouse called the Phare de la Caravelle, via a winding gravel road through a green ‘dry forest’. The road had a gradual incline and eventually turned into a broken paved road before getting even steeper. As we were walking along, we heard a fairly constant, rustling in the leaves on either side of the trail.  As a Canadian, I naturally thought of squirrels or small birds making the noise, but as we are in the Caribbean, I imagined the culprit might be lizards or iguanas… But no, upon closer inspection, we were surprised to realize that there were a number of large red crabs scurrying around in the foliage – Wow, I wasn’t expecting that!

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

After a little more than a mile (2km), we came across the side trail that branches off towards the lighthouse. We followed the short paved road uphill to a large wooden structure, where a few groups of hikers were taking refuge from the sun, eating snacks and drinking water.  From the look of them, they had likely hiked the loop counter-clockwise and had just completed the dry exposed section of the trail along the coast, that we were heading towards.  From here we discovered the cement staircase that led to the lighthouse and look-out area.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation


We climbed the stairs and came across a semi-circular monument/bench/map of sorts. The built-in map’s arrows pointed to the features and landmarks of the surrounding landscape that could be seen from this high ground. We could see various mountain ranges and peaks of the island, ranging from the north-east coast, Piton Lacroix on the other (west) side of the island, as well as the mountains south of Le Francois in the south-east of Martinique. Closer to where we were standing, we had an amazing panoramic view of the peninsula and surrounding bays and shorelines.


Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation


Martinique Hiking


After soaking in the spectacular sights for awhile, we went all the way back down to the junction point and continued back on the main road which eventually transitioned into a more natural trail that headed towards the shoreline.  We were getting anxious, as this narrow path provided a glimpse of the sea, hinting at the coastline trail we were approaching.  This was a nice walk and we were accompanied by a bright orange butterfly (moth?) who meandered down the trail with us for a while.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

Did I mention that it was hot and humid?  Well, it was, and we were just about to leave the shelter of the low scrub-like trees to walk along the sun-soaked rocky shoreline of the peninsula’s east coast. 

Ahhh, I was looking forward to this stretch of trail – We headed south down the wind-swept shoreline. We were thrilled with the eye-popping views of the rugged coastline and its multitude of blue inlets and bays.  For the next mile (2km) or so, the picturesque trail consisted of dry gravelly coastline paths, some large sections of rock, a few man-made stairs, and some short forest trails that bypassed some dangerous cliffs. We even walked through a short 3-4 foot deep rut in the earth – that was weird.  We really enjoyed this scenic coastal section of the trail! While the large rock sections provided the best views, we had to search a bit for the markers indicating where the trail was. Hiking this path was like a mini-roller-coaster ride, taking us up and down in elevation, sometimes 30-100 feet (10-40m) at a time. 

While this was an absolutely beautiful trail, we were aware that there had been little shelter from the relentless heat of the sun which was high in the sky at this point.  Thankfully, there was a great breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean, and that, along with our water, kept us from over-heating. With the constant thought of having to get back to the cruise ship on time, we were moving at a fairly quick pace throughout the hike. We were only stopping to take the occasional picture of the amazing coastline and ocean views!  Eventually, we reached a junction in the trail where a side path ventures further south along the coastline looping for another mile (2km) or more.  My feet were kind of burning, so we decided to head back towards the Chateau at this point.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation


Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

So, we traveled inland again, back into the dry forest landscape.  That said, in less than a mile (2km), the terrain transitioned into mangroves. Perhaps the area was in need of rain, as we encountered some fairly dry mud patches. Suddenly, we were in for another treat – There were holes in the mud everywhere. It appears that there are dozens, if not hundreds of Soldier (Bernhard’s Hermit) crabs (that we had encountered earlier) living here! So Cool… After examining the place thoroughly, we now quickened our pace, which was a bit of a challenge as the path had many twists & turns and ups & downs as we climbed back up into the scrub forest.

I should mention that there was informative/educational signage (in French) along the way. They became more frequent as we neared the end of the trail. About 2 hours and 15 minutes after we left the car, we eventually reached the Chateau Dubuc, which we found out is the ruins of a large 17th-century plantation that grew coffee, tobacco and sugar among other things.

Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation
Martinique Hiking on the Circuit-de-la Caravelle trail is a great diverse hike featuring a lighthouse, amazing coastal views, red crabs plus an old chateau/plantation

The ruins consist of the stone remains of a Greathouse along with a number of other buildings set magnificently on a hillside overlooking the well-protected Baie du Tresor.  This would have been a large and extremely impressive plantation in its day, with the owners having their own slice of Caribbean paradise. I can easily imagine the buzz of activity all around the area, with the movement of people, crops and produce from the fields to the mills, warehouses and to & from the waterfront where ships would be anchored just offshore…  The modest fee of 5 Euros per person to enter the grounds and view the small museum was well worth the price.  

After the half kilometre walk back to the car and a change into some dryer clothes, we headed back to Fort-De-France, which this time took us about 40 minutes… Leaving us enough time to wander around the Capital for a while 😊.

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Martinique, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of this French Caribbean Island paradise, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Martinique Adventures blog for more great ideas! (coming soon)

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Martinique blog (coming soon)

Hike Martinique’s Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre Trail

Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with multiple easy river crossings to a tall and beautiful waterfall

Martinique Hiking – Discover the Tallest Waterfall of L’Ile aux Fleurs!

The first thing I wanted to do after arriving in Martinique was to get out for a nice casual hike.  It’s a great way to unwind and introduce oneself to what the French Caribbean island, known as the “Island of Flowers” has to offer. The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre, AKA the Couleuvre River Waterfall trail was close to where we were staying just north of Saint-Pierre, and as it turned out, was great choice for a warm welcome to Martinique!

Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with incredible rope-like vines


The trailhead is literally located at “the end of the road” on the northwest side of the island.  The northbound D10 road ends after a wild series of twisty-turny, up-and-down sections of pavement at a small parking lot capable of holding maybe 10-15 cars.  The morning we went for our hike, there were dozens of cars parked at the end of the D10, overflowing all along the sides of the road. As we were to find out, this is very characteristic of most ‘attractions’ in Martinique. Just beyond the parking lot, there is a small but clear post marking the start of the trail, along with an alternate route that leads to the beach, which I hear can be good for snorkeling on a calm day.

Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with amazing stands of bamboo

I knew instantly that this was going to be an awesome trail, as we were immediately surrounded by tropical rainforest plants and trees. We passed some huge trees along the trail and quickly saw tons of interesting fern-like vegetation growing on everything. Of course what really stood out were the massive vines everywhere, climbing like serpents from the ground up into the tree tops and back down again. Some of the vines seem to twist around themselves forming what appear to be large tree branches. Along with the large trunks of tropical trees there were some massive stands of bamboo that made quite an impression on us. That said, we had to keep our eye on the trail, specifically on the frequent river, or more accurately, creek crossings.

The trail took us on a constant but fairly gradual incline on the way to the falls, snaking back and forth across the Couleuvre River. Honestly, I lost track, but we must have crisscrossed the shallow creek close to ten times in each direction. The river crossings were easy to manage at the time of our hike – We didn’t even get our feet wet as we gingerly stepped across rocks that seemed conveniently spaced across the water.  The stream was moving fairly fast though and I can imagine that the crossings can become much more challenging during the rainy season, or even after a big downpour perhaps. What I don’t understand is how the fish got into this shallow stream of water… Curious for sure.

Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with many easy river crossings

The dense jungle foliage prevented much sun from penetrating the ground, so there are plenty of moss-covered rocks along the river banks and plenty of fallen logs topped with clumps of little mushrooms and other assorted fungi. I noticed some peculiar tiny white mushrooms and some more familiar-looking brown mushrooms on our walk… and Ya, it was hot and humid for us as well, although to be fair, we had just arrived from a cold part of North America, so hiking through a rainforest was a bit of a shock to our system. A welcome change, but a shock nonetheless.

Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with mushrooms and fungi.
Martinique Hiking - The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre / Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike with mushrooms and fungi.


Martinique Hiking at its best. The Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre River Waterfall trail is a pleasant tropical rainforest hike to a gorgeous tall waterfall




While there were several people on the trail, something else that we are not used to experiencing on our Caribbean hikes prior to this trip, it was by no means congested. We still felt like we were enjoying time (nearly) alone in nature.

While we had plenty to appreciate on the journey, I did get excited as I started to hear the faint but distinct sound of a waterfall in the distance. Eventually, I caught a glimpse of some falling water through a break in the foliage. After a few short minutes of hiking, or rather climbing over a couple of boulders and scaling some steep ground, there it was – the star attraction of the hike! A thin and long stream of water appears from nowhere in the sky… then plunges about 100 feet (30m) down a near-vertical black rock cliff face surrounded by well-nourished curtains of greenery!

