Monuments to visit Atlantic Coast

Here we witness a strange phenomenon: the sea splits in two and leaves a 400 m long strip of sand, creating a passage that links the mainland and the island. It connects the land to its rock and protects the city of Sainte-Marie from tidal waves. A whim of nature, this comma of sand combines industry and tragedy in the past. This islet served as a fort and a port during the 17^th century, relaying barrels of rum and syrup to the ships anchored in the bay.

Surrounded by a breathtaking natural setting, the Château Dubuc, a former sugar house, dominates the tip of the Caravelle peninsula. You can get there by a stony path 10 minutes walk from the parking. On the site, we can still see the remains of the mansion, the kitchens, the industrial buildings and the huts (no hut street in Dubuc). Ironically, the slave dungeons are the best preserved remains of the site. The micro-museum presents different elements on the organization and functioning of a sugar house, and more particularly those of the domain. The Dubuc family is one of the most famous and oldest on the island. Its establishment dates back to 1657. Pierre Dubuc, who arrived after Pierre d'Esnambuc, is said to have engaged in numerous illicit activities, in close collaboration with freebooters. Apparently, the traffic of “ebony” and various goods, stolen from boarded ships, was the main activity of the inhabitants of the domain. The goods were exchanged for meat and musket balls. To keep up appearances, the Dubucs owned four sugar mills. In 1770, they bought their letters of nobility. The Dubuc branch remained without heirs. The property fell into ruin at the end of the 19^th century. It is now the property of the Regional Nature Park, which has undertaken a vast rehabilitation of the buildings.

At the exit of the village in direction of north, you will be able to admire the vestiges of the old fort built in 1658 at the time of the foundation of the city. It was that year that the borough of Trinité was built, with the colonists settling at the entry of the peninsula. There, they chose to build a wooden chapel, at the foot of the hill where the Fort Sainte-Catherine is located. Even if it is not visited, its ruins evoke the time when La Trinité was a prestigious military garrison, the scene of many confrontations between the English and French troops.

Dating back to the second half of the ^17th century, Habitation Basse-Pointe was originally owned by Claude Poquet, a historical figure who wore many political hats. At the end of the ^18th century, the Habitation became the property of Denis Pécoul, deputy public prosecutor, and it was Jean-François Pécoul who gave it its definitive name in 1777. Towards the middle of the following century, Auguste Pécoul diversified cultivation, producing tobacco, coffee and silk in addition to sugarcane. Today, only bananas are grown. The property's layout is organized in such a way that the living space for the workers in huts unfolds around the main house, which is the heart of the estate, overlooking the coconut tree avenue. Listed as a historic monument in 1981, the main house is relatively well preserved. Rectangular in plan with no gallery, it is topped by a wasp-waisted second floor with a smaller perimeter. A sign of refinement on the part of the builders: the ashlar for the buildings was imported from Europe. The ruins of the factory chimney bear witness to the cane industry of yesteryear, while two Hindu temples bear witness to the survival of the ancient Tamils who arrived here in 1853 to make up for the shortage of manpower following the abolition of slavery in 1848. The dwelling was added to the heritage of the famous Habitation Clément (Le François) and Habitation Sucrerie in 2002. It is now managed by the Fondation Clément, which opens it to the lucky public during Heritage Days in September.