I arrive in Guadeloupe with plans to board my friend Braňo’s catamaran and spend a few days trying out life at sea in a part of the world that’s new to me—the Caribbean. The original plan leaves me a day or two to spare, so I rent a car to explore at least part of the island on my own.
I’m also toying with an optimistic idea—if conditions allow, to try for La Grande Soufrière, the island’s highest point.
Things change when Braňo sails into Guadeloupe a few days earlier than planned. He and his crew join me and, in the end, the four of us set out on a trek into the area below La Grande Soufrière.
The outing ends up shaped by everything—the pace of people who’ve spent recent weeks more at sea than on land, the weather, and the fact that we miss the right trailhead right at the start.
Instead of climbing the volcano, we end up on a shorter jungle hike along Carbet Falls. And while that wasn’t the original plan, it turns into a very pleasant day of walking, views, and swimming at the waterfalls.
A change of plans right from the start
From early on, it’s clear the conditions aren’t ideal. The highest ridges are constantly shrouded in cloud and visibility is poor—going for the summit probably wouldn’t make much sense in weather like that.
And we run into a practical snag straight away.
By car we miss the proper road to the upper car park, Parking Chutes du Carbet. Instead, we find ourselves much lower down, at a lesser-known parking area hidden in the forest—right at the start of the Trace de la Troisième Chute du Carbet trail.
In hindsight, we count it as a lucky mistake.
A lesser-known route
By not starting from the main car park, we probably also avoided paying the entrance fee that’s normally collected at the official access to this area.
The route we take is less frequented yet still reasonably well maintained. Right at the start we’re surprised by wooden boardwalks and footbridges laid over sections that clearly turn into mud traps when it rains. This side of the island is much wetter, the jungle is dense and the ground soaks up water fast, so the boardwalks make sense here.
Troisième Chute du Carbet waterfall
We gradually make our way deeper into the tropical forest. The air is humid and the surroundings full of jungle sounds. This isn’t the kind of hiking we’re used to in Europe.
After about half an hour we reach the first junction. The names on the local signs don’t mean much to us—we hadn’t studied this variant of the route in advance. We take the left turn toward the river and carry on with no great expectations.
Which makes it all the more of a surprise when the view opens up of Troisième Chute du Carbet.
The waterfall feels natural and a little wild—untouched by major structures or interventions. The path leads to a viewpoint, but getting all the way to the water takes a bit of finding your own way through branches, roots and rocks. It’s not technically difficult; you just need to be careful.
Despite the prohibition, we can’t resist and head down to the water. The cold water beneath the falls is exactly what you need after a warm, humid hike. We don’t hesitate and go for a swim.
We linger longer than planned—helped by the fact that we have the place entirely to ourselves. The first people arrive just as we’re packing up to leave.
Viewpoint for Deuxième Chute du Carbet
From the waterfall we return to our original path and continue climbing alongside the Rivière du Grand Carbet.
This is the most demanding section of the entire route. Not so much technically as for the combination of steeper ascent and spots where you need to read the terrain. In places the path isn’t obvious and you have to choose the right way. If in doubt, I’d recommend checking your position on the map—the trail is marked there fairly precisely.
After a longer climb the terrain levels out and links up with the official trail leading to the viewpoint over Deuxième Chute du Carbet. This is also where the feel of the hike changes. The narrow jungle path gives way to a wider, groomed and well-marked trail with steps, railings and a lot more people.
A few minutes later we arrive at the viewpoint for Deuxième Chute du Carbet.
The viewpoint offers a fine, if slightly limited, look at the falls and at the higher ridges, which, during our visit, remained wrapped in cloud. It only confirms that trying to go higher wouldn’t have made much sense today.
The trail officially ends here, so we take a short break, have a bite and head back the same way. Before that, though, we launch the drone and try to capture the falls from better angles than the viewpoint allows. The aerial footage also reveals the first of the trio—Première Chute du Carbet.
About Carbet Falls
The Carbet Falls (Les Chutes du Carbet) sit in Guadeloupe National Park (Parc national de la Guadeloupe) on the slopes of La Grande Soufrière volcano on the island of Basse-Terre.
They are a trio of waterfalls—Première, Deuxième and Troisième Chute du Carbet—and rank among the island’s best-known natural attractions. The highest is Première Chute du Carbet, dropping more than 100 meters.
The best time to visit is outside periods of heavy rain, ideally in the drier part of the year. Thanks to frequent showers the falls carry plenty of water year-round, but during intense rain the paths can be very slippery and some sections may be closed.
Conclusion
Towards the end of the day we return to the marina and our catamaran, pleasantly tired and buzzing with the day’s impressions.
The outing was worth it—even though the plan kept changing and, instead of the island’s highest summit, we ended up getting to know the local jungle a little better.
Ironically, that very improvisation made it one of the best days on the island. Less fixation on a goal, more room to respond to the conditions—and a stronger experience for it.
Swimming beneath the falls, the solitude of the jungle and views up to the higher tiers were exactly what turned the day into something we’ll remember for a long time.
Essential route info
Route length: approximately 4.5 km
Total elevation gain: approximately 360 m
Total time (including return, breaks and swimming): approximately 3.5 hours
Recommended gear: plenty of water, sturdy footwear, insect repellent