Waterfalls and hot springs in Guadeloupe: what's open in 2026

Finding a waterfall in Guadeloupe is easy. Knowing whether it’s open is another story: several well-known sites have been closed by official order (arrêté) for years, and others have changed this season. This guide sets out where things stand, based on the official trail status report at 1 September 2026 and the news published since.

Which waterfalls in Guadeloupe are open and easy to reach?

Apart from the Carbet, here are four waterfalls that were accessible on 1 September 2026 and are tracked in the official trail status report. All of them are on Basse-Terre.

• Petit-Bourg Must-see

  Cascade aux Écrevisses

  Waterfall and pool on the Corossol river, beside the Route de la Traversée, a few minutes from the car park. Very busy site.

  See on the map Directions

• Vieux-Habitants

  Cascade de la Ravine Paradis

  Waterfall in Vieux-Habitants, reached by following the banks of the ravine (yellow waymarks).

  See on the map Directions

• Sainte-Rose

  Saut des Trois Cornes et bains de Sofaïa

  Waterfall in the Sainte-Rose forest, reached on a loop from the Sofaïa site. River crossings.

  See on the map Directions

• Gourbeyre

  Chute du Galion

  Waterfall on the Galion river, at the foot of La Soufrière, reached from the Bains Jaunes. River crossings: avoid after rain.

  See on the map Directions

Cascade aux Écrevisses, Petit-Bourg

The easiest on the island. It sits beside the Route de la Traversée, a few minutes from the car park: 0.4 km round trip, 6 m of elevation gain, 30 minutes, graded very easy. Work was carried out in late 2025 and early 2026, and the site is accessible.

Good to know: there are no bins, so take your rubbish home with you. The site is also very busy; come early if you want a bit of peace.

Cascade de la Ravine Paradis, Vieux-Habitants

You follow the banks of the ravine (a steep stream valley) along the yellow waymarks. Official trail sheet: graded easy, 5.1 km round trip, 134 m of elevation gain, 1 hr 30 min. Accessible on 1 September, with one clear instruction: keep an eye on the water level.

Saut des Trois Cornes and the Sofaïa baths, Sainte-Rose

A 3.2 km loop starting from the Sofaïa site, graded easy, 179 m of elevation gain, about 2 hrs. There are river crossings and ONF (French forestry office) emergency markers along the route. On the way back, the Sofaïa baths have showers of warm sulphurous water, around 31 °C, with a view over the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin.

Chute du Galion, at the foot of La Soufrière

You start from the Bains Jaunes. This is already a proper hike: graded medium, 3.9 km round trip, 208 m of elevation gain, 2 hrs 30 min. The trail was accessible on 1 September, but there are river crossings: after rain, postpone the outing.

What about the Bassin Bleu?

The Bassin Bleu, on the Galion river below Palmiste, is still a family walk (very easy, 2.2 km round trip, 1 hr 30 min). As of 1 September 2026, there is an ongoing dispute with a local landowner and a €5 right-of-way fee is being charged. This may change, so ask on site.

Are the Chutes du Carbet (Carbet Falls) open?

Yes, partly. It’s the question we get asked most, so here are the details, fall by fall.

• Capesterre-Belle-Eau Must-see

  Deuxième Chute du Carbet

  Access to the foot of the fall is banned: you admire it from the viewing platform (National Park).

  The most visited of the Carbet falls, reached by a renovated trail that is partly wheelchair-accessible as far as the first viewpoint. Foot of the fall off limits.

  See on the map Directions

• Capesterre-Belle-Eau Must-see

  Première Chute du Carbet

  The 3rd fall has been closed since 29 June 2026 and access to the foot of the 2nd fall is banned (National Park).

  The highest of the three Carbet falls, reached by a mountain trail from the visitor area. River crossing.

  See on the map Directions

The 2nd fall: open, but you stay on the viewing platform

This is the most visited one. The trail from the visitor area has been renovated and is partly wheelchair-accessible as far as the first viewpoint. Official trail sheet: graded easy, 1.4 km round trip, 71 m of elevation gain, 1 hr 30 min.

The foot of the fall is off limits (Capesterre-Belle-Eau municipal order, arrêté municipal, no. 2011-99 of 19 July 2011). You admire it from the viewing platform (belvédère); you don’t go down.

The 1st fall: open, for experienced walkers

The highest of the three. It’s a mountain trail with a river crossing: graded difficult, 4.8 km round trip, 504 m of elevation gain, 3 hrs. Accessible on 1 September 2026. If the sky is heavy over the high ground, save it for another day.

The 3rd fall: closed

The trail has been closed since 29 June 2026: the railing on the platform gave way and a tree fell on the shelter (carbet) in the car park. Reopening depends on repair work and no date has been confirmed. Even once it reopens, the foot of this fall remains off limits (municipal order no. 18/152 of 18 October 2018).

Carbet opening hours and prices

Visitor area	Details
Visitor area opening hours	every day, 7 am to 5 pm
Adult	€6
Child	€4
Family	€14.50
Annual resident pass	€16.50

If you live here and go up often, ask for the annual resident pass at the visitor desk.

Where can you find a hot spring that’s open right now?

Hot springs are the go-to plan for grey days. Here are the ones you can use this season.

• Bouillante

  Bains chauds de Thomas

  Seaside thermal spring in Bouillante where the hot water mixes with the sea; basic facilities, unsupervised.

