Route de la Trace, Martinique’s Haunted Highway
Martinique may not have a haunted cemetery, a Chupacabra, or a White Witch. It most certainly does, however, have its fair share of spooky spots. La Route de la Trace is one of them.
Route de la Trace History + Natural Wonders
One of the oldest roads in Martinique, La Trace dates all the way back to the 18th Century. Jesuit Missionaries spearheaded its construction. Their aim: to connect the capital city, Fort-de-France, with the village of Morne Rouge near the base of Mt. Pelée.
La Route de la Trace runs through the heart of Martinique’s rainforest. The road is long and winding. If you’re prone to car sickness, beware.
A leisurely drive here, though, offers a neat peek at the island’s diverse wild flora.
Anthuriums, high tree ferns, enormous bamboo groves, climbing vines and hardwood trees (mahogany, rosewood, locust)… The sights along the way of La Trace really show why Martinique is known as the Isle of Flowers.
According to local legend, though, you may not want to travel along La Route de La Trace at night…lest you run across La Dame Blanche.
Haunted Highway
Nighttime motorists claim to have seen a ghostly figure of a lady dressed in white standing in the middle of the road. When they stop and exit their cars to see who it is, though, the lady vanishes!
Where does she go? No one really knows. Some, however, suggest she hangs out at a long-abandoned house near the Balata Garden (Le Jardin de Balata).
Area residents claim to have seen the apparition of an old lady wandering around inside the home for years. Sometimes screams are even heard emanating from the home at night! None of this, though, has been confirmed.
Could La Damme Blanche in the road be the same lady that haunts the home near the Balata Garden?
Do you dare traverse La Trace to find out?
Cue the kittens playing spooky music…
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