Hike

An Adventurous Hike to Saint Lucia’s Tallest Peak

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Look-Out Points, Nature, Waterfalls

St. Lucia hiking to the island's highest peak, Mount Gimie. Diverse hike through a rain-forest "has it all", including a river & waterfall

Saint Lucia Hiking – Few ever see the Pitons from this angle!

Saint Lucia is nicely positioned in the southern Caribbean’s Windward Islands, just south of Martinique and west of Barbados. The mountainous island is covered with lush green rain-forest and is instantly recognizable by their distinctive Pitons (mountains) along the south-west coast. A very popular Caribbean destination known for romantic getaways, St. Lucia also has plenty to offer adventure seekers interested in a hiking-filled vacation. While most hikers go to climb the Gros Piton, I chose to hike the island’s tallest peak, Mount Gimie. Oh, what an excellent decision that was!

Our day started with a pleasant drive down the west coast from where we were staying near Anse La Raye. We met our guide in the village of Migny, just a little south and inland from Soufriere. We joined a few others and headed off up a rough, partly paved road. The track was on a steady incline and we were met with a nice breeze that swept over the farmers’ fields – What a great way to start the day! While we had some decent views of nearby valleys and the Gros Piton way off in the distance, I was looking ahead to getting into the jungle… After about an hour we headed west on a dirt path towards the Edmund Forest Reserve.

From here, the trail got real interesting – This is what I was looking forward to, spending half a day roaming through a rainforest! We hiked through some pretty dense forest, with our guide literally clearing parts of the trail with his machete so we had a path to follow. Clearly, we would not have been able to do this trail without him. Talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees, the trail had so many ups-and-downs and twists-and-turns, I wasn’t real sure where we were going. There were even a few short distances of vertical where we had to literally climb, some up and some down, with our hands using tree roots like a natural ladder. OMG – What an awesome and wild St. Lucia hike!

Every once in a while, we stopped while our knowledgeable guide pointed out some weird and wonderful looking plants or birds that we could hear along the way. While we couldn’t spot most of the birds, I did see the occasional colourful hummingbird fluttering from plant to plant though. These breaks conveniently gave us some time to catch our breath and drink some water. Thinking back, I believe that we hiked across a ridge or two, ventured down into a valley and crossed a small river before attacking another ridge that would take us to the top of Mount Gimie. I had been looking forward to a remote and challenging rain-forest hike on the island, and this trail satisfied that… and we were far from finished…

For the next hour or so the trail became pretty much all uphill, at a pretty steep incline, making our workout a little more intense. Thankfully, the number of photo opportunities increased along this path, although maybe we were just finding a reason to stop and catch our breath. Seriously, we had amazing views of the valley we had just crossed, as well as a very unique perspective of the iconic pitons that had come into view. I doubt too many people get to see the spectacular Pitons and Tet Paul from this vantage point – The view was Priceless!

The air was so moist and the flora so tropical, that there was also some amazing rain-forest vegetation to capture in photos. As we neared the peak, I learned the hard way about a Caribbean plant that I had heard of but never encountered before. Due to the steepness of the trail, I reached down and grabbed a handful of some greenery to help with my balance. Well, it turned out to be ‘razor grass’ and I sliced the palm of my hand and all my fingers. Kind of like getting a bunch of paper-cuts all at once. Oh well… Just a few more minutes and the discomfort in my hand became a distant memory as we were well rewarded when we reached the top of the Island.

Mount Gimie, not the famous Pitons, is St. Lucia’s highest peak, and at just over 3,000 feet (950m) above sea level we had sensational panoramic views of the island. We could clearly see the east and south coastlines, including Vieux Fort and the Maria Islands. Looking to the north across the whole island, really gave me an appreciation for the rugged terrain of St. Lucia. We lucked out and enjoyed some incredible views for several minutes before the top of the mountain became enveloped in clouds. Although this was the pinnacle of our day, we were still in for more fun and adventure…

We headed back down the same way we had come, however this time once we descended the mountain and were heading back through the valley, we took a little detour. Our guide took us upstream along the river we had crossed earlier and after a few minutes, we came to a small waterfall, complete with a pool. It was really refreshing to wash the sweat off and cool off my over-heated feet. This was a nice surprising break, although apparently I was looking for more self-inflicted pain. As we crossed the river I was jumping from rock to rock trying to keep my shoes dry, and I slipped on a large rock. Both of my feet flew right out from under me and I landed on my butt – It must have been quite comical to watch. Fortunately, my butt is well padded, so I just sort of bounced. No big deal.

