Scout Trail starting from Grand Place

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route up to the Col des Bœufs pass. It starts off fairly gently from Grand Place les Hauts (Le Pavillon lodge) and is mainly shaded until you reach the signpost, then things get serious with an almost uninterrupted climb up to the Col des Bœufs pass. It's quite challenging, but the reward is there in the form of splendid landscapes, particularly the very impressive and vertiginous ridge passages! Indeed, the trail is not recommended for those prone to vertigo, as the passages along the ridge or along the rock face with the void beside them are impressive, even for someone who is not afraid of heights. A very beautiful hike, reserved for trained walkers as the climb is mostly via fairly high "steps" that follow one another over long distances, putting a lot of strain on the thighs and knees. Hike completed in 5 hours 40 minutes, including 4 hours 40 minutes of walking.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A really lovely hike, physically demanding and with some dizzying sections.
Not too difficult at the start, in the forest, with a few descents that can be a bit scary later on.
Then, a steep climb up the Scout trail and, towards the end, two or three sections that might be tricky for those prone to vertigo. They’re secured with a handrail, but it can still be a bit scary.
Note that the end of the route isn’t really the end if you’ve parked in the pay-and-display car park, as there’s a 2km uphill walk along the road to get back to your car.

Machine-translated

Hello,
Thank you for your comment. It’s true that this route (we did the full loop of Mafate) was breathtaking.
A must for keen hikers.

All the best

Michel

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is the second day of our route, starting from Cayenne. It’s a more challenging route due to the elevation gain, including the famous Scout Trail through a filaos forest. There’s beautiful vegetation towards the end of the route. The views are also breathtaking.
Thank you for this excellent route – definitely one not to be missed.

Machine-translated

Good evening,
I stayed at Le Coeur de Mafate in Grand Place les Hauts. It was brilliant: very clean, comfortable, hot water, and a warm welcome. We had a lovely meal.
As for the new place, I’ve already stayed at the Relais de Mafate and at Mme Gravina’s. I have fond memories of both.
As for the Scout Trail, it’s quite a physical challenge as the gradient is steep in places. It all depends on where you want to go next

Machine-translated

Hello,

I didn’t do the Scout trail; we preferred the Augustave trail, which runs alongside the Scout trail but on the other side of the mountain.

As for accommodation, we stayed at La Nouvelle au Tamaréo (one of the very best restaurants in Mafate, à la carte service, very spacious, B&B, lodge, dormitory)
In Grand Place, we stayed at Le Pavillon, which was also very good, though more commercial.
If you’d like any further information, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Kind regards

Machine-translated

Hello
Could you give me some information about the Scouts’ Trail in La Nouvelle?
I’m going on a 6-day hiking trip soon.
Do you know of any lodges at the start of the route and in La Nouvelle?
Thank you, best regards.

Machine-translated