Walk: La Preneuse → Black River mouth & La Balise

The villa's own walk. From La Preneuse beach, follow the shore south past the 1832 Martello Tower, the pirogues pulled up on the sand and the jetties where the dolphin and fishing boats leave, to the mouth of the Black River and the yachts of La Balise marina.

It's short (≈ 3 km each way, partly on the beach, partly on the lanes behind it) and best at sunset, when Le Morne turns into a silhouette across the bay. Finish with a drink at the marina or walk back for dinner.

• Starts at the villa
• Martello Tower, fishing boats and the estuary
• Sunset over Le Morne

Trail map

Traced along the shoreline; a few sections follow the lanes behind the houses.

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 walk

📍 Where it starts

La Preneuse public beach, a few minutes' walk from the villa.

🧭 The route

La Preneuse beach → Martello Tower (300 m) → the jetties and fishing boats → the Black River mouth → La Balise marina (≈ 3 km). Back the same way, or up to the Royal Road and back along it.

🪨 Terrain

Sand, coral rubble in places, and short stretches of lane.

👁️ Views

Le Morne across the bay, the estuary and the mountains of the Black River Gorges inland.

🌅 Best light

Sunset: Le Morne turns into a silhouette across the bay.

🚧 Obstacles

• Houses down to the water: short detours on the lanes
• A muddy estuary at low tide

🌊 Tide

Easier at low tide (firmer sand, rocky points and river mouths easier to pass): check the tide table.

🏊 Swimming

A paddle at La Preneuse (seagrass and coral rubble).

👟 Footwear

Water shoes: wading, coral rubble or sea urchins on the way.

🔁 Getting back

Same way back to the villa.

🦟 Insects

Mosquitoes near the estuary at dusk.

💧 Water

Bars and restaurants at La Balise and on the Royal Road.

👥 Crowds

Quiet; local families at weekends.

📶 Phone signal

Good coverage.

🎒 Bring

Sandals or water shoes · Water · Mosquito repellent at dusk

1. La Preneuse beach
2. Martello Tower
3. La Balise marina

Getting there

Tips

• 💡 Where houses come down to the water, take the lane behind them and rejoin the beach.
• 💡 The estuary is muddy at low tide: keep to the sand.