Le canal des Rotours (to see)

15 km

Boulevard Nelson Mandela, Morne-à-l'Eau

Voir le trajet

The Canal des Rotours (Rotours canal in english), dug in the 19th century, can be seen from the town of Morne-à-l'Eau, which it crosses to empty into the Atlantic Ocean at Vieux-Bourg. Originating in the center of Grande-Terre, the Rotours canal was initially designed for the purpose of opening up the territory and to transport sugar. It was dedicated to sugar transport until 1979. Its construction required the labor of more than 300 free men and slaves.
7 km long, nowadays it is rarely used, however the canal remains a witness to Guadeloupe's history of slavery and is one of the 18 historical sites included in La Route de l’esclave or ‘the Slave Route’.