Gotta catch'em all!

Stories from a seasoned traveller :

You know that feeling - the need to visit all of the top sights of a location when you travel. Like ticking all the boxes on a vacation. Sometimes, there are still some left on your return trip to a same place, and you count yourself lucky to have returned to see the rest. But what do you do when you return for a fifth time, besides revisiting some of the best spots? Well, you could do like us, and begin checking every last hiking trail off a list, to make sure we have not missed out on any hidden gems. 

Guadeloupe has a great network of hiking trails, in all different ecosystems, and of all different difficulty levels, and we have tried a LOT of them. Now, we are running low on trails we haven't tried in this area, but today's goal is to tick 3 more off the list. It's like a nature lover's Pokemon quest : Gotta catch'em all!

1 - Sentier de Pouzzole : The entrance is rather grown over, as are the few parking spots available, but the trail beyond this point is still maintained, and makes for a nice walk through the littoral forest. Along the way, information panels teach us about all the indigenous trees of this area, which is great because there are so few plants that are truly from Guadeloupe. It's fun to try and spot them, touch their bark, pick and smell their leaves (I'm looking at you, Cannelle à Puces). I would definitely hike this trail again, especially at its petite 30 minute length.

2 - Sentier de Gaschet : This place is more a picnic area that happens to also have a little hike going around it, next to the Gaschet Reservoir, which was made by damming the Gaschet river and to help the local farmers irrigate their fields. It's supposed to be a good place to see migratory birds passing through, but not today, and maybe not very often, given the amount of shotgun shells we spot along the banks of the reservoir! The views are minimal at best given the growth of the forests surrounding the body of water, and the sad state of the picnic shelters, tables and the bird observatory make the trail not very inviting for a first visit, let alone a second. I would give this one a miss.

3 - Sentier du Moulin de Poyen : This trail is in an area we have hiked - and visited - before, opposite the sentier de Beautiran. It starts from the Beauport train station, so parking is easy, and generous. The well-marked loop trail makes its way up the hill from here, leading to a large picnic area with tables and shelters overlooking the neighbouring farm fields. Next to it are the vestiges of the Poyen windmill and plantation. The ruins of the livestock shed and cistern can be seen alongside the windmill, covered in figuier maudit vines.

We happen upon a private tour in progress, where a small family in listening intently to the stories of a local guide who dressed in a long white robe with large wooden beads, and channeling the spirit of a slave from days past. The family is enraptured.

The rest of the hiking loop is just a walk along a cattle road, all rutted and often muddy, and not really interesting. I would recommend the visit to the windmill ruins, and plan a picnic to enjoy nearby, but I would give the rest of the loop trail a miss.

And then sometimes, we just have to take the same road we've taken a dozen times before, like the hiking trail along the littoral Port-Louis, that leads to the quiet beaches hidden away from all the car traffic. Strangely, we expected to relax this afternoon, but is seeking out the quietest spot, we end up hiking another 3.4 km. We balance this out with a good deal of snorkeling and lying in the sun. 

And that makes four more checks for the list!