In the footsteps of the engraved rocks in the Montravail Forest

Take a walk in the cool Montravail Rainforest, located in the hot and dry south of Martinique, which offers a unique atmosphere. The suggested route is dotted with picnic and rest areas, allowing you to explore the forest and the streams that run through it.
The various trails, including the one suggested here, are dotted with monumental wooden sculptures that can be discovered along the forest road.

Details

n°1278240

Creation:
11 Jul 2018

Last update:
17 Nov 2023

Last review:
11 Mar 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 3.88 km
Average duration: 1h 30
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 150 m
Descent: - 145 m
Highest point: 301 m
Lowest point: 168 m

Country: France
City: Basse-Pointe (97218)
Start/End: N 14.496915° / W 60.929992°
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Description of the walk

To get to the starting point, from the RN5, in the village of Sainte-Luce, head towards the Épinay district via the D17 and then follow the signs for "Forêt de Montravail – Roches gravées".
The car park is easy to access and quite large.

From here, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the coast and Diamond Rock from a balcony surrounded by tropical vegetation.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the red-marked route west/south-west on the path that descends. Leave the intersection on the right and continue straight ahead (the path on the right is a shortcut). You will arrive at the engraved rocks.

(1) They are located in a fenced field; you must go over the top. To continue, take the path that continues downhill.

(2) At the bottom, continue right on the main, carriageable path, heading north then north-east.

(3) At the intersection, continue along the path on the left towards the "fromager" area and join a track on the right for a few metres (you can continue straight on along the track to return to the car park).

(4) Continue along the small path on the left. Turn right at the following intersections until you reach the concrete track. Follow it to the left until you reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 296 m - Car park
1 : km 0.74 - alt. 227 m - Rock carvings
2 : km 1.27 - alt. 171 m - Turn right at the lowest point.
3 : km 2.4 - alt. 235 m - Towards the Madame Marie River
4 : km 2.73 - alt. 234 m - Turn left towards Le Fromager.
S/E : km 3.88 - alt. 296 m - Car park

Notes

When hiking in the Montravail forest, it is best to avoid doing so in rainy weather (or just after), as the terrain can be very slippery (mud and rocks).
Wear good shoes and don't forget to bring water and your camera.
There are many shorter variations on marked trails: the small yellow circular of 1 km – the small green circular of 1.4 km – the medium orange circular of 3.5 km – the large red circular of 4 km.
The engraved rocks are not always accessible due to construction work, but the walk is still worthwhile.
You can also picnic on site under the carbets (traditional shelters) and there are toilets.
For easy parking, it is best to come during the week, as at weekends this place is very popular and quickly becomes crowded with families who want to have fun and picnic.

Worth a visit

Picnic areas: "Au foyer" (car park), "Man Marie" and "Fromager"
Wooden sculptures along the trail

Observe the typical vegetation of tropical rainforests, consisting mainly of mahogany and Caribbean pine trees, large-circumference kapok trees, balisiers, breadfruit trees, cacao trees, etc. The fauna is just as abundant, particularly birds such as hummingbirds, crabs, anoles, etc.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5

Route interest
4.1 / 5

User 23127146

11 Mar 2026 at 22:15 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very few people last week. Be careful if it rained the day before, as it can be slippery (lots of roots and mud). To see the engraved rock, it is not very well signposted and access may be closed. It is near point 1, there is a path that goes down to the right, just before a small path leads to private property. Take the path on the right that goes down and then back up. It's just after that on the left. Otherwise, at point 3, I must have missed the path because I found myself on "the forest road" but not in the right place.

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Jeando49

17 Feb 2026 at 12:43 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike in a green setting. Not particularly difficult, apart from the roots on the ground, which you need to watch out for. Depending on the time of year, some sections may be muddy.

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romsk83

03 Feb 2026 at 02:18 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk in the forest, not too steep and not very crowded, but best avoided if it has rained recently as it will be very muddy and slippery.
No engraved rocks were found, but that wasn't really the purpose of the walk.

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User 4116017

14 Jan 2026 at 00:45 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike with some slippery and muddy sections, but with good hiking boots it's fine. Fun stream crossings. Unfortunately, the engraved rocks have been reduced to a single stone and the area is supposedly off-limits due to construction work. A shame. But this short hike is enjoyable.

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Tité92

24 Aug 2025 at 07:41 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short route in an unexpected natural setting in this part of the island. Mainly through woodland.
If you go during the rainy season, be aware that some sections can be slippery.
A nice addition to a day at one of the beaches in Ste Luce (with a lovely view along the way).

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Tité92

07 Aug 2025 at 02:56 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An exotic circuit with vegetation worthy of the north of the island, even though you are in the heights of Ste Luce.
This short loop offers a nice variety of elevation and terrain.
Be careful in wet weather, though, as there are quite a few slippery sections!

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fil 59140

19 Mar 2025 at 10:26 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Caution: slippery route. The descent to the river is tricky.

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Guyennon

08 Oct 2024 at 07:08 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Clear and interesting

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Papagaya

14 Aug 2023 at 14:51 7200 • Edited: 14 Aug 2023 at 14:52 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A nice little circular in a lush forest, with wild vanilla and birds of paradise. However, you need to wear very sturdy footwear because the descent (to point 2) is very slippery, even in dry weather (we came across people turning back because they had injured themselves). We did this hike on a Sunday morning and were delighted to hear a choir singing mass in the forest! Magical.

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JULIETTE0615

04 Jul 2023 at 11:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A physically demanding hike in humid and stifling heat. No traces of engraved rocks, but lush vegetation instead.

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GanaDJ

03 Apr 2023 at 09:43 7200

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hikes done in early February.
Very well-maintained trail.
This route offers a bit of coolness in the shade of the trees and at altitude. What's more, it's located not far from the southern beaches, so you can follow it up with a swim!
Quite busy at weekends.

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LE GLEAU

17 Feb 2022 at 12:52 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Easy hike in dry weather.
We did it after a rainy spell and ended up in the mud.
Nice place for a picnic in the cool air.

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kiki57liki

06 Sep 2019 at 16:03 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike in the heart of the forest. Good footwear is essential as the trail can be stony and muddy at times (depending on the weather). There is plenty of wild vanilla along the route, and the Madame Marie river was a discovery in this environment, which one would imagine to be much less humid.

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