As we were nearing the end of the hike, I was thinking that this trail probably isn’t used more than a couple of times a week. When we got back to the road section and was heading down to our car, I started to better appreciate the refreshing breeze and nice views of the surrounding valleys. Our guide pulled some grapefruits and tangerines down from the trees on the side of the road, so we also had an invigorating snack along the way.

Wow – I got to tell you… St. Lucia’s Mount Gimie trail really has it all. Relative to some other Caribbean mountain hikes, this one was not too long or too steep. It had some unique near-vertical sections to spice things up a bit, and it was filled with amazing tropical plant life, a waterfall, and of course spectacular views! One of my favourite Caribbean hikes for sure!

Want to see more? Check out our Epic St Lucia Hiking of Mount Gimie Trail video on YouTube!

ACT Staff

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

For an overview of this popular Caribbean Island destination, take a look at our Saint Lucia Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Saint Lucia Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Saint Lucia blog

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A Beautiful Hot Coastal Hike in Martinique

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Look-Out Points, Nature, Plantation, Tourist Attractions

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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Jamaica Hiking in Mountainous Cockpit Country

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

A Steady Trail Through the Rolling Hills – Hiking Jamaica’s Cockpit Country

The third largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola, Jamaica is roughly 3 times the size of Long Island (NY, USA). While Jamaica is probably best known for it’s reggae music, Rasta culture, white sand beach resorts and rum… I think of the Caribbean island’s wild and mountainous areas and know that Jamaica hiking has so much potential.

I had heard about a lesser known/visited region on the island called Cockpit Country, that was supposed to have a few hiking trails worth checking out. I understand that the large area, of approximately 500 square miles (1,300 sq km), is wrinkled and dimpled with hundreds of limestone hills and karst caves – It is probably the wildest area left on Jamaica. I thought to myself, this sounds good – Let’s do it!

We knew we would need a local guide for this one and the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, with it’s Cockpit Country Adventure Tours was able to help us get the most out of our Jamaica Hiking experience.

We left our Montego Bay hotel before 7am, taking a local taxi through the Jamaican countryside to the Clark’s Town Police Station to meet our host and guides. After exchanging greetings followed by a short drive to the edge of town, we were off…

With our guide leading the way, we headed into the wilderness – 10 miles (16km) through the rugged Cockpit Country to a town on the other side called Albert Town. After a few minutes on the trail, we noticed that a dog, had joined us from somewhere on the outskirts of town and was happily following us. Well, that’s alright with me.

We got on the trail just before 8am, so the air was relatively cool and the grass was still covered with the morning’s dew. I was a bit worried when my mesh shoes quickly became soaked, although it wasn’t long before it warmed up and the ground became increasingly hot and dry. This was great as it allowed my feet to dry fairly quickly. As the day progressed, the air temperature settled somewhere in the comfortable mid-high 70s (mid 20s celsius). Thanks to the mostly shaded trail, it never got too-too hot the entire hike – A nice change from previous Caribbean trails we’ve hiked under the heat of a scorching sun!

We were walking on a trail known as the Burnt Hill Nature trail, which is actually an abandoned road from the 1950s – built by Canada we were told. Well the Engineers did an amazing job cutting a road through the mountainous terrain – The trail always seemed fairly level, albeit with slight inclines and descents. This was not consistent with my Trail App’s reported elevation changes of over 6,600 feet (2,000m) over the length of the trail. We never noticed that much up-and-down.

The road was built into the sides of the mountains, so the track took several twists and turns as it snaked it’s way through Cockpit Country. Most of the time there were clear dual paths to walk on, although from the tall grass growing on the sides and between the tracks, you can tell that this road hasn’t seen regular car traffic in years. That said, at one point, we did come across several locals loading a truck high, with long skinny trees that apparently are used as poles for growing Yams.

