Monuments to visit West

A typical Creole villa built at the end of the 18th century, in neoclassical style, the Villa Rivière comprises a stone main building and a wooden facade, with varangue and pilasters. On two levels, it brings together all the canons of classical composition and presents a rare architectural authenticity. The villa, its outbuildings and the garden have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1990. It is the only Creole hut of its kind open to the public. The guide, Marion, offers you an incredibly rich guided tour!

Along the Chaussée Royale, you won't be able to miss this beautiful Creole house, surrounded by a large garden, which belonged to the Desbassyns family, rich planters. Nicknamed "Grand kour", it was the most important of all the Desbassyns' residences. After Mrs. Desbassyns' death, her granddaughter donated it to the bishopric in 1855, which turned it into a school. Today it belongs to the city and is one of the two listed monuments in the commune. It is awaiting a restoration in keeping with its history.

Little is known about it, but the town of Le Port is also home to some beautiful Creole huts, which once housed the engineers and managers of shipping companies following the creation of the port at the end of the 19th century. With its wide galleries on two levels and its imposing roofs, this architecture, typical of the former French and English colonies, offers a great opportunity to take a different look at the town of Le Port, too often neglected by tourists. If you are a fan of 19th century heritage, the town of Le Port will delight you.

The lazaret of the Grande Chaloupe is one of the quarantine sites erected in the 19th century to prevent the spread of epidemics. Owned by the Departmental Council since 1946, then listed as a historical monument in 1998, it has been the subject of restoration campaigns and now houses a permanent exhibition on engagement and quarantine. It is an essential site to understand what is "engagementism". In another room of the site, you can also discover temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists.

The town takes its name from Mr. Laleu, who was the first to build a racket on this stretch of coast. The small town became a commune in 1790 and was then named Saint-Leu. The land here was excellent for growing coffee, around which the town grew rapidly. The building housing the town hall is a remnant of this prosperous period. The most striking episode in the history of Saint-Leu is undoubtedly that of the slave revolt of 1811.