The Mount Pelee | Go for trekk in Martinique

The mount Pelee

This volcano has recently been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the highest point of Martinique with its 1397 meters, located north of the island is an active volcano. Its most violent eruption in 1902 that destroyed completely the old capital "Saint Pierre" and some surrounding villages has claimed more than 30,000 dead.

TO GET TO THE PELEE

Circulating on the departmental north, board your rental car, after strolling through the streets of the city of Saint Pierre, for beauty lovers of flora and sensations, and for nature lovers, a detour Mount Pelee seems essential. Whatever the route chosen, by Morne Rouge, Macouba, Preacher, Ajoupa Bouillon, St Peter, your car rental will take you to the foot of this mountain spectacular starting point for an invigorating and unforgettable journey. After parking your car rental in the shade ... for the day, time for a total change, you will begin the ascent.... To the top. The particularity of the tour allows for magnificent glimpses of rare flora and vegetation, preserved, changing and sometimes endemic, but also magnificent views, in clear weather. 

ASCENSION

You will not fail you realize along the way of environmental change due to significant differences in altitude, temperatures that decrease (remember to take a rain jacket and a sweater !!!) winds that accelerate, clouds that are intensifying. While initially the forest still rich and lush, composed of large trees such as frangipani trees, on the heights it is reduced, above 800 meters, giving way to a herbaceous vegetation shrub, drowned in the fog much of the year. Tree ferns become more abundant, other plants such as mangle mountains and dwarf palmettos occupy the ground. At the top, the vast majority of these plants are collected, provided with tough and thick sheets or with an exaggerated hair as thyme mountain, pineapple mountain. 

At the top of the top, extends the altitude savannah consisting of a foam pad from which arise tiny and puny plants, such as purple or small pipe. With these information, your mind and serious eye will be more attentive to all this impressive environment we offer Pelee, but your rental car you will also have helped to spend a fantastic day on the slopes of the volcanic edifice so mysterious .

SOME HISTORY

On the west coast of Martinique and bathed by the Caribbean Sea, is located the city of Saint Pierre. 

Europcar Martinique takes you for a trip through time, because the town we suggest you visit is strongly marked by the imprint of the past. It is classified "CITY OF ART AND HISTORY" and you will understand why. On the west coast of Martinique and bathed by the Caribbean Sea, is located the city of Saint Pierre. It was one of the cities, if not the most famous of the West Indies. Famous for its age but famous, also by the tragedy of 1902: the eruption of Mount Pelee.Result: 30,000 deaths and the loss of a city. 

St. Pierre was founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain Esnanbuc, Norman filibuster, (1585-1635) and uncle of the first governor of the island, Jacques Dyel Duparquet. St. Pierre was the birthplace of the conquest of Martinique. Nicknamed "Little Paris", "tropical Venice" or "the Pearl of the Antilles" the city of Saint Pierre, was shining with a thousand lights. His fame beyond the borders because it was famous throughout Europe and beyond.

Saint Pierre was the economic and cultural capital of the West Indies. She had everything. A magnificent cathedral, a famous commodity exchange, a magnificent town hall. His theater built at the end of eighteenth century the barrel modeled on the great theater of Bordeaux it had 800 seats. For the record, the theater manager had imposed on the authorities of the time and well before the abolition of slavery, the seats are the same for both blacks than for whites.

They had threatened to close the theater in the first incident. It never had. Saint Pierre was also provided with a Horse car. It also was one of the first nursing insane asylums by the spa. Almost all the houses were built of stone. Many channels roamed the city in order to cool the atmosphere. An entire street was devoted to jewelers rich. It was good to walk through its public or private gardens, stopping beside its many fountains. Its botanical garden was famous for a waterfall and rare plants. St. Peter had, also, a high school, college seminar, department stores, 20 distilleries, a match factory, forges, foundries, mechanical cooperage, several public places, electricity and even the telephone. Its port, the busiest in the Caribbean, traded with England, the two Americas, France, Cuba, Porto Rico, St. Domingues, all colonies, and many others.

A connection between Fort de France and St. Pierre was assured by coasters transporting passengers from one city to another. There was still another side of the coin because at the time, the ports are nests where hatching all diseases come from outside. This was the case for the terrible epidemic of yellow fever. St. Peter could stop this crisis thanks to the preponderance and advances in medicine, its dozen doctors, pharmacists and her 9 8 midwives. In 1837 was built the "Colonial House Health" with its techniques and pioneering hydrotherapy facilities. She could receive more than 200 patients. Even France did not have such infrastructure.