The trail to Martinique’s tallest waterfall is about a mile (1.6km) long or 2 miles (>3km) return. Hiking the sloped trail results in an energetic and warming walk to the beautiful falls, and a relaxing stroll with momentum on your side on the way back. Taking a leisurely, exploring pace it took us just under an hour to reach the waterfall, and about half that time to return to the parking lot. That said, the duration really depends on how nimble you are in crossing the river, and how well your cardio handles the constant gentle incline which amounts to close to an 820-foot (250m) vertical rise in just over a mile (1.6km) of ground covered.

Overall, an excellent start to our Martinique adventures – We couldn’t have asked for anything better!


For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on Martinique Hiking, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):


For an overview of the beautiful island of Martinique, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page

ACT Staff

Caribbean Trip Report – Travel during the Covid-19 Pandemic

St. Kitts from the air. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!

Is it safe to vacation yet?

As covid-19 case counts continue to roller-coaster, you may be wondering if it’s safe to travel again. Well, here’s our personal account of travelling to the Caribbean the last two weeks of January 2022, pretty much in the middle of yet another huge spike of covid cases in our native Canada.

Like many of you, it’s been two long years since our last trip to the Caribbean. While our governments are advising against non-essential travel, my wife and I aren’t getting any younger and time may be running short for adventurous tropical vacations, so we decided to head out anyways. Besides, who says that a Caribbean vacation isn’t essential for our mental well-being 😊. To be clear, we are fully vaccinated (now with 3 shots) and we are not exactly throwing caution to the wind – We continued to take reasonable precautions, minimizing our exposure to crowds, while not letting it get in our way of having fun.

St. Kitts Scenic Railway. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!

We managed to book one of the last package deals with AC Vacations before they announced they were cancelling trips to the less frequented Caribbean Islands that we prefer. Although it just missed being one of my Recommended Islands to Visit in Winter 2022, we picked St. Kitts & Nevis as our destination of choice. We picked SKN because it has been on my (not so) short list of islands to visit for a number of years, and it was the best deal financially we could find.

Pre-travel activities were a little more involved (and expensive) than pre-covid days. Both AC vacations and the Government of St. Kitts required us to upload our proof of vaccination and time-sensitive RT-PCR test results prior to departure. Getting this done within 72 hours of our flight was a little stressful, however, it was really no big deal. We felt relieved once we received a letter from St. Kitts granting us permission to visit.

We arrived at a parking lot just outside Toronto Airport at 5:30 am on Sunday morning. Fortunately, we were picked up quickly by the shuttle bus and were alone on our brief drive to the terminal. The bus driver was separated from the passenger compartment by a plastic barrier.

It’s reassuring to know that everyone in the airport is (supposedly) fully vaccinated and most other travellers have also just passed a PCR test in the past couple of days. That said, we wore N-95 masks the entire ‘travel’ day, protecting both ourselves and others.

The terminal was not too busy and once we obtained our luggage tags from the AC check-in machine, we dropped off our luggage before breezing through security. We were at the gate in no time and eventually boarded the airplane. While social distancing was a challenge from time-to-time, airport personnel and other passengers all wore masks – so far, so good.

Rainforest hike in St. Kitts. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!

We were pleased to see that the airplane was less than half full, and once we were in the air, we moved to a row with nobody beside, behind, or in front of us. Cool! Again, airline staff and most passengers were good at keeping their masks on when appropriate.

Upon arrival in St. Kitts we walked across the tarmac to a special covid-19 facility (a giant tent outside of the terminal) built for initial screening of incoming passengers. Once authorities had established that we had been pre-approved to visit St. Kitts, we proceeded into the regular customs terminal. The Customs Officer processed our passports and verified our recent PCR test results. After picking up our luggage we passed through one final checkpoint before being allowed to leave the terminal. Once we showed our Vaccine Certificates, we were allowed to enter the beautiful island of St. Kitts!

Not being ones to stay still, we experienced a variety of transportation while we stayed on the island for a couple of weeks. All the taxis and tour buses we took had plastic barriers between the driver and the passenger compartments and some asked us to hand sanitize before entering their vehicles. The car rental agency had plastic barriers erected on their desks, and staff wore masks. Staff and passengers for ferries and water taxis, to get to/from Nevis, all wore masks and hand sanitizers were required before boarding their boats. We even took a scenic train tour, where they segregated cruise-ship passengers from folks staying on the island.

L&L Rum Bar in Nevis. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!


