At 1,397 meters, Mount Pelée is the highest peak in Martinique
Beneath its calm exterior, it remains an active volcano, as evidenced by the hot water springs located on its western face.
But rest assured! The last eruption took place in 1929, and underground activity is continuously monitored by the Morne des Cadets observatory, which houses one of the largest seismographs in the world.
This region gained its place in history quite dramatically on the morning of May 8, 1902, when the eruption of Mount Pelée, one of the most lethal natural disasters of the 20th century, killed the 30,000 inhabitants of Saint-Pierre in a matter of only minutes.
Today, the Franck Perret museum in Saint-Pierre, the regional volcano center in Morne-Rouge or the geosciences discovery center, set up in an exceptional paraseismic building, will tell you the complete history of Mt. Pelée's eruptions.
There are several paths allowing exploration of the volcanic peaks that unleashed the eruptions of 1902 and 1929. Hikers can tackle the summit from the face, which overhangs the Caribbean Ocean.
This route opens onto exceptional views of Saint-Pierre and the coast. The north slope offers a great variety of landscapes, ranging from banana plantations and tropical forests to vast, wind-swept spaces.
The route most favored by hikers, past the Aileron and the plateau des Palmistes, begins in the parking area located on the eastern face of the mountain.
