Hiking the Trace Des Caps in Martinique
Last Updated on September 21, 2020
Hikers always search for new and suitable places to spend their quality time exploring nature. And every hiker falls in love with sites that offer them to embrace the beauty of nature. In the south of French Antilles, there situated an area where the white sand, water, and coconut palms get together. It is a succession of the beach after beach, which can take your breath away. And the place is the Trace des Caps, which is located in Martinique.
The Trace des Caps is the most famous hiking trail of Martinique’s. It allows hikers to discover the south of the Atlantic coast, and with that, it lets them view its coral reef and beautiful sand beaches. The overall length of the route is around 27 km, and so you need to complete this hike in several distinct stages.
That means you have to break it down into five ways according to places that the hike covers. And these paths are Small Macabou to Cap Macre, which is 5 km long and requires 2 hours to complete. Then, Cap Macre to Cap Chevalier, its length is 7 km, and you may need to hike there for three hours.
After that, you can start walking from Cap Chevalier to Bay of the English, which is 6 km long, and you need 2 hours and 30 minutes to finish. And for the Anse Trabaud to Saline’s trail, you have to spend two hours to cover 5 km track.
Finally, you complete the adventure after walking from Salines to Anse Caritan; this trail is 4.5 km long, and you will need approximately one and a half hours to cover the distance. Here we have described in details about these five sections below:
Start The Journey
You can begin the hike at the Anse du Petit Macabou. There you will see the long beach, which is 1.5 km long and has a vast coconut grove in the middle of it. Then the route joins the Cap Beauchene, where you will find a small chapel. After that, you need to pass Anse Grosse Roche; it is a beautiful place and uncrowded as well.
After passing the Anse Grosse Roche via the Pointe Macre, you will reach to the Cape Macre. Then you need to take the paved road of Cul de Sac Ferre; it is a 1km route. And this path ends at the Anse Trou Cadia, after reaching the mentioned place, you have to start your journey by taking the track of Cap Ferre.
After that, you will arrive at the Anse La Balle, and from there, the trail rises a bit. And it offers you to see a beautiful panorama on the coast at the Pointe des Ebichets. There you can take some rest, and then you start hiking to reach the beautiful beach of the Anse Michel and Cap Chevalier. You will only need 40 minutes to cover such a distance.
By following the coastal path, you will reach the Ilet Chevalier via the small beach of Pointe Coton, which is the entrance of the extensive mangrove in the Baie des Anglais. It enables you to observe the fauna and flora characteristic of these areas.
After reaching there, you should take a farm road to reach the Anse Trabaud. From here, the fourth section of the hiking start, you will come to see the most beautiful beaches of Martinique when you arrive at the Pointe des Salines via the Petrification Savannah.
Not only that, but you also can view the beaches of Anse a Prune and the Grande Terre des Salines after arriving there. Lastly, you can end the hike after reaching the seaside of the village named Sainte Anne.
Get Access From The Significant Start Pont
You can reach at the Petit Macabou via a track which is taken from the N6. Then, you need to park the car on the Beach Parking. To get Access to Cap Chevalier, you need to start the hike from Marin.
After exiting the village, you have to take the direction of Sainte Anne, which is a 1km route, and it will take you to the Cap Chevalier as well as the Anse Michel. So, this is a suitable method that most hikers follow, and you can also start your hiking by following the guide.
Final Words
If you are a hiker or adventure enthusiast and you come to Martinique, then it becomes a must for you to visit the south area. Besides seeing the breathtaking scenarios of the “Trace des Caps,” you will learn about the people’s culture who live there.
Although there you will find fewer people, you will love the peace as there is nobody around you most of the time. Besides that, the place offers you to spend quality time in a series of empty beaches. These beaches have white sand and crystal clear water. So, undoubtedly, it can be a suitable place for beach lovers as well.
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