Phare de la Caravelle Lookout, Martinique
One of the only drawbacks to hiking in remote places is that you often don’t know what you’re looking at when you get to your ultimate destination. Not so when you’re hiking the Caravelle Peninsula in Martinique and your destination is the Phare de la Caravelle.
The historic, bright-red lighthouse has kept sailors from running aground in the surrounding seas here since 1861. (That makes it the oldest lighthouse still in operation in Martinique.) More recently, though, the historic structure has served as the ultimate destination for the most popular hikes in the Caravelle Peninsula.
The route from the welcome center and parking area to the lighthouse and back runs just over two miles. Those miles are pretty tame too, making this hike an easy go for most people.
The Phare de la Caravelle sits at a height of 370 feet, the highest perch of any lighthouse in France. Naturally, visitors enjoy sweeping views up and down Martinique’s Atlantic coast from here. The experience is made all the more nicer by the circular info table pictured above. Surrounding villages, bays, islets, and other points of interest are all labeled right along their respective sight lines.