Le Morne Brabant UNESCO Hike with Local Guide review

Who it’s for

Anyone reasonably fit who wants to stand on the mountain rather than fly past it, and anyone for whom the flight is simply too much money. I say it plainly on the Le Morne tours page: the hike is a fraction of a flight and it is better value if you cannot afford one. It also suits people who care about the history. Le Morne was a refuge for maroons, escaped enslaved people, in the 18th and early 19th centuries; slavery was abolished here in 1835, and the mountain is a national memorial with the International Slave Route Monument at its foot. The guides tell that story on the way up, along with the medicinal plants, and they tell it as people from the village.

It is not for children under 8, and I would think hard about anyone under 12. It is not for bad knees, poor balance or a fear of exposure, because the upper third is hands-on scrambling and the guides may turn a group round if the weather closes in. Closed grippy shoes are mandatory, not advisory. If that rules you out, the catamaran looks up at the same mountain from the lagoon.

The day in order

Start time shifts with the season, but it is early, and there is a reason: the trail is sun-exposed and the wind and cloud both come up later. Pickup is included for the Le Morne area on the morning group, with other areas offered.

1. Meet at the foot of the mountain. Water, biscuits and breakfast are provided.
2. Coastal forest on a track that gains height gently.
3. The UNESCO slave-route section: the guides explain the maroons, the mountain as a refuge, and the plants they used.
4. The path steepens. Only authorised guides may take you past this point onto the upper section.
5. The last third: rock, roots, hands. Petra from Croatia called it “very steep”, and she is right.
6. The viewpoints over the Le Morne lagoon, the kite lagoon on the north side, and the reef. On a calm, clear day, look south-west off the tip for the pale outline of the sandfall.
7. Down the same way. About four hours in all, then the drop-off.

What the reviews say

Six hundred and thirty-eight ratings and a 4.9, which is as settled as a score gets on this site. Two things come up again and again. First, it is hard. Stanislas from France: “Last third very steep and done with hands. Requires significant physical fitness.” Uma from India: “Needs next-level fitness.” Stephane from France found the “second part very technical” and the guide’s presence “reassuring”. Second, the guides. Petra from Croatia: “Guides Christopher and Sebastian were experienced and great company.” Uma again: “Main guide Davilen par excellence.” Radu from Romania had “three guides” for “a group of 10 including kids” who “knew every rock”. Miguel from Spain: “Christopher made the climb easy.” Jack from the UK: “Knowledgeable, supportive guides. Learnt lots, beautiful views.” Nataliia from Germany: “Perfectly organised; the guide a true professional.”

Nobody in that pile says they saw the underwater waterfall from the top, and I would not expect them to. From the summit it is a shape, if that.

Is it worth the money?

Yes, and by a wide margin, as long as you know what you are buying. Against any flight it is cheap; against walking up alone it buys you the upper section, which is closed without an authorised guide, and the story of the mountain from people who grew up under it. What it does not buy is the illusion. Pair it with a helicopter if you can, or accept the outline from the top; how to see it ranks the options.

Check dates

The hike runs year-round. In the wet season, December to April, expect the guides to make the weather call on the morning; in the dry season the early slots fill first.

Frequently asked questions