Morne Larcher Trail

Time: 2.5 hours, one way. Difficulty: 3. Constant sun and continual slope upward.

Trailhead: The trail ends are reached either by the Diamond (le Diamant) in the Anse Caffard district, which goes along celebrated Diamond Beach; or by Anse d'Arlet in the "Petite Anse" district. Plan on a forty-five minute drive from Fort-de-France.

This walk will show you the entire southern coast of Martinique from the top of Morne Larcher (Larcher Hill) 1312 feet (400m) high. Leaving from the l'Anse Caffard end, the marked trail enters a dry, thickly wooded area with interspersed goat or sheep pastures. The foliage becomes denser as you climb.

After an hour's walk you'll reach a small savannah, scattered with mango and guava trees. This is also the highest point on the trail.

From this point you'll see Diamond Beach in the foreground and the succession of points and bays named Marigot, Pimentee, and Philippeaux, which make up the Diamond Coast of Sainte-Luce.

After crossing the savannah around the summit of Morne Larcher, go down onto Petite Anse. The greenery is more moist, with many large trees, lianas and epiphytes.

After about 30 minutes descent, you'll cross a relatively flat area. Another 20 minutes from here is the district of Petite Anse and its beach.

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