Well, after about an hour or so, the dog was still with us, so we thought we should give her a name. She had a sparkle in her eye and was always smiling, well ok – panting with her tongue hanging out, so I decided to call her Sparky. Like the rest of us, she seemed to be enjoying the exercise. I wonder if she noticed the fluttering orange moths that also accompanied us on our walk…

Our knowledgeable guide casually dispensed interesting commentary, telling us about the history of the area as well as providing information on some of the local plants we encountered. I’m always fascinated by the many medicinal properties and beauty that nature provides.

He displayed a giant snail, showed us a plant that helps with stomach problems, and informed us that the fruit from an inviting looking orange tree we encountered, was actually extremely bitter. We also encountered a bizarre spider web on a bush on the side of the trail – It seemed to have tightly knitted ‘mini webs’ built within the larger web – We had never seen anything like that before. Personally, I was enthralled with giant leaves that fall to the ground when they die – They curl-up into bowling-ball sized balls, that covered areas of the canopy floor – So cool! We also learned that common birds in the area included Flycatchers, Thrushes, Orioles and Cuckoos.

We were told about how the region got it’s name from early Spanish explorers. The story goes, that after their officers, comfortably positioned on the high ground of course, watched a battle wage below them in a gully, remarked that the spectacle reminded them of watching cock fights, in ‘the pit’, back in Spain – Hence the name ‘Cockpit Country’.

As the hike progressed, Sparky the dog was panting heavily and we observed her stopping occasionally for a drink from the Bromeliad plants that periodically lined the side of the trail. This smart dog knew that rainfall gets trapped on the large leaves near the base of the plant. I made a mental note in case we were lost in the jungle some day. We also noticed a large number of Turkey Vultures off in the distance, circling in the sky – While they may have been watching us, I wasn’t worried… 🙂

While the trail doesn’t provide any great Caribbean Sea scenery or any birds-eye views of the island as a whole, the remote wilderness of the area, with it’s numerous peaks and valleys, supplied us special sights of it’s own. Great Jamaica hiking for sure! One of the highlights was peering across and down into a valley known as Barbecue Bottom. Even though we were a little late to witness the morning mist in the gorge, the view was still quite breathtaking. In Jamaica, flat areas of land are called “barbecues”, because they provide a level area for coffee beans and other crops to be laid out on screens for drying in the sun.

Once we were deep in the jungle, we kept hearing loud screeching sounds from above – It was as if we were disturbing the local inhabitants and they were letting us know that we were intruding! Our helpful guide informed us that we were hearing from one of their local parrots. Now, I’ve hiked a number of Caribbean islands and am always trying to catch a glimpse of the colourful birds, but they have always eluded me. Well, today was our lucky day. A little further on, our guide pointed out a fairly large gathering of the small green ‘Black Billed’ parrots in a tree and after they took to the air, they flew overhead, giving us a clear view to spot them, which we did. What a wonderful experience!

Another highlight of the hike was walking down a particularly dry section of the trail, cut into the side of the mountain. We came across an area of fallen rock – This section of the road was in total daylight, exposing rich red-orange colours of the mountain, somewhat similar to what you would see in the deserts of Arizona or Utah.

After stopping at this picturesque location for a snack, we continued the trek through the stunning beauty of this wild region of Jamaica. It was clear that my hiking partner was looking for a workout, either that or she was anxious to get back to the resort – Either way, she had set a fairly fast pace from the on-set. Even so, Sparky took the lead at this point and pulled us along even faster, so that we completed the last third of the trail in about an hour or so.

Our hike ended when we suddenly popped out of the jungle into a small cluster of houses and fields. It had taken us just over three and a half hours to walk through Cockpit Country from Clark’s Town to Albert Town on that deceptively flat and wide trail. We got a ride back to Clark’s Town before heading back to the coastal town of Montego Bay and our hotel, just in time for lunch! What a great way to spend the morning!

This Jamaica hike through Cockpit Country was “as advertised”… A luscious green wilderness area, that most tourists wouldn’t believe exists. We were accompanied by singing birds, drifting orange moths, consistent patches of warm sun, and even a local dog who kept us company! Oh yah – We saw a Caribbean green parrot too… What a fun and enjoyable hike!

