Mamelle de Pigeon hike - Guadeloupe

I’ve just written about the hike to the DC3 plane wreck behind the Soufrière volcano. But it’s been a long time since I wrote about a short hike in Guadeloupe. This one is the Mamelle de Pigeon walk. I have to admit that although we love to hike in Guadeloupe, we’ve cut back on our activities recently.

So, having just returned from a holiday on the island of Barbados, we decided to try a little hike on the Mamelles route during a day hike. The weather is supposed to be fine this weekend, and this hiking area isn’t always spared by the weather, so we’re going to make the most of it.

After going through all the articles I’ve written about Guadeloupe since we arrived, I realized that I hadn’t written one about walking in the area. I’m not going to go into as much detail as I usually do, probably because I’m behind on a billion things on the blog. It has to be said that this is more of a stroll than a mountain hike in the strict sense of the word. However, I thought it would be worth mentioning if you’re looking for a short walk with some great views of the surrounding area (if the weather is good). Come on, let’s go.

I’d also like to introduce you to another place in the Basse-Terre region, the Rivière du Plessis and the Cascade Kalinago, in Baillif.

We had originally planned to return to the Trace des ruisseaux, a walk far from the forest house, still on the Route des Mamelles. If you don’t know Guadeloupe, the route des mamelles is the only road linking the west and east coasts of Basse-Terre, between Petit Bourg and Pointe-Noire. In the end, we left too late and opted for a much easier and shorter walk, the famous Mamelle de Pigeon.

We were lucky because when we reached the road, the weather was really nice. It was one of the few times I’ve seen the road in such good weather. It took us an hour to get from our house in Vieux-Fort to the car park along the road for this walk.

We started this little walk with the children around 10am. Take your time to admire the beautiful panorama of vegetation from the car park. We crossed the road, being careful not to get knocked over as people drive fast in this area. There was a sign at the entrance to the walk with information that the walk was 30 minutes. Indeed, it’s a small peak at 768m overlooking the Col des Mamelles.

The kids seemed motivated, even two and a half year old Téo, although we’re finding it increasingly difficult to get him to walk these days. We got straight down to business with a series of steps that immediately plunged us into the surrounding rainforest. The map shows a difference in elevation of about 200 metres in just over a kilometre to the summit. In other words, the distance isn’t long, but the climb is quite steep. Our aim with this little hike was to get the children used to walking, and of course to continue to record all the walks we do in Guadeloupe so that we can blog about them, and that’s what we’re doing here!

I think the start is really nice, in the middle of the forest. If you take the time to look up, you can admire the many epiphytic plants clinging to the trees around you. Some are quite impressive in their size. From time to time, you’ll get to enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the vegetation and surrounding inland…

The beginning of the mountain path is very pleasant. The people we meet on the way down warn us that the end is very different, very muddy. Considering that less than a week ago I had walked the plateau behind the Soufrière, I think I can do it without too much difficulty, haha. The path continues to climb and the children are as happy as ever. At least as long as we keep them busy and show them things, the walk goes on without too much trouble.

The path went on, getting wetter and wetter and alternating between steps made of wood and earth. Nothing too complicated, especially with Téo in walking mode, who walks very slowly, stopping every 30 seconds to pick up stones or play with a stick. However, I think that at a normal pace, the difference in altitude over the whole climb is quite significant and can make the legs a bit tired.

Some parts are protected by wooden barriers on the side of the cliff, but most are not. However, you have to be careful of children who are playing on the edge of the cliff as it can be very dangerous if they fall off. After about 30 minutes of walking (at our own pace) we came to a wooden staircase built to take us up a very steep section.

A few minutes later, to our left, we had access to a magnificent and breathtaking panorama. We can even see another walk, the Mamelle de Petit Bourg, easily identifiable by its characteristic steep hill form, just in front of us. It’s worth noting that from here, although the sky is a little overcast, we can see the sea and cliffs in the distance. It’s already 11.30 a.m. and the sun is beating down, even though most of the route is in the shade. It would be ideal to come earlier to see the surroundings in better light, which would also be better for the photos.

