Les Bananes Vertes” ecolodges are the ideal starting point for numerous hikes in the heart of Guadeloupe's national park. In a previous article, I took you with me to climb La Soufrière volcano. Today, I'd like to take you on a tour of the Chute du Galion, which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful on the island.

Let's put on a good pair of walking shoes and jump in the car to head for the Bains Jaunes parking lot, our starting point for this forest hike.

As on our ascent of La Soufrière, we take the paved Pas du Roy path, but this time only for ten minutes or so, until we reach an intersection. We must now continue on the right-hand path towards the Galion waterfall.

We follow the path, discovering numerous plant species typical of this tropical environment, such as yellow mangroves, recognizable by their stilt-like above-ground roots, chestnut trees with large and small leaves, tree ferns and numerous epiphytic plants. The latter live on trees, but do not parasitize them; they simply use them as a support to get closer to the sun's rays, and spread their roots down to the ground to collect the nutrients they need to thrive. For the record, the famous Tarzan doesn't swing from vine to vine, but from root to root - a childhood myth shattered.

To continue, we have to cross the river and take the stairs on the other side of the bank. Be careful not to slip on the wet rocks. We then have to climb a little on two occasions, but these technical passages are relatively straightforward - just use the ropes provided. Once you've got over this hurdle, you can admire the waterfall. The hardest part is behind us, and we've only got a few metres to go before we reach the foot of this magnificent forty-metre waterfall. Once at the foot, when the sky is clear, you can even see part of the Saintes archipelago.

The pool at the foot of the waterfall isn't deep enough for a swim, but you can take a shower in the water to cool off before heading back.

The way back takes the same path as the outward journey, and we're now back at the Bains Jaunes parking lot. All in all, our hike in the heart of Guadeloupe's national park took around 3 hours. Before climbing back into the car and heading back to the “Les Bananes Vertes” ecolodges, a quick dip in the Bains Jaunes is in order. These basins of warm, sulphurous water are ideal for relaxing and fighting aches and pains.