For the complete Hiking Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Jamaica, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Hiking Jamaica’s Cockpit Country – Burnt Hill Nature Trail
Jamaica Hiking Trails – Trail Reviews and Tour Operators

We really enjoyed hiking with guides from the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA). The non-profit’s mission is to promote development in Trelawny by implementing environmental conservation and economic opportunity projects. STEA was formed over 20 years ago to address environmental problems, facilitate environmentally friendly economic and community development activities and to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of Cockpit Country. Personally, I respect and appreciate everything they do for the community and one of Jamaica’s remaining wild areas.

For more information about STEA, including planning your own Jamaica Cockpit Country adventure (they also offer Birding and Caving Excursions), you can contact the good folks at STEA / Cockpit Country Adventure Tours by visiting their website or facebook page (just click on a link below):

For an overview of the “land of wood and water”, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, check out our Jamaica Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica blog

ACT Staff

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An Epic Hiking ‘Fail’ in Martinique

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Nature, Rum

Martinique Hiking on the rarely used / un-maintained Piton Lacroix trail was a great adventure that sadly ended in failure. Now with a map, we'll do it next time

You can find Martinique comfortably located between Dominica and St. Lucia, pretty much in the middle of the southern Caribbean. As an “over-seas region” of France and the 3rd largest of the Windward Islands, Martinique is a unique Caribbean destination, and that holds true for its hiking trails. The island offers a variety of easy relaxing walks as well as some very challenging and mountainous hikes. Although we were only there for the day as part of a cruise stop, we were feeling ambitious and decided to attempt hiking one of the tallest peaks on the island – Piton Lacroix, which stands majestically at 3,870 feet (1,180m) above sea-level.

We rented a car in Fort-de-France, then headed north-west along the coast towards Le-Morne Vert. We were amazed to discover that the main roads on Martinique are large, well maintained multi-lane highways. It was a nice scenic drive, filled with gorgeous coastal views on one side, and green mountainous rainforest views on the other! Just past Bellefontaine, we headed inland towards the town of Saint Maurice. Driving on these narrow, winding roads, we got lost a few times before ending up at the east end of a road called Canton Suisse.

At this point, I’ll mention that sometimes things just don’t work out as planned… While there are over 3 dozen marked trails on Martinique, unbeknownst to me at the time, this wasn’t one of them. Not one of my best ideas – However, it was an adventure, none the less!

We parked the car on the side of the road near an old farmhouse and walked up a steep paved road which turned into a dirt/grass track before ending-up at a partly plowed farmer’s field. As we walked, we passed goats and cows wandering around. As we seemed to have startled them, I don’t think they were used to many visitors. At the edge of the field, we could see a series of forested mountains in the background to the east. From this vantage point, we also had beautiful views to the north/west of the island, towards Saint Maurice, Le Morne Vert as well as the Caribbean Sea.

Did I mention that we were kind of winging it? Well… as we were at the forest edge, I assumed that the trail must start here somewhere, however there was no marked trailhead of any sort. I walked the edge of the field/forest trying to find some hint of a trail. I never really found anything that resembled a well-used trail but eventually, after about 10-15 minutes of searching, we headed up-hill on what appeared to be a path of some sort. In the back of mind, I was wondering if this was a wild animal path, as I have been known to veer off man-made trails, accidentally following deer paths and the like – I guess we would find out

From the start, the going was tough, not just because the trail was barely visible, but because the path was extremely steep and muddy – we were slipping and sliding all over the place. After what seemed like an hour or more, the trail finally looked a bit more discernible, albeit strewn with fallen trees and rocks. This was a true rain-forest hike adventure, as the forest was very dense and dark in most sections, with only the occasional rays of sun peeking through the heavy canopy. Pretty cool!

While at this stage of the hike I was starting to gain confidence that this may be an actual trail, we had consumed a fair amount of time for a couple of reasons. One because there were a number of steep and muddy sections that we had to carefully pick-our-way up and around, but also because the trail to this point was not obvious so we couldn’t motor along like we typically would. When you lack confidence, you lack in conviction (and speed).

