Parc Naturel De Guadeloupe

Parc Naturel de Guadeloupe is a thick, verdant tropical forest of gommier trees, tall ferns and squawking tropical birds between Basse-Terre, the capital of Guadeloupe, and Pointe-à-Pitre.

To preserve Parc Naturel, Guadeloupe has set aside 74,100 acres (29,640 hectares), about one-fifth of its entire terrain. Easily accessible via modern roads, this is a huge tract of mountains, tropical forests, and gorgeous scenery, and one of the largest and most spectacular parks in the Caribbean.

The park is home to a variety of tame animals, including titi (a raccoon, adopted as the park's official mascot) and such birds as the wood pigeon, turtledove, and thrush. Small exhibition huts, devoted to the volcano, the forest, or to coffee, sugarcane, and rum, are scattered throughout the park. Parc Naturel has no gates, no opening or closing hours, and no admission fee.

Parc Naturel de Guadeloupe has many scenic trails to be explored. There are around 180 miles (290km) of trails, taking in rain forests and the wooded slopes of the 4,813-foot-high (1,444m) Soufrière volcano, passing by hot springs, rugged gorges, and rushing streams. Some of the trails are for experts only; others, such as the Pigeon Trail, will bring you to a summit of about 2,600 feet (780m), where the view is impressive. You can also stop at Forest House from where many lanes, all signposted, branch off into various trails.

The most enthralling walk in the park is to the Chute de l'Ecrevisse, the "Crayfish Waterfall," a little pond of very cold water at the end of a 1/4-mile path. This spot in the tropical forest is one of the beauty spots of the island. The pool found at the base of the falls is an ideal place for a cooling swim. To the left of the Route de la Traversée, a short trail parallels the Corossol River, ending at the crayfish falls.