Our hotel was not very busy, so social distancing from other guests was never a problem, and the hotel & restaurant personnel wore masks most of the time. Staff and customers in grocery stores and other shops also wore masks.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the way the folks in St. Kitts and Nevis are handling the covid-19 situation – Very professional and responsible. Perhaps they should have made it into our list of Top 5 Islands to Visit in 2022 after all.

So far, our experience was comparable to our typical environment and routine at home, where we simply go to grocery stores, a gym with low traffic, and enjoy walks outdoors. Inside we wear masks, outside we don’t. Of course, wherever you go, whether at home or in the Caribbean, there is the usual small percentage of “special” folks who just can’t seem to keep their nose under their masks. Annoying, but not much we can do about it.


Honestly, the situation at restaurants and with local tour operators/guides was a little different for us. We were staying at Frigate Bay and were within walking distance of “the strip”, a string of 8 or 9 restaurant/beach bars, so that’s where we did most of our eating. While we didn’t visit them all, I can attest that the staff at two restaurants (Boozies and Patsy’s) diligently wore their masks. As for the staff at other restaurants, as well as almost all the patrons in all of the restaurants, the attitude towards social distancing and mask-wearing was pretty casual. That said, it is important to note that we’re talking about open-air restaurants where the refreshing Caribbean breeze was constantly flowing. Also, with so few tourists, the restaurants were fairly quiet, so it was usually easy to socially distance. The exception was when cruise ship passengers were bussed to the strip for the day, and on Friday nights when large groups of locals as well as (mostly American) college kids from the nearby medical schools came to party.

Restaurant in St. Kitts. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!

There were no covid-19 related impedances in terms of tours. When we were off on hikes or sailing/snorkeling tours, social distancing and mask-wearing were non-existent, however, we were outdoors with a single guide or a small group of people, so we consider these low risks activities.

Before we left the beautiful island of St. Kitts, we arranged for a (mask-wearing) local doctor to come to our hotel room to take a quick swab for our RT-PCR test before heading home. We had lab-confirmed negative test results later that afternoon via email. Easy-peasy!

When we entered the airport in St. Kitts to fly home, the AC representative confirmed that we had our latest negative PCR test results and had completed ArriveCAN before checking us in. The small terminal area was crowded, although everyone was wearing masks.

We also need to examine the Covid related costs associated with travel right now. For the two of us, we had to pay for PCR tests in Canada ($340) and St. Kitts ($300), and we purchased covid-19 medical/trip insurance ($490), which we ordinarily would not obtain. So, due to covid, we incurred extra expenses of $1,130 or almost 15% of our total trip budget – Not pretty, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do!

Unfortunately, arriving back in Toronto was an absolute shitshow – There is just no other word for it. Once we departed the airplane, we were held in a hallway, mingling with passengers from other flights for about 15 minutes or so. Eventually, we were released and went down to the Arrival / Customs area, where the scene was best described as turmoil. In many years of travel, I have encountered long lines in this area before, however I’ve never experienced anything like this. There was barely any CBSA presence so communication and supervision were desperately insufficient. The main line to the declaration machines snaked all around and eventually just spilled out into a mosh pit of people trying to exit the area to reach the Customs Officers. Thanks to direction from other passengers, we eventually figured out what we needed to do… Perhaps things were made worse by the fact AC didn’t have us complete a declaration card on the airplane – likely resulting in confusion and longer times at the machine. While everyone wore masks, there was absolutely no social distancing whatsoever, although we felt somewhat safe with our N-95 masks on!

After about an hour in the human blender, we finally made it to a Customs Officer. He did not ask a single question; he simply glanced at our passports, placed a big pink sticker on them and told us we could go. After picking up our suitcases, which were piled 3 high on the overflowing conveyer belt, we tried to exit customs, but thanks to those pink stickers, we were diverted into yet another line. Apparently, we had been “randomly selected for PCR testing”… and we weren’t alone. From the few seconds that we were at that intersection, it appeared as though about half of travellers were being diverted for testing. The technician performing my swab confirmed that it was an extremely busy day with thousands of people being tested. Now, I don’t mind being tested, 2 days after already testing negative, as long as I’m not paying for it (directly). That said, I sure would like to understand what they are trying to accomplish. Hopefully, they are compiling data to prove that PCR tests for returning citizens are not required, however I’m not holding my breath…

Restaurant in St. Kitts. Our covid-19 trip report demonstrates that it can be safe to travel to the Caribbean!

