Chemin Ilet A Malheur

Dogs Unknown

Features Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers

There are no roads anywhere in Cirque de Mafate, so this easy-going trail serves as kind of the main pathway between Malheur and Aurere for locals and backpackers alike. These small historic villages were originally founded by escaped slaves that hid in Mafate due to it's inaccessibility. Today, the villages have embraced the tourism and are filled with small hiker hostels (Gites) that you can reserve for a night, dinner, and breakfast. Crops are also raised, but most of this trail is still forested (all of it is national park land). The locals grow a wide range of beautiful flowers that enhance the awesome views to the cirque's ramparts, Piton des Neiges, and Piton Cabris. There is a bridge over the Bras Bemale gorge at the trail's low point with a neat little waterfall.