  See on the map Directions

• Saint-Claude

  Bains chauds de Matouba

  Natural hot pools in the forest in the hills above Saint-Claude, reached by a short trail (via Papaye) or a longer one (via the forest lodge).

  See on the map Directions

Bains chauds de Thomas, Bouillante

A seaside thermal spring: the hot water mixes with the sea. The site has only basic facilities and is unsupervised. Careful: at the source, the water is above 70 °C. Settle where it has mixed with the sea, not where the hot water comes in. The ground is slippery, so bring water shoes. Free entry.

Bouillante hot spring (Bain chaud de Bouillante)

In the town centre, a sea swimming area warmed by geothermal hot water. Free. The exact spot isn’t well documented, so ask locally.

Bains chauds de Matouba, Saint-Claude

Natural hot pools in the middle of the forest, in the hills above Saint-Claude. Take the Papaye access, which was accessible on 1 September: 1.3 km one way, 112 m of elevation gain, 1 hr, graded medium. The other route, via the forest lodge (maison forestière, 4.7 km round trip, 3 hrs), has a connecting section in poor condition: avoid it.

Bains Jaunes, Saint-Claude: small pool only

The hot sulphurous pool at the start of the Pas du Roy trail has been under works since 14 September 2026, for about a month. The large pool is drained and closed, the small pool still has water in it, and the trails remain open. The end date of the works has not been confirmed. Swimming is not supervised: read the ARS (regional health agency) guidelines posted on site. The car park is free but small: it is often full by mid-morning.

Which waterfalls are closed or banned? Don’t go

These sites were closed to the public as of 1 September 2026. Some are still all over social media, but that changes nothing: don’t go.

Site	Municipality	Decision	Since
Saut de la Lézarde (access and swimming)	Petit-Bourg	Municipal order no. 2015.10.91	5 October 2015
Chutes Moreau (access, visits, swimming)	Goyave	Municipal order no. 2019/182/PM	26 March 2019
Saut d’Eau du Matouba (trail)	Saint-Claude	Municipal order no. PM-17/11	13 March 2017
Saut d’Eau du Matouba (swimming)	Saint-Claude	Municipal order no. DGS-17-09-07-1	7 September 2017
Cascade Vauchelet	Saint-Claude	Municipal order no. PM-09/18	11 July 2009
Bassin Paradis and the Grosse Corde hot spring	Capesterre-Belle-Eau	Municipal order no. 22/104 (landslide, Karukera area)	20 July 2022
Foot of the 2nd Carbet fall	Capesterre-Belle-Eau	Municipal order no. 2011-99	19 July 2011
3rd Carbet fall (trail)	Capesterre-Belle-Eau	Closure after damage to the platform and the car park	29 June 2026
Foot of the 3rd Carbet fall	Capesterre-Belle-Eau	Municipal order no. 18/152	18 October 2018
Saut d’Acomat	Pointe-Noire	Municipal order, reference not published (rockfalls, flash floods)	not published
Bain des Amours (swimming)	Gourbeyre	Swimming reported as banned, no reference found	not published

These closures aren’t just paperwork. They follow landslides, rockfalls, flash floods or damaged facilities.

What about the waterfalls that aren’t in the official status report?

Many well-known waterfalls have no published official monitoring: Cascade de la Parabole, Ravine Tambour, Cascade de la Coulisse, Cascade Bras de Fort, Cascade de Bis, Bois Bananes. So we can’t tell you whether their trails are maintained this season.

What the sources already say sets the tone. La Parabole is reached by a river hike of about 4 km round trip, not officially waymarked, from the Bassin Bleu car park. Ravine Tambour is about 3.2 km round trip, partly in the river, with dangerous crossings after rain. La Coulisse, in Trois-Rivières, becomes dangerous when the river is in flood. The Bras de Fort trail is sometimes slippery. If you’re not used to this kind of terrain, choose a monitored site instead.

What are the golden rules for river outings in Guadeloupe?

• Check the weather up in the mountains, not at the beach. It can be bright sunshine on the coast and pouring with rain upstream. The river rises fast, sometimes without a single drop falling on you.
• If the water changes, get out. Water turning cloudy or brown, debris coming down, a roar getting louder: leave the riverbed immediately and climb back up onto the bank.
• Never cross a river in flood. Wait for the level to drop, even if it takes a while. After rain, sites with river crossings (Galion, 1st Carbet fall, Trois Cornes) should be postponed.
• Set off early. The Carbet visitor area opens at 7 am and the Bains Jaunes car park is often full by mid-morning. Leave yourself plenty of time to get back before the rain.
• Closed-toe or water shoes. The rocks are slippery; flip-flops won’t do.
• Nobody supervises swimming in rivers. Don’t jump into a pool if you don’t know how deep it is.
• Leave nothing behind. There are no bins at most sites: take everything home with you, food scraps included.

Where can you check the latest status before you go?

Two things to check before you hit the road:

• The Rando Guadeloupe trail status and news page (in French), which announces closures, works and reopenings as they happen.
• The trail status report at 1 September 2026 (PDF, in French), which lists every site and the reference of the official order that applies to it.

For the Carbet, the National Park page (in French) gives the opening hours and the entry contribution. You can also find all these places on our freshwater map (in French), and if you’re planning a proper walk, our guide to hikes by level goes hand in hand with this one.