Traces Des Caps - Martinique
The Trace des Caps is a hiking trail on the southern tip of the French West Indies. It is 27km long, the longest route on the island, and can be done in 2 or 3 days.
Practical guide for hikers
The route can be done in different ways, depending on the conditions in which it is to be done. The route could be completed in one day, walking in the morning and stopping at night during the sunniest hours of the day. Alternatively, you can walk for about 4 hours a day and enjoy the beach in the afternoon, camp and finish in the morning of the next day.
It is preferable to do the tour on weekdays (during the week). This way the experience is better because there are fewer people on the tour. What's more, even the most popular beaches in the area may be empty. As for the beaches, they have white sand and turquoise water and are lined with coconut trees.
The predominant language on the island is French, and knowledge of English alone would not be enough to communicate with the islanders. It is necessary to have a basic knowledge of English or to carry a tool with you to communicate.
It can be divided into 6 different phases: Petit Macobou - Cap Macré, Cap Macré -Cap Chevalier, Cap Chevalier - Bay of the English, Bay of the English - Anse Trabud, Anse Trabud - Salines, Salines -Anse Caritan.
In order to get to Petit Macobou you need to have a car and drive along a track about 4 km south of Vauclin. You can park in the car park on the beach itself. In case you want to do the route in different stages, there are different car parks at different stages of the route.
The route ends in the village of Saint Anne, which has 4 beaches, the last of which is Anse Caritan.
The route is not complicated at all along the way because it is well signposted. The most complicated part is at Anse Trabaud, as you have to cross a wetland and it can be a bit tricky to find the route there.
Advice for hikers
As there are no services on the route, it will be necessary for hikers to carry all the necessary equipment. This includes, on the one hand, everything necessary for camping and cooking. When it is time to eat, it will be necessary to take all the food with you, both for cooking and for eating at any time. Water or drinks will also be necessary. At least 3 litres of water will be necessary to cope with the route. There is no water source or any kind of drinking water along the route, so it is extremely necessary to include it in your luggage.
In terms of clothing, being a coastal area and in a tropical zone, loose-fitting clothing will be appropriate. There are likely to be a lot of insects, so long-sleeved clothing will help to avoid bites. A mosquito net could also be included to help you rest during the night and the early and late hours of the day. Nights are not usually of such quality and storms tend to be occasional, so waterproof clothing will help protect against storms.
As the route is isolated from civilisation, it is important to carry a device with you so that if you get lost or injured you can be rescued quickly. GPS devices are the best option for this, as they allow helicopters or search teams to access the area you are in very quickly.
It is important to prepare in advance for the trip. As it is a practically deserted island, it will be necessary to have prepared the transport to get to the island, the accommodation there and the transfer to the route area.
It is a fairly straightforward route because there are no slopes and it is quite easy to follow. However, the conditions to be able to do it make it difficult. The lack of food and drink, the lack of accommodation, the high temperatures and the amount of insects that can be present mean that not everyone can cope with the route.
Another option that could be considered to make the route somewhat easier is to rest in the city of Martinique. You could do half of the route one day, return to the city and finish the route from the point where it ends on the second day. This would make it easier to rest and not have to carry so much weight.
