The route
From Piton Marmite, follow the forest track towards the Col des Bœufs. The going is fairly gentle and already gives fine views of Grand Sable, the Plaine des Merles and the Col de Fourche. Once at the Col des Bœufs, the route begins the long descent to La Nouvelle. The trail has many steps and can be slippery in places.
The descent then crosses the beautiful Plaine des Tamarins, a wide plateau of highland tamarind trees (tamarins des Hauts), rushes and clearings. The route gives fine views of Gros Morne and Morne de Fourche before carrying on to La Nouvelle. The last part of the descent is steeper, with steps that are sometimes high or slippery. A detour to Plateau Chêne gives a fine viewpoint over the îlet (hamlet).
Once in La Nouvelle, the largest îlet of the Mafate cirque, take the time to walk through the village and discover its Creole houses, its gîtes and its chapel. The trail then leaves La Nouvelle for Marla, following the GRR1 towards Bord de Mars. At the junction for the Plaine aux Sables, leave that trail on your left and carry straight on towards Bord de Mars and then Marla.
The route then reaches the José Ethève footbridge, which crosses the young Rivière des Galets so you don't have to ford the river. Nearby you can see several natural pools, where you may be able to cool off when the weather and the water level allow. After the footbridge, carry on following the GRR1-GRR2 signs to the Joset Ethève memorial stone, then on towards Maison Laclos.
The trail then reaches Maison Laclos, at the foot of the Plateau du Kerval. From La Nouvelle, this stretch climbs gradually towards Marla, winding through the steep peaks of Mafate. After Maison Laclos, the trail keeps climbing to Marla for about 20 minutes before reaching the first houses of the îlet.
Once in Marla, head on towards the school and the chapel. The scenery is outstanding, with views of Piton du Taïbit, the Trois Salazes and the Tête de Chien. Marla is also a good place to take a break and stock up on water or food.
From Marla, take the trail towards the Plaine des Tamarins. The route gradually leaves the houses behind and crosses the Ravine de Marla before dropping back down to the Rivière des Galets. The trail then enters a more wooded stretch before starting the climb back up to the Plaine des Tamarins.
The climb gradually steepens, with many switchbacks and wooden and stone steps. Some passages overlook deep ravines, while the views gradually open up over the Rivière des Galets valley. The climb ends at a viewpoint with a fine outlook over Marla and the Grand Bénare.
The route then returns to the Plaine des Tamarins, with its tamarind trees, clearings and wetlands such as the Mare aux Serres. This second crossing of the plain is a last chance to enjoy this emblematic Mafate landscape before tackling the final challenge: the climb up to the Col des Bœufs.
The trail gradually steepens, with log-laid sections and then high stone steps. Once at the Col des Bœufs, all that is left is the long forest track back to Piton Marmite, where this loop through the Mafate cirque ends.
This hike takes in several of Mafate's landmark landscapes in a single day, with two main challenges: the climb from the Rivière des Galets up to Marla and the climb from the Plaine des Tamarins back to the Col des Bœufs.
Where to stay
RandoMafate lists 17 places to stay in La Nouvelle, 12 in Marla and one at Maison Laclos. Over two days, you sleep in La Nouvelle or Marla and keep the climb back to the pass for the next morning.
Good to know
For a loop this long, take RandoMafate with you: the map works offline all the way round, and the people close to you follow your hike on a simple web page, with nothing to install. If your arrival time passes without news, they get a notification, with nothing for you to trigger.
Plan this hike in RandoMafate
The trail map offline, elevation to the metre, ONF closures and the weather for the day, and the people close to you told when you set off and when you are back.
RandoMafate