In conclusion, our experience showed us that our risk to covid-19 exposure may have been only slightly higher than our everyday life at home. This was a result of eating out every day and spending a little time out with locals enjoying what the islands have to offer. Without the incompetence we experienced at the hands of the GTAA and CBSA in Toronto, which was hopefully just an aberration and others won’t encounter, for us, travelling to the Caribbean amidst covid-19 is relatively low risk and well worth it!

Oh, we’ve received our latest ‘negative’ PCR test results, have been home now for a week and we are still A-OK.

Final thoughts… We enjoy getting out during the day and exploring – hiking in the rainforest and snorkeling in warm clear waters, etc… However, we cannot speak to indulging in nightlife and spending time socializing with strangers.

For other blogs from our trip to St. Kitts and Nevis that are way more fun and exciting than this serious trip report, check out the St. Kitts & Nevis section of our Excursions page, and follow us on facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Visit the Fascinating Clifton Estate Rum Company

A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!

Bottle Your Own Rum in Nevis – It Has Your Name On It!

Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming about vacationing in the Caribbean – Thoughts that inevitably include warm weather, the gorgeous Caribbean Sea, sand between your toes, and a rum beverage in hand? If so, you’re not alone… and I’m sure you’ll agree that no Caribbean Island vacation is complete without visiting a local rum-making facility. So the next time you’re in the Leeward Islands’ Saint Kitts & Nevis, be sure to find your way to the Clifton Estate Rum Company on the small island of Nevis. If you’ve never heard of this Caribbean gem before, it’s a lush green volcanic island that happens to be the birthplace and childhood home of Alexander Hamilton, the face on the American ten-dollar bill.

Mark Theron - A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!

Our trip began with a pleasurable visit to L&L Rum Shop with Mark Theron, the man behind Nevis’ great little store as well as Clifton Estate Spiced Rum. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a behind-the-scenes look at the Clifton Estate Rum Company with Mark. Arriving at their facility, located in a wooded lot just south of the island’s capital, Charlestown, we were welcomed by a Clifton Estate Rum branded pergola fronting a couple of unassuming buildings.

We started our tour in their warehouse and blending facility – After all, this is where the magic happens. Mark explained the different stages of their rum blending and filtration process while showing us the tanks, vats and equipment that make it all possible. Clifton Estate Spiced Rum starts life as a 2-year-old rum sourced from nearby Antigua before it is masterfully blended with a delightful combination of ‘warming’ Caribbean spices along with a touch of fresh orange and real honey. Due to increased demand for the company’s products, the building is being expanded to allow for increased production and storage.  From the tanks on the top shelf of the rum mixing area, the final blend flows through a pipe to the bottling room in a separate building next door.

It is in this room that the amber liquid is deposited into bottles, which are then labelled, capped, and boxed up for distribution. Speaking of bottles – Clifton Estate Spiced Rum is packaged in a unique bottle in the form of a barrel, complete with planks and rivets! I’ve seen some cool-shaped bottles in my time, however nothing captures the essence and history of rum like this does. From start to finish, the creation of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum is a ‘hand-made’ affair, with very few hands involved in the process. This is the epitome of small-batch artisanal rum making. A place where they really care about their brand and end-product.

A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!


When they are not bottling their latest batch of spirits, this room doubles as the blending/mixing lab where Mark develops future concoctions for the Clifton Estate Rum Company. When we visited, it looked like a mad scientist had been hard at work, with several hand-labelled bottles denoting various ages and mixtures.  Mark was excited to tell us about one product being crafted whose foundation is a 5 yr old rum aged in a Jack Daniels barrel. I can’t wait to try that one!

A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!

We then went into the Clifton Estate showroom for further discussion, a few samples of rum, and an amazing and unique experience that would be the climax of our day, not to mention one of the highlights of our vacation. We started by sampling the award-winning Clifton Estate Spiced Rum, which is aptly known as “a taste of Nevis in a barrel”!

For a relatively young rum, it was surprisingly delicious. I love the rum’s rich golden colour and its appetizing aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and candied orange peel. Tasting Clifton Estate Spiced Rum, I found the flavour brimming with warming spices and a touch of honey.  While it tingled on my tongue a little, I was amazed at the absence of a harsh burn. Good stuff – Mellow and flavourful enough to drink straight-up. That said, Mark suggested alternative ways to enjoy Clifton Estate Spiced Rum including drinking it with a splash of coconut water or with a drop of orange bitters in a rum and coke.  I’ll be trying both of them for sure.


