Montagne Pelée
Montagne Pelée
4.5
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This mountain may look innocent, but don't be fooled: it's really a volcano, responsible for the destruction of the town of St. Pierre.
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4.5
377 reviews
Excellent
225
Very good
120
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29
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3
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0
Michael Z
Hannover, Germany16 contributions
Jan 2020
I hiked up the Mount Pelee to the second refuge hut. There I stopped just because it was late afternoon already and the further path to the summit was in clouds. However, I very much enjoyed the climb and took a ton of pictures of the local flora and the spectacular views. I recommend this hike to everyone, average fitness level is sufficient.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rose C
175 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Good road up to this iconic mountain. Was covered in cloud. River of water running down need welly boots or hiking boots. Restaurant good menu, ice creams,coffees and a few souvenirs. Toilets are outside very clean. Picnic area under cover
Written 12 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelingmom74150
Boston, MA187 contributions
Mar 2013 • Family
This hike, although quite steep in the beginning when coming from the Morne Rouge side, is well worth the effort. We went all the way to the top and around the caldera. The views in all directions were stunning. Although fairly hot at the base, elevation combined with occasional clouds kept us relatively cool up top. I hired a guide (french speaking) and loved learning about the mountain, the local flora and Martinique in general while hiking. We saw several families making their way through at least part of the hike at their own paces. Even if you don't get to the top, the views are still great. According to our guide, you have a better chance of clear skies if you start early, which was certainly good advice on the day we went. Clouds dominated by early afternoon, when we were coming down. Highly recommended if you enjoy hilly hiking.
Written 10 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldTraveler9
California, MD523 contributions
Jan 2012 • Friends
An affordable collective taxi leaves from Fort de France for Morne Rouge at 8 A.M. every morning. The hike to the top of the volcano starts with a walk on a small paved road for 2 km from Morne Rouge to the trailhead. Keep your eyes peeled for views on both sides of the road, as well as behind you. Views of the Atlantic are on the right and a fabulous view of the Pitons du Carbet is behind you. You will also see wild banana trees and fields growing Scotch bonnet peppers. Although it is hot at sea level, as you walk toward the peak the temperature quickly drops to a pleasant coolness. Stop at the memorial to the 30,000 people who were killed by the volcano in 1902. A cafe near the trailhead has ice cream for your way back down. Take your camera!
Written 15 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RaineStorms
College Park, MD22 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
Ohhhhh mama, this volcano, though. Look, kids, I'm not much of a hiker/climber, but hiking this mountain was hard as (expletive) and I'm super proud that we did (most of) it. (We did have to stop short of the summit so we had enough life force to turn around and climb back down.) They said that this was the shortest route (4 hours roundtrip but it really took us a bit longer cause I'm slow, and the other routes were like 7-10 hours) and that this was the easiest route (we were lied to). I'm not even really sure who 'they' were that said this, but 'they' were convincing enough that we hiked/climbed/crawled up this active volcano for kicks.
For people who don't hike often (i.e. like me), some tips: Start in the morning, as early and with as little light as you dare and/or feel safe. Bring lots of water. And maybe a sandwich for halfway through your hike. Dress in layers that you're okay with taking off and tying/carrying, because you'll be cold when you drive up to the parking area, but you're gonna get warm fast. Be prepared to use all four limbs sometimes, and to not use stairs for four days afterwards. The mountain-y wooden-dirt-rock stair parts are the hardest part... until they aren't. Sometimes it's gonna be really difficult and slow-going and you're gonna be grumpy and grumbling about the smooth-ish rock face you're scrabbling precariously up at times. You'll probably have to pee outside. Some people bring their dogs up the hike, and the dogs are so super cute until you realize the dogs are better hikers than you. Then they're just showing off.
But most of all... the view when the clouds part is worth it tenfold. And you'll feel like a beast. (At least until tomorrow morning.)
For people who don't hike often (i.e. like me), some tips: Start in the morning, as early and with as little light as you dare and/or feel safe. Bring lots of water. And maybe a sandwich for halfway through your hike. Dress in layers that you're okay with taking off and tying/carrying, because you'll be cold when you drive up to the parking area, but you're gonna get warm fast. Be prepared to use all four limbs sometimes, and to not use stairs for four days afterwards. The mountain-y wooden-dirt-rock stair parts are the hardest part... until they aren't. Sometimes it's gonna be really difficult and slow-going and you're gonna be grumpy and grumbling about the smooth-ish rock face you're scrabbling precariously up at times. You'll probably have to pee outside. Some people bring their dogs up the hike, and the dogs are so super cute until you realize the dogs are better hikers than you. Then they're just showing off.
But most of all... the view when the clouds part is worth it tenfold. And you'll feel like a beast. (At least until tomorrow morning.)
Written 24 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meri S
Fort-de-France, Martinique23 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
Mount Pélée is truly special. On a cloudless day you can see all the island. The vegetation on the top is peculiar and you can see many birds, tarantulas and mountain flowers. take at least 2 liters of water per person, if cloudy a light jacket and GOOD shoes. And better leave early! The hike up to the top (le Chinois) is haaard but worth the effort, if you want to go to the top and back from l'Aileron parking (Morne Rouge) it will take 4-5 hours.
