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Heading eastward : pink sand and turquoise colored water...
Capesterre's seacoast forms a floor 50 meters high that interprets a phase of the Island emerging progressively from the sea.
On the rocky facade the cactus and the sea frangipanes, with white sweet flowers, stand out; where as the grottos mark the ancient sea level as in the Galeries or the hill of Rita.
The Amerindians, the first inhabitants of the Island, left their rocky writings on its walls. Besides tapioca they planted cotton which gave the Island the denotation of "Aulinagan, Land of Cotton". Still being farmed a half century ago, cotton was planted and picked by young girls of marrying age who used the cotton to make their matresses.
As for the fishermen from Galets, they still use the Amerindian raft, the pri-pri, which is made from hollow wood to navigate their way through the coral reefs in the lagoon.
Credit is attributed to the Island's first gouvernor, Jean de Boisseret de Temericout, in 1665 for the Pavillon well. The well allowed the animals to go down a steep plain coming just to the level of the surface of the underground waters. Since then a well using solar energy has taken over; the result of the progressive heightening of the Island has consequently forced the water level down and caused a serious dryness in the area.
The hiking path, "Côte Est" runs along side the coast line of the Galets that stretches to the limits of Piton Cove where "La Barre de l'Ile" passes. This major intersection delimits the Bas region from the North and marks the jaggert beginning of a littoral of cliffs rising up to 120 meters (400 ft).
From the point-of-view Pointe Cavalle, you can see the receding line of the Saragot facade due to the great earthquake of February 1843. The hiker's path, "Les Falaises" offers spectacular sneak previews before rejoining the Caye-Plate road and the cove Anse du Coq.
The Plateau des Coqs that dominates this bay of sand nestled in the facades, was occupied by the Amerindians for a thousand years and constituted the last Carib village of the Island. Since the evolution of the coral reefs and the subsequent rising of the Island, swimming or diving there is limited to very calm periods.
Down until Vieux Fort, the altitude consistently decreases. The bays come larger and the beaches due to the erosion of the sandy facades evolve. At Vieux Fort the beach stretches along side crystal clear waters that border a large body of fresh water which is ideal for canoeing. This is a surprising contrast to the nearby mangrove swamps, an amphibious forest that one discovers on the "Vieux Fort" hiking path.
The path leads to the cove Anse Canot through the littoral forest and is the best approach to the cove Anse La Frais just before reaching the Massacre artillery…A new contrast, between the calm serenity and an agitated period of history. This last "massacar" is that of the British occupancy in 1794 where as the one for Vieux Fort concerns the arrival of the first French colonists in 1653.
Beginning of March, the Grande Anse factory is the center of attraction for the 100 days of sugar cane harvesting. The raw sugar it produces is shipped in bulk from Pointe de Folle-Anse.
In 1963, during the construction of the harbor and the road giving access through the forest, a historically rich Amerindian site was uncovered. The 450 hectares of swamps, flood lands and forest today consist of protected natural lands.
The Roussel-Trianon estate witnesses the evolution of a typical colonial plantation with the mansion, stables, animal grounds, ponds, watering hole…everything is there. However, the windmill in spite of its strong foundation was dethroned by modern steam machinery in the big factory where the refined sugar was produced. In its turn, it was swalloed up by Grande Anse refinery, its neighbor and rival.
On the plain, the Pirogue Estate went through the same changes, its windmill completely disappeared leaving the site open to the construction of the Island's national freeway. The estate's reputation is not linked to the former factory, but to the events around its pond in 1849, from where it takes its name "La Mare au Punch" (the Punch pond).
An ideal place to appreciate the sun set behind the Islands of Les Saintes is the Murat Estate, headquarters of the Ecomuseum. The talent of the Island's massoneries is attested in the elegance of its windmill which dates back to 1814.
suite of the tour
The Northeast Facades
Beaches and Swamps
Sugar Island