The glorious cross of Piton des Songes

On the edge of the RN3 towards Col de Bellevue after the village of La Plaine-des-Palmistes, you will find a large car park on the right just before the entrance to the village of Bras des Calumets (linked to the Way of the Cross and the Glorious Cross of Piton des Songes).

(S/E) Take the Piton des Songes road, which starts to the right of the car park. A few metres further on, take the path on the right (a sign indicates the start of the path). The entire route is very clearly marked within dense vegetation, so it is almost impossible to go wrong. At the start, there is an undergrowth of guava trees, followed by alternating ascents and descents with some steep steps (which may be slippery in wet weather). Beautiful views of the Plaine-des-Palmistes appear fairly quickly.

(1) After skirting around much of the south-eastern flank of Piton des Songes, a green arrow indicates a fork in the path towards the cross (to continue without turning off here, follow the description of the Piton des Songes hike). The trail then climbs the slope towards the cross.

(2) Almost at the summit, you will find a wooden signpost indicating the cross and the Sentier des Plantes. Turn left to reach the esplanade where there is a very large white cross (about ten metres high). Enjoy the view of the ocean. Then take the tarmac access road and climb slightly to reach the top of the peak where the water tanks and telephone antennas are located.

(3)Follow the winding path downhill, enjoying the view, to the car park on the edge of the RN3 (S/E).

No water sources along the route.

Proper footwear is essential (the terrain is slippery when wet).

Please note that there is a large pilgrimage around mid-September.

The landscape of the Plaine des Palmistes and all the hikes in this region.