Habitation La Griveliere

La Grivelière sits in the Grande Rivière valley above Vieux-Habitants, a coffee estate established in the eighteenth century and worked continuously since, with the master's house, the workers' quarters, the drying terraces and the water-driven processing machinery all standing. It has been restored as a heritage site and still produces coffee and cocoa on a small scale. Guided visits cover both the process and the estate's history, including the enslaved labour it was built on.

Background

The estate dates from the late 17th century and has been listed as a Monument historique since 1987. It stands beside the Grande Rivière des Vieux-Habitants inside Guadeloupe National Park, 200 meters above sea level, and operates under the Association Verte Vallée. It is counted among the Lesser Antilles' best preserved farm estates. Its dozen buildings include a manor house, an overseer's house and homes for the permanent workers, along with mills, a roasting shed, two boucans, an oratory and five huts for the enslaved. One of the buildings has been turned into a coffeehouse.

Source: Wikipedia, "Habitation La Grivelière"

Highlights

• The estate buildings - master's house, quarters and processing sheds in place.
• The drying terraces - the paved areas where the beans were spread.
• The water machinery - the stream-driven pulping and processing plant.
• The working production - coffee and cocoa still grown on the estate.

When to go

December to April is the driest for the road. Visits are guided and run at set times. Harvest runs around the turn of the year.

Good to know

The road up the valley is narrow and winding. Visits are guided only and in French unless arranged otherwise. The history of the estate is presented directly and is uncomfortable.

Nearby

Vieux-Habitants is below, and Bouillante is north.

Key facts