The Grelin region

Behind Grelin's school and football field, the shore of the plateau holds a panoramic view that'll take your breath away. That is, Grande-Terre and La Desirade in the horizon, the entire region of Bas from the Isle of Vieux Fort to the hill Morne Piton and the Island's reef oriented towards the northwest and the east.

Continue driving along D201 direction Saint-Louis for 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) before turning left into La Découverte and Les Sources. This time it's Basse-Terre, Les Saintes and Dominica that make up the horizon in front of a maze of deep ravines. Descending to Les Sources is a refreshing experience. The Saint-Louis' river flows peaceably between the foothills of Mangles-medaille. To prolong this serene atmosphere take Les Sources' hiking path.

 

Les Sources

On the route back, by way of the route N9 direction Grand Bourg, one can, beginning from Siblet, consider to approach the plaine and mangrove swamps, from Mangles to Folle-Anse; or else during the dry season cross over to Trois Ilets.

A little farther on, taking a tour of the Poisson distillery is very interesting. One will find, apart from the restored steam machinery, a collection (batterie) of vats typical of the old sugar refineries. The cane juice was left to thicken through the process of evaporation in these tanks. This tank syrup (sirop batterie), from which it got its name, can be found in many small-scale syrup productions.

The Gay and Moringlane roads will bring you to Faup on the D204 with beautiful glimpses of Les Saintes Islands. We climb upward again to an altitude of 100 meters (330 ft) before rejoining Grand-Bourg on La Treille road.

 

The center of the Island...in Grand Bois Pelisson

At Grelin exit D201 and for 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) head in the direct of Pelisson to the end of a picturesque road surrounded by dolines. Take the road to the right, it runs along side the large central valley and allows you to see on the other side the smokestack of Bielle distillery. This distillery shares with the ones of Poisson, Bellevue and Grande-Anse, the privilege of making the famous 59° proof rum. It adds a line of reputed liquors.

A pathway takes you down to the bottom of the valley and holds an unforgettable sight for everyone, that is a giant fig tree with large leaves that seems to block the whole valley. It is surrounded by philodendrons and other tropical varieties with barks that resemble the skin of an elephant. After this off-the-path visit to these giants, the track picks up again at the Mouessant well. The path widens into a winding twisting dirt road that regains the Durocher road between Vanniers and Bielle where you can go on by car.