A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!

Popular with local restaurants and bars in St. Kitts & Nevis, the Clifton Estates Rum Company continues to capture the “Spirit of Nevis” with their Moko Jumbie brand of Gold and Silva rum. Once again, considerable thought and effort have been put into the presentation of this rum as it is packaged in a gorgeous, frosted bottle with silhouettes of ghost-like characters etched into the side – Images that invoke the annual St. Kitts & Nevis’ Sugar Mas Carnival, where dancers don the traditional costume of the Moko Jumbie, a ghost with healing powers.  The company also creates and bottles single-run batches of “specialty” rums of various ages and blends for upscale clients like hotels and bars looking for something unique to celebrate special occasions. For those looking for a more casual pre-mixed beverage, the Clifton Estate Rum Company also produces a Lemongrass & Ginger “Tropical Punch”, utilizing their Moko Jumbie Gold rum as the base of course.

While rum is Mark’s passion, the company is branching out, also producing an exclusive vodka-based beverage handcrafted in Nevis.


Their flagship vodka-based product is NEVIQ Tropical Liqueur and it’s really something to behold, as well as taste! The bright blue concoction contains a captivating silver swirl that you have to see to believe. Similar to their rum-making process, they source high-quality spirits, this time from the USA, blending it with tropical fruit flavours before filtering it and adding the special “shimmer” ingredient. Sipping the wild concoction, I found notes of passion fruit while the taste profile evolved on my tongue, moving from tangy to sweet… Very yummy indeed!


Clifton Estate has also begun the development of a cannabis-infused red wine beverage that will be ready to hit the shelves once the righteous plant becomes fully legal in St. Kitts & Nevis. Our conversation continued over a variety of shots. I loved hearing about Mark’s passion for crafting innovative products on the island of Nevis. I especially appreciate his ambition to distill his own rum on the premises, ideally utilizing Nevis-grown cane sugar, which was once known to be the finest of the Caribbean.  With access to some of the most fertile land in the islands, coupled with his growing presence in the rum industry, Mark is definitely on the right track with this aspiration. In just over 5 years the Clifton Estate Rum Company has proven their rum-making prowess, extraordinary creativity in designing alluring bottles and labels, and have also created and produced a number of sensationally original products.  With his enthusiastic drive and industry connections, I’m looking forward to seeing what Mark can accomplish in the next 5-10 years.

Oh right.., back to the Clifton Estate bottling experience… While I was captivated by the swirling stardust in the bottle of NEVIQ, Mark was busy engraving our names on a couple of their signature bottles. When they were ready for us, we took turns filling our own personalized bottles with the ‘elixir of life’ from a special mini-keg of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.


Once full, we corked our little barrels of liquid gold then dipped the necks into hot wax, elegantly sealing the bottle and completing the rum bottling experience. Oh man, that was fun! So, not only do we end up with a great bottle of rum to enjoy, but we now possess unique souvenirs and showpieces for our rum collection – A valuable keepsake from our trip to Nevis.


A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!


Not to be left out, you too can enjoy this rum bottling experience for yourselves.  The next time you’re planning a trip to Saint Kitts and Nevis, reach out to Mark via Marks Rum Tasting or email L&L Rum Shop at lnlrumshop@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can also join a Nevis Rum Tasting Experience tour with Nevis Sun Tours. For us, we felt that the rum bottling was a very special, personal, and interactive experience – A must-do for any and all rum enthusiasts for sure!

FYI – Clifton Estate products are available at grocery stores, bars and restaurants across St. Kitts and Nevis. Outside the Caribbean, the Clifton Estate Rum Company has recently accessed the US market, with some availability of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum and NEVIQ in Florida and New York State (coming in 2022). Folks in the UK and Europe won’t have long to wait either, as distribution is being finalized for availability in 2022 as well. To keep up to date, check out the Clifton Estate Rum Company website for more info.

A rum tour with the Clifton Estate Rum Company in St. Kitts & Nevis. Bottle your own little barrel of Clifton Estate Spiced Rum.  Enjoy rum tasting and more in Nevis!

If you’re interested in reading more about rum, check out our Caribbean Rum page and our St. Kitts & Nevis Rum page, which includes a list of Tour Operators who will get you sampling SKN’s finest.

For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page

For other great Tourist Attractions on the islands, check out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog

If you’re looking for more ‘active’ things to do while vacationing in St. Kitts & Nevis, click on our SKN Adventures blog post for some great ideas!

ACT Staff