When we had made it to some high ground where we could see where we were, the hike became a little more intimidating. It appeared as though we had just hiked to the top of a small ridge of sorts, and now were probably less than halfway to the peak of Piton Lacroix. We were about 2,526 feet (770m) above sea-level at this point and we could see that the trail descended into a gulley and we could only assume that it took a seriously steep ascent of Piton Lacroix which we could see across the valley. It was already afternoon, and with an estimated 3 more hours traversing another couple thousand feet (700m) of elevation change to complete the hike and return, we decided it wasn’t do-able with our time constraints, so we turned back.

We were covered in mud, tired and disappointed that we didn’t reach the peak, however it was an experience to have got this far. We found out later, once I found a proper map of Martinique’s trails, that while this is an actual trail, it is not maintained and rarely used.

While we didn’t have the time to complete this hike, we realized that we didn’t have to head back to the port right away. After getting back to the car, we drove a little further north before heading back to the coast. As a result, we stumbled across the town of Le Carbet and found a beautiful quiet beach. What a find! We wandered around for a while, appreciating the cool breeze off the Caribbean Sea. When we were leaving town we also noticed a boutique rum distillery, so we stopped in for a visit. While most Caribbean islands make their own rum, Martinique could be considered the rum capital of the world with its more than 10 distilleries and even more rum brands. For more information, check out our Martinique Rhum page. Anyways, we had a good afternoon as we found some nice areas of Martinique to visit.

Before we got back on the cruise ship, I managed to grab a nice detailed Martinique Hiking Trail Map – Next time, we will be much better prepared! Reference our Circuit de la Caravelle blog post for proof of that.

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)

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Top 7 Barbados Adventures to get your heart pumping

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Cycling, Fishing, Golf, Hiking, Kayaking, Look-Out Points, Mountain Biking, Nature, sailing, Scuba Diving, Snorkelling, Tourist Attractions, Water Sports

Fun & Adventurous things to do in Barbados include Snorkeling, Diving, Sailing & Water-Sports (Surf, SUP, Windsurf, etc...) galore! Plus Hiking, Biking & great Golf!

Bajan Sailing, Snorkeling, Diving, Water-Sports, Fishing, Hiking & Biking

Barbados is the most easterly island in the Caribbean and its coral origins differ from it’s volcanic neighbours to the west, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The island is shaped like a foot, with a length of about 21 miles (34 km) and a width of 14 miles (23 km) at the widest point in the south. While best known for its English heritage, white sandy beaches and great rum, Barbados has plenty to offer travelers seeking action, both in the sea and on land.

If you’re looking for adventure while vacationing in the Caribbean, it’s always great fun to get off the resort and really explore the island. With its protective reefs off the west and south coasts, Barbados offers some great sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and a whole lot of water-sports! On land, you can enjoy caving as well as hiking and biking. Take a look at our recommended activities that will make you feel alive in Barbados – Enjoy!

Barbados Sail and Snorkel Adventures

With such a rich sailing tradition in Barbados, it’s no surprise that getting out on the ocean, combined with snorkeling a couple of unique hotspots, is the number one active tourist activity on the island. It’s always a fun and interesting perspective to experience an island from the sea. In Barbados, that means near-constant winds and calm Caribbean waters along the island’s west coast. Local catamaran operators offer a variety of luxurious sailing adventures, most involving delicious meals and free-flowing rum beverages – It doesn’t get much better than that! Actually, it does… The ship’s crew knows exactly where to drop anchor, inviting you to swim with turtles and snorkel over a shallow shipwreck in Carlisle Bay. This adventure is really the highlight of any trip to Barbados!

Then again, you don’t need a boat to partake in Barbados snorkeling. There’s plenty of gorgeous beaches with easy access to shallow artificial reefs close to shore! The west and south-west coasts have some great snorkeling spots, including two marine sanctuaries, Folkestone Marine Park near Holetown and Carlisle Bay Marine Park just south of the island’s capital, Bridgetown. When visiting Barbados, it’s a real treat to explore a shipwreck covered with colourful coral, fans and sponges that is frequented by a variety of tropical fish.

