Things to see and do Gourbeyre

Classified as a historical monument since 2007, the Habitation Bisdary has been owned by the City of Gourbeyre since 2015. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it belonged to the Jesuits for more than half a century. It is one of the largest sugar houses, which covered several hundred hectares. More than 300 slaves worked there daily. During the English attack in 1759, the buildings were burned down. Faced with the expense of repairs, the Jesuits were forced to sell the property. In 1783, part of the buildings again fell prey to fire. The hurricanes of 1816 and 1825 further damaged the building. The remains of the five buildings (the mansion and its annex, the manager's house, the hut, the bonifier's house, the aqueduct and the oven), which bear witness to the island's industrial and colonial past, will soon be rehabilitated as part of the "Together, let's save our heritage" project, which aims to preserve important heritage sites. The first phase of the project will involve the restoration of several buildings (framework, roofing, woodwork), including the Bonifierie and the development of the Habitation park. The second phase will focus on the overall restoration of the main house and the development of a secondary building.

The site should become an interpretation centre for the history and heritage of South Basse-Terre, a place of remembrance which will also help to diversify the tourist offer of the area.

At the heart of a natural site protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral and the commune of Gourbeyre, these military remains date back to the early ^19th century. They are surrounded by a cursed fig tree (a species of ficus). The site was rediscovered a few years ago by a historian in charge of heritage at the Guadeloupe Regional Council. It bears witness to the rich military history of South Basse-Terre between the late ^18th and early ^19th centuries. The powder magazine is surrounded by remarkable trees, a vaulted ceiling and an uncovered room with a watering and feeding system for animals.

A first phase of site rehabilitation was completed in January 2019. First of all, a complete clean-up of the site was carried out by young RSMA recruits in 2017 (work that Gourbeyre's technical services had to repeat after Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017). Next came the pruning of the cursed fig tree that had imprisoned the structure for years. The primary objective was to maintain the balance between this majestic tree and this powder keg, which seems to have appeared out of nowhere. A second phase of work is planned to optimize the discovery of this monument and the biodiversity of the Caribbean Mountains, and to offer visitors a new element of historical knowledge and relaxation. Eventually, this site of heritage interest in the Bisdary district will be combined with outdoor sports trails, such as a mountain bike track.