The Case Moustache Mangrove and Pointe d'Antigues

Start from the car park at Anse du Souffleur beach, at the very north of Port-Louis (follow the signposts).

Yellow markings + directional signs
There are also, though very sporadically, pink markers, mentioned here only in case they are needed.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the beach and immediately turn right onto a small tarmac road towards Anse Bertrand (information sign with a map). Walk past the cemetery on your left and, at the end, first turn right then left to continue along a track lined with wooden posts and running parallel to the shore. Note a few ‘carbets’ (wall-less shelters) on the left-hand side.

(1) Just before the last carbet, leave the track and turn right onto the mangrove discovery trail (there’s a sign that you can only see from behind before you pass it). Look for a yellow marker on a tree, followed by a pink one. A few metres further on, turn left and step onto a wooden jetty. Follow the jetty as it winds through the mangrove and over the flooded marsh. At the end of the jetty, continue along a compacted path marked by small limestone blocks (damp sections).

(2) At a marker post, turn left. Wind your way through dense vegetation, first along a path still marked by small blocks and then along a track (follow the markings carefully; here, they are mostly in the form of vertical lines; general direction west-north-west). When you reacha tree thatis noticeably larger than the others, veer left. This will take you to the edge of a vast body of water (or a marsh in the dry season).

(3) Then turn left towards a clearly visible jetty and walk along the edge of the marsh on your right (wet patches). Next, follow the jetty, which spans a stream, before rejoining the coastal track you left earlier.

(4) Follow the track to the right towards Anse Bertrand. At the end of the track, pass between two wooden posts, each bearing a pink marker, continue along a sandy path and follow the shoreline on your left at varying distances. At a fork in the road (a post with a pink marker and a yellow one on the other side), turn right. Pass a tiny modern chapel on your left and carry on under the shade of the trees. You’ll reach Pointe d’Antigues (a shoreline made up of the remains of coral reefs).

(5) Continue northwards along the coastal path until you reach Anse Lavolaine beach. Walk along the beach for as long as you like.

(6) Retrace your steps along the coastal path, then follow the track back to the end point of the mangrove discovery trail.

(4) Go straight on, cross the marsh spillway (with a path leading to a viewing platform on the left) and continue along the track to the starting point of the mangrove discovery trail.

(1) Carry on straight ahead, go round the cemetery on the left and head for the car park at Anse du Souffleur beach (S/E).

It is best to wear lightweight, waterproof walking boots. Do not skimp on the amount of water you take with you. Sun protection is essential for the entire coastal route. For the mangrove trail, bring mosquito repellent depending on the season.

The Port-Louis Marshes, along or within which you will be walking, are a sensitive natural area: please respect the environment, do not disturb the wildlife, and take your rubbish away with you.

A detailed map is required (at the very least, the one accompanying this description).

Important warnings and recommendations:
The mangrove discovery trail, between (1) and (4), follows three different types of surface: a boardwalk (at the start and end), a clearly marked path and a more or less defined track. Whilst the boardwalk section poses no problems, several recommendations apply to the other two surfaces:
- Take the time to identify the correct route and follow the signposting carefully (which is fairly frequent but, unfortunately, worn).
- If you lose sight of the signposts or are in any doubt, do not hesitate to turn back to a landmark you have previously spotted.
- A compass or, better still, a GPS track on your mobile phone (with a fully charged battery) can be a great help.
- Depending on the season, away from the jetty, you may encounter damp or even completely flooded sections. Do not hesitate to get your feet wet; the ground is generally firm (check this by tapping the ground with a stick before stepping on it).
- The route can be difficult in places due to the damp ground and dense vegetation. Add to this the challenges of navigating this environment, and it’s clear that progress is slow. N.B. I completed the entire walk in 2 hours instead of the estimated 1 hour 35 minutes (walking time only), mainly due to the section through the mangrove.
It is for all these reasons that this walk has been rated ‘Moderate’, whilst its short distance and lack of elevation gain would normally place it in the ‘Easy’ category.

Alternatives:
Avoiding the mangrove - Those who enjoy coastal paths but do not wish to cross the mangrove can continue straight on along the track at point (1) and rejoin the main route at point (4). I would, however, recommend heading towards the jetty at point (4), on the right just before the signposts, to enjoy a comfortable view of the mangrove.
Continuing to Anse Bertrand – Once you reach Anse Lavolaine (6), you can continue along the signposted coastal path to Petite Chapelle beach. It is best to leave a second car in the beach car park. Allow around 8 km to travel from Anse du Souffleur to Anse de Petite Chapelle, without the detour via the mangrove.

N.B. Previously, the mangrove discovery trail could be followed directly from the car park, starting on a discreet concrete path before the tarmac road (dashed line on the IGN map; on site, one or two signs bear witness to this). It appears that this path is rarely maintained and, in October 2017 (two weeks after Cyclone Maria struck), access was very difficult and the path quickly disappeared into a tangle of vegetation. I recommend not taking this route and starting the discovery trail at (1).

Hike undertaken by the author on 3 October 2017.

Along the route:
- The mangrove swamp is a destination in its own right (provided you enjoy walking through this kind of environment). Mangrove trees reign supreme here, as do the small fiddler crabs, known in the West Indies as ‘cémafaute’ – a reference to the gesture of contrition made during the Act of Contrition in the Catholic liturgy. There are numerous other plant species in the marsh, as well as birds.
- At Pointe d’Antigues, there is a beautiful panoramic view of Basse-Terre.
- A lovely beach at Anse Lavolaine.
- Beach at Anse du Souffleur (S/E) and several other opportunities for a good swim along the coastal route, provided the coral reefs are far enough from the shore.

In Port-Louis:
- The Sugar Cane Museum, on the site of the former Beauport sugar factory.

In Petit-Canal (near the church, to the west of the village):
- Memorial to the Unknown Slave, unveiled in 1994 to mark the bicentenary of the first abolition of slavery.
- The Slaves’ Steps. More moving than the memorial itself, these steps lead to the quay where slaves were sold as they disembarked from the ships. Plaques indicate the names of the African ethnic groups from which they originated.