For more information, along with tour operators who can get you out on the water, check out our Barbados Sailing and Barbados Snorkeling pages.

For more colourful and detailed reviews from our own personal experiences visiting the island, take a look at our A Beautiful Day for Barbados Sailing and Snorkeling Carlisle Bay & Holetown blog posts.

Barbados Water Sports Experience

For the more adventurous and athletic type, you’ll be happy to hear that Barbados is one of the top 3 Caribbean islands for surfing, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and windsurfing! Barbados enjoys near-constant trade winds, with multiple coastlines experiencing a variety of wave conditions on any given day. Combined with the island’s amazing white sandy beaches and year-round warm weather, fun at the beach is hard to beat in Barbados!

There are over two dozen good surf spots all around the island, with the southwest coast being ideal for beginners, while intermediate and expert surfers will love the south coast – Barbados real surfing scene. That said, world-class surfing swells can be found at the famous Soup Bowl, on the island’s east coast near Bathsheba. SUP is popular with tourists of all kinds all along the west and southwest coasts. Things really get exciting when the waves pick up – SUP surfing anyone? The south coast also has reliable moderate to strong cross-shore winds making the area a hotbed of windsurfing and kitesurfing. Wow!

Want to see more? Check out our Barbados’ Surfing & SUP video collage on YouTube!

Barbados’ rugged and beautiful north and northwest coasts, coupled with regularly calm waters along the west coast, make it a great place to kayak. Glass-bottom kayaks are available that allow non-snorkelers to enjoy the incredible underwater sites. For those with a need for (mechanical) speed, you can find boat operators offering waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing and more. There are also jet ski rentals as well as Jetblading (hydro jetpacking) lessons available on the island.

For more information, along with water sports operators who offer surfing, SUP as well as water sports gear rentals, check out our Barbados Water-Sports page.

Barbados Scuba Diving Action

While no surprise to those in the know… Barbados is a great Caribbean scuba diving destination. The island has over twenty dive sites, easily accessed by a short 10-20 minute boat ride. With water temperatures in the high-70s to mid-80s (25-29c) along with good visibility down to 70 feet deep, you’re sure to enjoy a dive in Barbados. There are 10 shipwrecks to explore along with plenty of tropical fish, corals, sponges and sea fans to enjoy. You could also swim with exciting sea creatures like turtles, rays, eels and even seahorses!

The most popular dive sites are located off the protected west and south(west) coasts of the island, including the Carlisle Bay Marine Park. Divers will enjoy calm waters and an abundance of marine life when exploring the shallow (30 – 60 feet) fringing reefs of the west coast. Of course, the highlight of anyone’s dive trip will be the incredible wreck of the Stavronikita – A 365-foot long freighter resting in water 25 to 130 feet deep. Carlisle Bay Marine Park features half a dozen shipwrecks that litter the sandy seafloor. A great site for beginner divers and underwater photographers alike.

The south(west) coast offers diverse ecosystems across a variety of fringe, bank as well as barrier reefs. There are over a dozen great dive sites, including one featuring the broken remains of a 170-foot long shipwreck in just 55 feet of water. A great area for some amazing drift dives, plus deep divers will enjoy plunging down double-sided barrier reefs south of the island. The typically rough waters of the north and east coast can be dived as well, however ocean conditions have to be just right.

For more information, along with boat operators and dive centres who can get you in the deep, check out our Barbados Diving pages.

Barbados Golf

One of the best golf destinations in the Caribbean, Barbados offers half a dozen links to choose from. The island’s 18-hole, Par 72 golf courses include:

Barbados Golf Club – Located at the southern end of Barbados in Christ Church, the Ron Kirby designed course features gently rolling hills, wide-open fairways and two strategically placed water hazards
Apes Hill Club – Located about halfway up the west coast, the environmentally-conscious course was certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary
Sandy Lane “Country Club” – Located centrally near the west coast, is a Tom Fazio designed course featuring several water hazards, combined with relaxing views of the Caribbean Sea
Sandy Lane “Green Monkey” – The hotel-guest exclusive course is also a Tom Fazio creation, making great use of a former limestone quarry
Royal Westmoreland – Located centrally near the west coast, the private Robert Trent Jones Jr designed course offers a spectacular tropical setting to its guests, along with a limited number of offsite golfers.

