Sentier Murat (hike)

Situated in the commune of Grand-Bourg de Marie-Galante, the Murat Trail is a pleasant loop. The starting point is Habitation Murat, one of the first sugar mills on the island, and a vestige of the sugar cane history on Marie-Galante.

Start your visit with a tour of Habitation Murat, a foundational ecomuseum on Marie-Galante that conserves a great deal of the historical legacy of Marie-Galante.

From Habitation Murat, turn left and walk 150 metres to the indicated trail start. There you will find a map of the loop. Start the loop counterclockwise. Walk through the old sugar cane harvesting route. After about 1.1 km you will come upon a double electrical pole, walk past it and turn left to continue on the trail. Walk along a grassy path to reach the banana plantation and enjoy a forest walk, your path strewn with large roots. From here follow the trail markers as the path becomes disrupted by limestone clusters.

About 2 km through the forest later, an easier path emergers. Continue along the edge of the forest and enjoy the beautiful landscape, including a small pond. After walking about 400 metres along the forest, turn left.

Then you will enter another wooded area and walk for about 1 km before arriving at the historic Mare au Punch. While here, keep an eye out for the Morne Constant anole (anolis ferreus), also known as the Marie-Galante snail-tailed anole, a species of lizard endemic to the island.

Past the Mare au Punch, take the N9 towards Grand Bourg and turn left to go in the direction of Ducos. About 1 km later, you arrive at an intersection, turn left towards Morne Rouge. 700 metres later, you will come upon a stunning view of the islands Les Saintes and Dominique. Once you are done at the lookout point, continue left along the road towards Morne Rouge. 800 meters later you will arrive back at the start of the trail.

Distance: 9 km
Duration: 3 hours (not including a visit of Habitation Murat)
Difficulty: easy
Trail Markers: red
Advice: bring water, hiking shoes (sunken paths), sunscreen and a hat for sun protection
Warning: this trail can become slippery in rainy weather.