Moris
🥾 Hikes · Tamarin
La Tourelle du Tamarin
The mountain right behind the villa: a short, steep climb to a rocky summit with a bird's-eye view of Tamarin Bay, the salt pans and Le Morne.
La Tourelle du Tamarin is the sharp peak you see from the villa. A trail climbs steeply from the Tamarin side through dry forest and grass to a rocky top overlooking the whole bay, the Tamarin salt pans, Black River and Le Morne Brabant.
It's short (2–3 hours return) but steep and exposed to the sun: a perfect sunrise hike without driving far.
- Closest summit to the villa
- Views over Tamarin Bay and Le Morne
Trail map
Steep, sometimes loose trail with no signs. Go with someone who knows it the first time.
Trail traced on OpenStreetMap paths: check the signs on the ground, and take the OSM or an offline map app (Organic Maps, maps.me) with you.
What to expect on this hike
- 📍 Where it starts
- In the residential streets of Tamarin, at the foot of the mountain behind the villa: the path ('Tamarin mountain trail') starts at the end of a residential road. It isn't signposted; a local guide or a GPS track helps.
- 🧭 The route
- A steady, steep climb up a dry grassy and rocky slope with scattered shrubs, gaining about 400 m in 1–1.5 hours, to a rocky summit ridge overlooking Tamarin Bay, the salt pans, La Preneuse and Le Morne. Back the same way (careful on the loose gravel going down).
- 🪨 Terrain
- Dry, loose gravel and rock; slippery going down.
- 👁️ Views
- The view opens up after 15 minutes and gets better all the way; the top has a 180° panorama over the bay and Le Morne.
- 🔁 Loop?
- No loop.
- 🦟 Insects
- Flies on hot days; no mosquitoes.
- 💧 Water
- No water and no shade at all: 2 litres each.
- 👥 Crowds
- Very quiet: mostly locals at sunrise.
- 📶 Phone signal
- Good coverage.
- 🎒 Bring
- Shoes with grip (trail runners or boots) · 1.5–2 litres of water each · Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses · Snack · Gloves are useful on the loose rocks
- Start in Tamarin
- Summit ridge
Getting there
🚗 By car: 15 min (4.8 km) off-peak. Park in the Tamarin residential area near the trailhead (respect residents). Directions in Google Maps ↗
- 🚕 Taxi from the villa: about Rs 350–500 one way per car (agree the price first; a return trip with waiting time is often negotiable).
- 🚲 Bike: close enough to cycle along the coast road (take care with traffic).
Tips
- 💡 There's no shade: start before sunrise and bring plenty of water.
- 💡 Parts of the approach cross private land; stay on the path.