Written 2 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fabio Cardoso
Annecy, France41 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
Ok, where should I start??? Equipment needed for 2 adults: Good walking shoes, 2 liters of water (1 per person) camera (not needed but useful) and sun cream :)
My outfit for this hiking was swimming shorts a t-shirt and a hat to protect me from the sun.
I started the climb from the Aileron station. Now this walk should take you 4 hours but be careful because these 4 hours only include the time from the bottom of the Aileron to the top of the caldera. You will have sign post all the away to the top of the caldera. The signs show that to go up you should take about 2h30min (only up to the caldera). I did this in 1:05min so I really don't know where they got the 2h30min from :) But the hard part of the climb is when you take the decision of going around the caldera and then up "le chinois" Le Chinois is the highest point of the Mountain. Only go there if you are a very good walker or some training climbing large steps, rock, gravel etc. the inclination is about 35% so very steep, its hard to go up but dangerous coming down.
Good luck to all climbers. Be Safe.
My outfit for this hiking was swimming shorts a t-shirt and a hat to protect me from the sun.
I started the climb from the Aileron station. Now this walk should take you 4 hours but be careful because these 4 hours only include the time from the bottom of the Aileron to the top of the caldera. You will have sign post all the away to the top of the caldera. The signs show that to go up you should take about 2h30min (only up to the caldera). I did this in 1:05min so I really don't know where they got the 2h30min from :) But the hard part of the climb is when you take the decision of going around the caldera and then up "le chinois" Le Chinois is the highest point of the Mountain. Only go there if you are a very good walker or some training climbing large steps, rock, gravel etc. the inclination is about 35% so very steep, its hard to go up but dangerous coming down.
Good luck to all climbers. Be Safe.
Written 27 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan19712004
Silver Spring, MD27 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
My husband and our two kids, ages 10 and 12, did this hike in March 2017. There are three different routes to take - L'Aileron, Grande-Savane, and Grand-Rivière. We did L'Aileron. My understanding is that Grande-Savane is a straight shot up on the sunny side while L'Aileron has more varied terrain and up the interior side. Grand-Riviere is much longer hike where you start from almost the coastline. Anyway, we started off around 10am; it was cloudy, rainy and cool, so make sure you bring a raincoat and good hiking shoes. My understanding is that it is usually cloudy, particularly in the morning, so don't expect beautiful views to start. The way up wasn't terribly challenging and we made it up in about an hour and 15 minutes. Once at the top, you can either just hang out a bit and head back down OR do a hike around the caldera. We chose option two, which was a much more interesting and challenging hike, scrambling up and down rocks. While hiking the caldera, the clouds started to dissipate and we had beautiful views of the coast and the interior of Martinique. It was just gorgeous. The caldera took about 2 hours, and then it was another 1 hour plus down. We loved it, had a great time! We were hiking for about 5 hours in total. Would definitely recommend it!
Written 5 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liane G
9 contributions
Feb 2016
This was a tough, slippery hike and it rained a couple times - but all in all it was a great adventure! We took the Aileron Ridge Trail. Segments of the trail were incredibly steep - I was basically crawling hand over foot, holding on to shrubbery beside the trail to keep from slipping. I crawled up the mountain like a spider and came back down like a crab! ha! Anyway, it poured for about 10 minutes when we first got to the mountain. We waited in the car until the rain stopped, then headed out. We reached the rim of the crater in about an hour and 15 minutes. It was amazing and terrifying to look down inside that vast abyss. There is no fence around the rim, so we squatted low and held onto the shrubbery for dear life! My 14-year old son decided he was not ready to go back down, so we followed another trail around the rim. This trail was easy at times and incredibly challenging other times. Once while on the easy section my right leg suddenly fell into a deep hole! Luckily I was able to pull my leg out. The rim trail took us around the other side of the mountain. A couple times the clouds parted and we were rewarded with brief but stunning views. Far far below we could see the outline of the island's shore, villages, the blue ocean and tiny white sailboats. The trail brought us down deep into the crater and then back up again. Super steep sections going both down and up! I am 56 and in decent shape but I absolutely HAD to rest several times as we climbed up out of the rim. Super hard climbing! A couple times we thought we were lost but fortunately we ran into other hikers who helped point us in the right direction. Finally the rim trail brought us up, up , up back to the Aileron Ridge Trail so we could head back to base again. It rained a few times on the way down - we got pretty soaked but it was very warm out so we were fine. Again - very slippery going. Our entire hike took four hours and 15 minutes. Would have been much shorter if we had not followed that rim trail at the top, but we were so glad we did. It was an adventure and a hike to be proud of. (I had read the advice to start really early in the morning to beat the clouds and get the best views but, hey, this was our vacation and I was in no mood to get up at the crack of dawn! We started hiking at 10 a.m. and I knew it would be mostly shrouded in clouds. I was very thankful that we still got some fantastic views!)
