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Access: From Saint-Louis, take the road leading to Les Makes, which passes the Lycée Antoine Roussin and the Parc du Gol. Pass the park and continue to the end of the road, taking the second exit at each roundabout. From there, turn right towards La Rivière (signposted). After the bridge over the Ravine Goyave, take the second road on the left (Rue Évaryste de Parny). Carry on straight ahead until you reach the Alcide Barret school, situated at the end of the long straight stretch.
(S/E) Take the path leading off in front of the school and to the left of a barrier blocking access to a reservoir. Leave the path continuing to the left and take the one on the right that runs alongside the fence. You can see the whole reservoir from the end of the path. At the end of the path, turn right onto Chemin Benjoin. Ahead of you, you can see the Chaîne du Bois de Nèfles, which shares the same geological origin as the Dimitile massif.
(1) At the next junction, turn left onto Chemin Richard. This path crosses a few streams and runs alongside a derelict picnic area. Ignore all the paths branching off to the right. As you round a bend, you’ll pass an imposing clump of eucalyptus trees several tens of metres high!
(2) Just after the picnic area and the cluster of eucalyptus trees, ignore the first path on the left and turn right to stay on Chemin Richard. The slope rises gently but without becoming too steep. The path continues in a straight line for a few metres and passes close to a building site. It’s a shame, as from this spot there used to be a small view of part of Gol-les-Hauts, Le Tapage and the Chaîne du Bois de Nèfles.
(3) At the end of a steep slope, take the path that starts on the left just after letterbox 99 (on the left). From the start of the path, you can see Les Canaux and the entire route ahead. The path runs alongside a pipe buried underground, which appears from time to time. You then cross the Ravine des Merles, passing over what appears to be an old water intake. The path then climbs in a straight line up to the Chemin Bras de Roc, running alongside cultivated fields; the gradient is quite steep but nothing too strenuous. At the end, take the road that continues straight ahead and crosses fields of sugarcane with a fairly steep gradient.
(4) At the junction, turn right onto the Chemin Bras de Roc. The slope levels out. Make the most of the panoramic views at this spot, which are only visible when the sugarcane has been cut. After crossing the first stream via a stone-paved crossing, take the Allée de la Boutique, which starts immediately on the left after the crossing. This path can be slippery in wet weather, especially as the slope is quite steep, but again, it’s nothing insurmountable. After a few bends and a slight incline, the lane widens and joins the Chemin Bras de Roc once more. Turn left, then take the next lane on the right. Continue to the end of this lane and take the concrete path, which climbs quite steeply in places between the walls.
(5) At the end of the lane, turn left onto Chemin de la Forêt. From this junction, you can see part of the village of Les Canaux as well as almost the entire south-west of the island. You can extend this walk by two hours by turning right. See the link for the walk in ‘Practical Information’. You then begin a gentle descent towards Chemin des Canaux.
At the end of the path, turn left onto Chemin des Canaux. A few bends further on, you’ll pass the church at Les Canaux. Do take a few minutes to have a look at it! At the next junction, turn right. There are magnificent views when the sugarcane has been cut as you head down Chemin des Canots. The path passes a large wayside shrine before crossing a block of houses situated a little way from the village of Les Canaux. Stay on the same road until you reach the junction you passed on the way out.
(4) Then turn right. The path continues almost in a straight line. After a bend, at the next junction, carry on straight ahead. You’ll come to another block of houses.
(6) After the last house, take the next dirt track on the left, which starts at the ‘Les Cornettes’ bus stop. At the next junction, take the path that continues straight on and heads into the sugarcane fields before running alongside them. After a few steps and round a bend, you’ll reach the Pont de Majeanette, a narrow footbridge. Walk past an oratory. At the oratory, the path is lined with chocas on the left. Continue to the last chocas on the left-hand side of the path and take the very inconspicuous track that starts right next to it, leading to the first pool.
Be careful: the ground is loose, so it’s easy to slip! The descent to the pool is very short but overgrown; do not take children along this section.
You’ll reach the pool and its waterfall in about ten seconds. After a short stop at the pool, head back up to the main path. Once you’ve rejoined the main path, continue climbing it, turning left. The final section of the path is tarmacked before you reach Chemin Richard.
At the end of the path, turn right onto Chemin Richard. Continue along the same route you took on the way there until you reach the junction with Chemin Bengoin.
(1) Turn right onto Chemin Benjoin. The right-hand side of the path is lined with houses. At the last of these, take a short detour along the wide path that runs alongside its boundary wall, starting beneath some eucalyptus trees. Then head down a narrower path that runs alongside a wall. You’ll soon reach a picnic area, which has recently been cleared of undergrowth, as well as a second pool which also has a small waterfall, though it’s smaller than the first. Take a few moments to look at the pool, then head back up Chemin Benjoin and return to the starting point by turning right onto the route you took on the way there (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Difficult 
