Route de la Traversee

The Route de la Traversée crosses the mountainous spine of Basse-Terre through the heart of the national park, climbing from the eastern coast through increasingly dense rainforest to a col at around six hundred metres and dropping to the west. Almost everything worth stopping for on this side of the island is off it: the Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Maison de la Forêt, the Parc des Mamelles and the trails up the two Mamelle peaks.

What you actually see

• The rainforest - dense forest closing over the road along the climb.
• The Cascade aux Ecrevisses - the roadside waterfall on the eastern side.
• The Maison de la Foret - the park interpretation centre and trailhead.
• The Mamelle peaks - the two summits climbed from the col.

When to go

December to April is the driest, though it rains on this road in any month. Mornings are clearest. Landslides close it periodically.

Honest expectations

It rains here constantly and the forest is often in cloud. The road is narrow and winding with heavy traffic at weekends. Landslides close sections after storms.

Nearby

Cascade aux Ecrevisses is on the route, and Parc des Mamelles is at the col.