The Sainte-Cécile circular with the ascent of Morne Jacob

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but best avoided after rainy days as it gets very muddy. Beautiful view from the crest of Mont Jacob, overlooking Montagne Pelée... Plantations, forests and lush vegetation line the route. Be careful on the descent as the markings are not obvious. There is a fork on the right to catch up with the Jesuit trail (we made the mistake and ended up at the suspension bridge, a great place for swimming and picnics with an exceptional pool to the right of the bridge. We didn't regret our mistake, but it added 5 km to our hike).

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Date of your route : Jun 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is well signposted, but don't miss the turn-off at the start or you'll end up in the middle of banana fields. The final climb up Morne Jacob is quite strenuous, so thank you to whoever put the rope in place.
The view from the top is magnificent, even if the weather was foggy that day.
The start of the descent is a bit dangerous, so I strongly advise against taking this route with children or in wet weather.

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Date of your route : May 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was a bit tricky finding the first path into the forest (although there is a small sign to indicate it), but after that the path is clear and well marked.
Don't do this hike if it's raining or if it rained the day before, as it will be extremely slippery. It's also not suitable for people under 1.55 metres tall, as the end of the ascent involves climbing. Fortunately, there is a rope, but it's tough going. Another concern is that the descent could do with a rope at the start, meaning you have to crouch down to get down, so it's better to be a bit taller. But the view from the top is magnificent, with a 360° panorama of the Pitons du Carbet, the valleys, the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, and a direct view of Mount Pelée.
It's a moderate hike except for the last 50 metres of the ascent and the first 50 metres of the descent.
If you are used to hiking, do it, but only on a sunny day and when it has not rained the day before. The entire hike is shaded.
Yours sincerely

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Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is truly magnificent, but the directions to find the start are completely wrong. I ended up on this route quite by chance after giving up on the idea of doing it, and then all the directions were correct.

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Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Hike through a lush and unusual forest, but with a slippery trail, which in my opinion is very difficult to do in the rain....

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Date of your route : Jan 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After a first attempt that was cut short by incessant tropical rain, I returned the next day. What a blast!!! The rain made the course extremely slippery, and everything that has already been written in the comments is true. However, I was never able to find the indicated starting point. In desperation, I set off on another route... which led me to the one I was hoping for. So here's an alternative: once on the Sainte Cécile road, continue for about 500 metres (until after a big left-hand bend and a small esplanade above). Leave your car there. A fork in the road in front of a banana plantation leads to Morne La Piquonne. Follow this path (crossing several rivers). At one point, you will be walking through a banana plantation. Keep to the right until you reach a small path indicating the hill (you have to look carefully to see it). Then, just look around to see where to go (follow the red dots at strategic points). Without meaning to, you will end up in front of a sign for the "Sainte Cécile route" after a long climb. This adds a few kilometres to the walk, but it's no problem. Another point to note is that on the descent (which was very slippery due to the previous day's rain), there is a fork in the path with the Jesuit trail signposted on the left. You need to go right, even though there are no signs except for two red dots painted on the ground. An exceptional walk, made even better by the perfect weather. The view from the summit is so beautiful it will bring tears to your eyes. I did it alone, which may not have been the most sensible thing to do. Brooks Cascadia trail shoes are perfect for this type of terrain. Don't set off in ordinary shoes. It's too slippery.

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Date of your route : Dec 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, without rain for us but still quite wet on the ground, done with a short person for whom the natural steps were still quite difficult, especially the final part of Morne Jacob with steps the width of a shoe, which were relatively slippery. Without the ropes, climbing to the summit would have been impossible. You also need to be confident about the route, as a large part of the climb, as well as the entire return trip along the ridge, is on a single path with no crossroads, so there are few signs, but it is impossible to get lost. And the view from the top on a clear day is magnificent.

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Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, it took me five hours to complete the route, taking my time. Once you find the junction to take the hiking trail near the banana plantation, it is impossible to get lost, as the path is well maintained for a tropical route.
95% of the route is shaded, and you walk through a fairly dense tropical forest. With the altitude, the vegetation changes a little but remains "shady". There are parrot beaks and birds of paradise galore. Lots of birds, including the mountain whistler, with which I was able to converse for almost an hour (very pure notes and melodic song)!
The hike is moderately difficult, with more than half of it consisting of natural steps formed by roots. It goes up and down quite a bit, with a total elevation gain of over 1,000 metres. 1 km before Morne Jacob, the climb becomes steep and difficult if it rains on the same day. A rope helps you make the final ascent with steps carved into the earth. However, there is no rope on the descent, even though it is very steep. It had rained during the week, so it was quite slippery, and there were a few nasty falls. There is no real danger if you are careful, but in my opinion, the descent on this side is not suitable for children under 14-15 years old unless they are used to it. A walking stick is a great help!
The view from Morne Jacob is simply magnificent, with the Pitons du Carbet, Mount Pelée, the ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When you emerge after 2½ hours in the forest, it's very pleasant.

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Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, the views are magnificent.
Very steep climb at the end.
Not recommended in rainy weather due to high risk of slipping.

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Date of your route : Mar 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Poorly maintained trail

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