The Matouba Waterfall

Hi there! Here I am again at last with a new article about Guadeloupe. Since we became homeowners of our house in Saint-Claude, we’ve been spending all our weekends enjoying our garden and doing little projects! Needless to say, hikes in Guadeloupe are getting rarer these days, as confirmed by the extra kilos on the scale lately! Today, I’m taking you to discover a splendid waterfall: the Matouba Waterfall.

If you’re passionate about nature and discovering Guadeloupean wildlife, the link above takes you to our page dedicated to hikes in Guadeloupe. There you’ll find the list of all hiking-related articles here, as well as the possibility to download our GPS tracks to follow the trails without getting lost!

But back to business. One of the last hikes we did with Mélanie was the Parabole waterfall, above the famous Bassin Bleu, in the commune of Gourbeyre. We had already been to this area two years ago with Mélanie’s father, but hadn’t been back since. With this month of May and all the public holidays, it was the perfect opportunity to get back into it a bit.

After this hike, we also followed up with a hike to the Matouba Hot Baths, a spot we didn’t know yet…

To give you an idea, we’re less than fifteen minutes by car from home; that helps, right? (haha). More seriously, access to this waterfall is from the commune of Saint-Claude. You just have to take the main road up to the town center, drive through it, then head towards Matouba and follow the signs. It’s pretty well indicated: it’ll be on your left as you leave the main road, just before arriving in the town of Matouba. Here is the route from the town of Basse-Terre.

The road to the starting point is generally in good condition, no worries, and you also get a beautiful plant backdrop. The higher you go, the cooler it gets; all the more pleasant. On site, there’s a small shelter in case it rains and they even recently built a little playground for kids: always appreciated!

If you’re wondering, it’s more of a walk than a real hike, a bit like the Bassin Bleu on the heights of Gourbeyre. So it’s ideal if you don’t walk much, even if it should still be pointed out that the trail has actually been closed for quite some time, notably because of the risk of landslides. I clearly advise you to be careful, not to go if it’s raining, and, as we often say, you’re adults and responsible, right!

Anyway, back to the hike! You start by crossing a banana field which, depending on the season, will be lush or, as during our second visit, freshly cut. Crossing the field only takes five short minutes, but the view is nice! Once past this field, you enter directly into the beautiful local forest, which immediately sets the mood! I love this nature; it had been a long time since we’d walked and I must say everyone is having a blast. The kids are over the moon, as always, with not much: leaves, a few sticks, stones, and the morning is perfect!

There’s no real particular difficulty. The trail is well marked through the vegetation. You’ll just need to watch out for a few sections slightly damaged by landslides during heavy rains. That’s really why I advise you not to come here when it’s raining: you never know, and it’s better not to take unnecessary risks… On the way down, you’ll see water running down the wall on the left, proof that everything is humid around here…

You’ll also enjoy beautiful views of yellow or red heliconias. Even if we know these flowers by heart, they’re always very beautiful to observe, sometimes with hummingbirds, whose wing buzzing you can hear. The descent lasts twenty minutes at most, with a few sections featuring large steps. Nothing extraordinary; it’s quite manageable, even with children. Once at the bottom, you arrive directly at the Saint-Louis River, a tributary of the Rivière des Pères, the same river we hear loudly from the house, especially when it rains a lot!

At the bottom, the river flows quietly and you can already hear, in the background, the crash of the waterfall not far away. Knowing the area already, we walk toward the back of the valley and this magnificent waterfall (from memory!). Although it hadn’t rained for a few days, the river flow was still quite strong. At our spot, we had no choice but to walk directly in the river with our shoes, but in the dry season, you should be able to go to the end without getting your feet wet (although that’s a detail, in my opinion!).

A few minutes of brisk walking are enough to catch sight of this waterfall which is truly splendid, honestly one of the most beautiful we’ve seen so far on our hikes in Guadeloupe. We arrive and we’re alone, it’s the best! Sure, at first glance, you might think it’s not the most spectacular, since it’s only about ten meters high, but it still makes an impression! At its foot, you’ll find a very beautiful, very deep pool, perfect for swimming!

We enjoy this magical setting for ten to fifteen minutes, alone in the world. The waterfall is really impressive. The atmosphere at the bottom is superb, with a huge cave on the left side of the waterfall. The surrounding vegetation is also very beautiful! We’d planned ahead with our swimsuits and I must say it had been a long time since I’d swum in a river and had so much fun! The water isn’t warm, of course, but I got in quite easily, knowing that I’m rather sensitive to the cold to begin with!

I first tried to swim directly toward the waterfall (thinking I had enough strength, haha), but it’s simply impossible given the current! So I had to swim on the left side, toward the cave and its recess. Once underneath, the feeling is truly magical. Looking up, I see this imposing rock just above me, praying that nothing falls at that moment! Once “in the calm” on that side, you can then swim more easily toward the waterfall, but you very quickly run into the strong current that brings you back to your starting point in no time.

We spend a good hour at the bottom enjoying this truly magical setting, much more beautiful than other waterfalls. We go back up by the same trail, quite quickly; it’s really fast this time.

If you’re looking for a place to sleep nearby, you can check the map below to see the available accommodations.

In this area, we particularly recommend the following two accommodations:

• Villa Créole : a small Creole-style villa nestled in greenery in Gourbeyre, very well equipped (terrace, kitchen, parking, Wi-Fi) with mountain views and attentive hosts.
• Les Trésors de Laurëlia : a cozy villa in Gourbeyre with a private pool, mountain views, and a proper fully equipped kitchen. Plus, the quiet setting is ideal for exploring Basse-Terre at your own pace!

If you’re looking for another really nice waterfall, you can head to the Saut du Bras du Fort, in Goyave, one of the first hikes I had the chance to do when I arrived in Guadeloupe!

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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