We continue to the end of the steps and indeed the end of the walk is very muddy. The weather is fine, so it’s quite possible that there’s been some rain recently, as there’s a lot of mud in places. After walking for an hour, we reached the top and we were frankly proud that Téo had managed to walk almost all the way with us.

At the top, there’s a small wooden viewing platform from which you can see the surrounding natural area. Even though the light is strong (it’s midday), it doesn’t stop us from enjoying the view for a quarter of an hour. Here are some photos taken from the wooden platform at the top.

We see the sea on the horizon and the mainland far away. On the other side, the weather is overcast, but the clouds clinging to the ridges look really good. In short, we had a wonderful time. Téo is clearly tired, and I have to carry him on my shoulders for the return journey, which will be much quicker, even though the mud is still there and we have to be careful not to slip.

I’ll stop here for this little walk to Mamelle de Pigeon. It’s still a nice walk and the atmosphere along the path is very pleasant. The vegetation inside is as beautiful as ever, if you take the time to observe what’s around you. As Mélanie and I often say, we never get tired of walking in the interior of Basse-Terre. It’s always a pleasure.

For short hikes like this one, I won’t spend hours on the practicalities. I reserve that for more complex and famous hikes.

I’ve written a complete article summarising everything you need to know about visiting Guadeloupe. That’s the first thing to do. Once you’ve arrived here, I suggest you consider hiring a car to get around more independently.

Getting to the Mamelle de Pigeon hike obviously depends on where you are coming from. If you’re coming from Grande-Terre, you’ll need to take the Route des Mamelles, also known as the Route de la Traversée (RD 23). For more information:

• Allow about 40 minutes and 30 km from Pointe-à-Pitre. Here’s the itinerary on Google Maps.
• From the town of Basse-Terre, the route is longer, one hour and 60 km by car. See the itinerary here.

In a nutshell:

• Distance round trip: 2 km
• Duration: 1 hour (without a break) – 2 hours with children and photos (haha)
• Ascent: 178m
• Return to starting point: YES
• “Official” hike: YES

You can download the GPS track of the hike here if you need it.

There is no accommodation to report on the route. So you’ll have to go one way or the other. In my opinion, it’s best to stay on the west coast, where you’re closer to the coast. I’ve selected three places to stay for you. I think they’re worth considering:

• Les Galets Rouges: a new establishment in the commune of Bouillante, with beautiful rooms overlooking the sea, a private swimming pool and quality service.
• Les Gites de la Lézarde: another accommodation (on the eastern side) located in the valley of the Lézarde. It has attractive double rooms and a communal swimming pool. It is known for its warm welcome.
• Bungalow la Tortue Bleue: a small bed and breakfast offers a beautiful bungalow with a pool and sea views. Highlights include the bedding, private pool and warm welcome!

Of course, the location is ideal for other hiking trails in the area. To give you some ideas:

• La Mamelle de Petit-Bourg: another small peak just around the corner,
• La trace de la Rivière Quiock: a hiking path we’ve been meaning to do for a long time: a forest hike that crosses the river of the same name several times.
• Morne à Louis: another small Morne nearby that we hadn’t seen before, but which is no longer recommended as it has not been maintained and the view from the top is no longer possible.
• The walks (2 loops) around the Maison de la Forêt: there are two hiking trails on the site that allow you to discover the rainforest without getting too tired.
• Cascade des Écrevisses: it’s not as beautiful as the waterfall you can see after a trek, but it has the advantage of being accessible to everyone. It’s a three-minute walk on wooden planks, nothing too complicated.
• Trace du Petit Malendure: we’ve already done this one (I have to write the article), but it’s a very pleasant little hike by the sea (although it can get a bit tiring on the legs, haha).

I’ll stop here with the Mamelle de Pigeon trek, it’s a nice little walk in good weather with some great views at the top. If you’re looking for a really nice hike nearby, I invite you to read our article on the Paradis waterfall in Vieux-Habitants (west coast, a little further down).

We hope to see you soon.

Written by Sylvain PONS

Since 2021, I've been living in the Guadeloupe archipelago with Mélanie and our two children. We are exploring these beautiful islands and discovering the treasures that we are happy to share with you!

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