Written 4 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John B
Toronto, Canada2,876 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
Mont Pelee dominates the north end of the island and is worth a visit if you are traveling to this region. Don't expect to be awestruck by Hollywood-type images of a volcano - it is swathed in lush grasses and forests and does not have a sharp "peak". However, it is very much part of the island's history as the 1902 eruption killed close to 30,000 people. The best view we had was from the town of Le Morne Rouge though a visit to Saint Pierre is essential to not only get a different perspective but also see first hand the destruction caused by the eruption.
Written 8 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour je souhaite réaliser l’ascension Coté aileron et redescendre côté prêcheur /Saint-Pierre est-ce que cela vous semble faisable ?
Written 18 January 2021
Hoe steil is het pad naar boven? Moet je daadwerkelijk over rotsen klimmen of is er gewoon een pad dat je kunt lopen?
En hoeveel kost het om de vulkaan op te kunnen?
Alvast bedankt!
Written 18 May 2019
Sorry for the delay! The climb is not easy, but not super difficult either. Parts of the trail are paths and a few parts are climbing up and around rocks. You must have a certain level of fitness and good shoes to climb the volcano. It does not cost anything to get on the trail.
Written 12 June 2019
I'm going to Martinique in early March. What address did you put in your gps to get to the site of the trail? Thank you so much!
Written 18 February 2019
I downloaded google maps to my phone so that service would not be an issue. Worked great for the entire vacation. Star the places you need ahead of time and screen shot their info. Put this address in to get you to the parking area for the aileron route
Restaurant Le Refuge De L'aileron
D39, Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Written 11 March 2019
Which trail did you use and how early in the day did you get started?
Thanks,
Bob
Written 25 January 2019
Sorry for the delay. Depending on your fitness, it will take you anywhere between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours. It’s not a race, and if you have nice weather it’s gorgeous. The trail is not for everyone. You need good shoes and some measure of fitness. It’s steep in parts. You might need your arms for some parts.
There’s one main trail that has a preliminary stopping point. It’s enough to do that. But if you’re feeling good, there’s a second part of the trail that goes for another hour or so. I would say that second part is for very fit hiker types. If you’re going to do the extended hike, round trip is minimum over three hours so start early.
Written 19 February 2019
HI ,
I would like to hire at guide for Mount Pelee for THURSDAY 23 November 2017 arriving on the Prinsedam at 8AM and leaving 5 PM. David Brown
Written 13 November 2017
Hi newim2004
I have done this hike back in June, the path is very well marked up you really don't need a guide for this hike. I started the hike at L'Aileron station when we got to the top we went all the way around the caldera and when we got to the 3rd refuge we went to the highest point of Martinique (Le Chinois).
I hope this helps.
Written 15 November 2017
Hi
I visiting Martinique next month on a cruise and Im thinking of hiking up Montagne Pelee,
what is the best way to get from the cruise terminal?
Thanks Lisa
Written 11 February 2017
I didn't go the hire guide route - so can't answer to that....that may be the easiest (though likely quite expensive). Don't get a taxi - you're charged European rates so that would be very expensive as it's an hour's drive each way from F-D-F to the trails.
What I would do (if feasible) is rent a car - you can do the traditional eastern flank (which is what we did) - called the Morne Rouge or L'Aileron (look it up via google) - it is very, very steep but well marked (there is only one way to go really). If you wish to get to the Caldera tip alone budget at a minimum 4 hours (another 1.5-2 if you want to summit the cone) for hiking. As someone else stated you'll often be socked in clouds as the easterlies hit against this trail but at the top you should see some incredible views especially the earlier you get there.
The other option (I didn't go this route but may if I go back to Martinique) is a trail called La Grande Savane. You evidently start much higher up the flank of Pelee so it is less walking, I heard it is also less steep and therefore would require less hiking time overall.
Good luck, you'll love the hike!
Written 23 February 2017
albascortes
Province of Castellon, Spain
Quiero informacion de empresas que hagan un tour a la montalla Pelee desde Les Trois Ilets, que es donde esta el hotel en que me voy a hospedar. Gracias
Written 8 February 2017
corinne r
Villefontaine, France
bonjour,
on a l'habitude de marcher le week end mais on est pas de grands randonneurs;nous sommes deux adultes de la cinquantaine et un ado de 12 ans:pensez vous que nous pouvons faire la rando à la montagne pelée sans problèmes???combien y a t il de dénivelé et combien de kms au total?et combien de temps pour faire la ballade jusqu'au sommet??
Written 2 February 2016
Tout dépend ce que vous faites.
Depuis l'aileron la montée jusqu'au second refuge est assez simple et une fois sur le plateau il est possible de faire une partie de la boucle de la Caldeira sur le plateau.
Pour monter au troisième refuge puis au chinois c'est plus compliqué, la pente est plus raide, ce n'est plus de la simple marche, il faut pas mal utiliser les mains.
En tout il y a environ 850 m de dénivelé, 8.5 km de rando si vous faites toute la boucle de la caldeira et le chinois.
Il faut compter 4-5 heures pour le tout en prenant le temps de regarder le paysage quand cela se dégage un peu.
Written 6 February 2019
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