Roches Gravées de Montravail.
Twenty minutes on foot from the A-frame, fourteen Amerindian faces are carved into volcanic rock.
They've been there for over a thousand years.
What you see.
The facts, not the adjectives.
Fourteen faces
Carved across five andesite blocks spread over an 18 by 8 metre area, in the middle of the forest. Thirteen on the main block, a fourteenth on the summit. The lines are simple — ovals, hollowed eyes, barely drawn mouths.
The technique
The faces were made by pecking and hammering the rock. You strike, you hollow, you grind. No metal.
The age
Pottery shards found during the 2007 excavations date the site's occupation between 350 and 700 CE, in the Cedrosan Saladoid period.
What it means
Nobody knows. Ancestors, deities, guardians of the place — the hypotheses exist, the certainties don't. That uncertainty is what makes the site powerful.
Getting there from the A-frame.
You can go in flip-flops.
The start
Leaving Les Vendredis, head down Route de Zaire for 50 metres, then take the forest path that climbs to the right after the big mango tree.
The trail
Well marked. Local hikers maintain it, and the site is signposted from the main road. Twenty minutes on foot, a little more if you stop to listen to the Martinique orioles whistling in the mango trees.
The last section
Crosses a zone of tree ferns. Andesite outcrops in places — you're literally walking on the same rock as the faces.
On site
The site is protected by a low fence and an information panel. No guard, no opening hours, no ticket.
Why it matters.
And why almost nobody goes.
The most accessible
Martinique has several Amerindian rock art sites — notably the Roches gravées du Galion in La Trinité, listed as a Historical Monument in 2020, and a recently documented site at Châteaubœuf. Montravail remains the most accessible.
And the least visited
Most travellers spend their stay in Martinique without knowing these faces exist. Good for the site, a shame for them.
The Saladoids
The first ceramic Amerindians of the Lesser Antilles, they occupied these hills long before the arrival of the Kalinagos and European colonisation. The site shows iconographic links with the Roches gravées du Galion.
The listing
Acquired by the local authority in 2009, listed as a Historical Monument since 7 November 1996.
What to know.
Before you go.
Respect
Don't climb on the engraved rock, don't touch it, take your rubbish with you. The surrounding forest deserves the same care — a tropical forest with endemic species.
Extend
If you've brought water and a hat, continue on the Trace des Jésuites, which links Montravail to Morne Gommier — a two-hour loop with a view over the south coast and, on a clear day, all the way to Saint Lucia.
With a child
Léon walked it at four. Twenty minutes climbing gently, pauses for ants and lizards — it works.
With a dog
In Martinique, dogs aren't widely welcome in public spaces and are often banned from official trails. Samsam comes with us because this is our neighbourhood and we know the place. Keep them on a leash, pick up after them, and stay considerate of other walkers — that's what keeps it possible.
Nearby.
A few useful pages before you come.
Come stay.
The simplest way is to write to Bolo directly. We check the dates, talk a little, and see if the place feels right.
Write to Bolo →Airbnb and Booking also available if you prefer a platform: Airbnb · Booking