The Rockley Golf & Country Club located near the south-west coast of Barbados in Christ Church, offers an 18-Hole / Par 70 experience on a relatively flat parkland course consisting of 9 holes with alternate tees. Sandy Lane also has the “Old Nine” Par 36 course with tree-lined fairways and small greens. There’s also an 18-Hole “standard mini-putt” course, Barbados Mini Golf, located in the west / centre area of the island.

For more information, along with links (pun intended) to the courses themselves, check out our Barbados Golf page.

Barbados Fishing Adventure

A great place for Caribbean fishing, Barbados has reefs and deep-sea locations only a few minutes from shore. If it’s big game fish you’re after, there’s plenty of Blue Marlin, Wahoo (Kingfish), Sailfish, Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin), Tuna and Barracuda out there… You can ‘reel one in’ off Barbados’s south and west coast in the winter and the inner and outer reefs on both coasts offer a variety of year-round fishing options.

You can also fish for Dorado, Jacks, Bonito, Barracuda and Snapper. Barbados fishing will satisfy true fishing enthusiasts as well as those just looking for a fun day at sea with friends and family. If you’re looking for real competitive fishing, you’re welcome to participate in the annual Barbados International Fishing Tournament in April.

For more information, along with boat operators to help you catch the big one, check out our Barbados Fishing page.

Barbados Hiking & Biking Action

A great way to explore the natural beauty of Barbados is by hiking and/or biking the island’s tropical forests and coastal trails. Panoramic views from the rugged north and east coasts can’t be beaten, while the southern coast offers views of unique wetlands as well as beautiful beaches combined with gorgeous blue seas. Barbados offers fairly easy hiking and biking routes, although there are some hilly and long trails that are more challenging. Some trails take you through gullies, cane fields and grasslands, while others allow you to visit historic districts and villages.

Most of Barbados’ hiking trails are found along the east coast. There are a number of hiking guides on the island who can help you find the right trail to meet you needs and desires. A sampling of a few of the more popular hiking trails include:

Bath to Bathsheba Railway Line Trail – An easy hike of just over 3.5 miles (6km) one-way, requiring 2-3 hours to complete. The east coast trail has some great views of the rugged coastline and the Atlantic Ocean.
Nature & Heritage Trail – An easy 3 hour round trip hike with views of the west coast from the Whim Gully, Speightstown and Heywoods Beach along with natural, cultural, and historical sites along the way.
Turner’s Hall Woods to Barclays Trail – An easy–to-intermediate 4 miles (7km) one-way hike that descends from a biodiversity-rich forest in the Scotland district and travels down to the east coast.
Bathsheba / Congor Rocks / Hackleton’s Cliff Loop Trail – An easy–to-intermediate 9 miles (13km) trail along the rugged coastline then inland through a forest with a crevice to traverse. You’ll be rewarded with outstanding views.

The island has plenty of safe road routes for cyclists, as well as a variety of off-road adventures to make any mountain biker happy. You can venture out on your own, or hire a guide who knows the island and can ensure a safe and enjoyable ride. There are even options for riding electric-assisted bikes or touring the island via a car/bike combo tour! Some of the best places for Barbados cycling include:

The east coastline from Hackelton’s Cliff to Codrington College has a variety of ‘sites to see’ including St John’s Parish Church and various plantations. This area provides a varied terrain with incredible views of the rugged eastern coastline.
The south coastline from Oistins to the Chancery Lane Swamp has numerous attractions such as the South Point Lighthouse and the Silver Sands district. A combination of road and off-road tracks in the area offer spectacular ocean views.
In the northwest, you can cycle from the coastal area near Harrison’s Point Lighthouse inland to Mount Gilboa. This hilly rural route traverses small villages as well as cotton and cane fields.

For more information, along with hiking and biking guides to help you get the most out of your day, check out our Barbados Hiking and Barbados Biking pages.

Have fun out there!

ACT Staff

Once you’ve had your fill of action and want to slow-it-down a bit, check out our recommended Things To Do in Barbados blog post

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

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