Moreau waterfalls

16 points of interest

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  Flora

  Miconia mirabilis

  Miconia mirablis has a fluted trunk with white bark. As it is a light-loving tree, this pioneer has hard wood that is distinctive of open areas.
  It is often found on paths alongside tree ferns or trumpet trees.

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  Fauna

  Caribbean elaenia

  Most noticeable for the contrast between its olive green head and whiteish belly, the Caribbean elaenia (Elaenia martinica) feeds on fruit and insects. It is a regular visitor to all natural environments in the Lesser Antilles.

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  Flora

  The Sierran palm

  The Sierran Palm (Prestoea montana) is a member of the Arecaceae family. Despite its size, it is in fact a palm tree. Like ferns, it does not have a trunk but a stipe. It can live in both hygrophilous forest, where it can reach a height of ten metres, and at altitude, where it does not grow beyond two metres.

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  Fauna

  Mangrove cuckoo

  Measuring 28-31 cm, the Mangrove cuckoo (Coccyzus minor) is recognisable for the black patch over one eye, for its long, layered tail and for its beak, which curves downwards.

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  Flora

  The Gommier

  The Gommier (Daryodes excelsa) can grow up to 35m high. When they are damaged, its white trunk and roots exude a white resin with a pungent turpentine smell, which is traditionally used as incense or to start fires, because it burns slowly regardless of the surrounding humidity. It is reported that the tree has the ability to cast out spirits. It is strictly forbidden to take away any plant parts from the National Park. Its trunk was used by American Indians to make their canoes (kanawa), and is still used today by coastal people from many tropical countries, such as Dominique, to make fishing vessels. Its green seeds are popular with pigeons.

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  Flora

  The station of royal ferns

  A member of the Osmondaceae family, Osmunda regalis is found along river banks and in the undergrowth. It forms a layer of vegetation, providing a felt-like to feel to the places that it inhabits.

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  Flora

  Chimarrhis cymosa

  Chimarrhis cymosa belongs to the Rubiaceae family. It has yellow-orange coloured, very hard wood. Its straight trunk is covered in a clear and smooth bark. Its leaves are light green, wide and long. Flowering occurs between April and May and between October and November, when the top of the tree is covered in white flowers. Given the robustness of the wood, which does not suffer attacks by insects, it was used to make the flooring of traditional Creole houses.

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  Fauna

  Termite mounds

  Termites (Nasutiterme costalis) belong to the class of insects.
  Termites fashion termite mounds at the foot of the tree that they have been feeding on. Either fixed in the ground or aerial, these structures can be hung on a tree trunk. Termites use it as a nest, where they live in a colony.

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  Flora

  Sloaena massoni

  Sloanea massoni, the large-leaved chestnut tree, has leaves measuring around 60 centimetres. It boasts some impressive buttresses and its fruits are themselves in the shape of chestnut husks.

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  Viewpoint

  Ravine Racoon

  Views of Ravine Racoon.

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  Flora

  "Bwa bandé"

  Richeria grandis belongs to the Phyllanthaceae family. It is a large variety, distinctive for its tough leaves and reddish-brown bark that so often falls victim to rogue extraction. Also known as bwa bandé in Créole, it is renowned for its aphrodisiac qualities. Its wood is used as timber or in carpentry. It has very distinctive, green, grape-like fruits which form small pods and form copiously on its branches.

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  Flora

  Acomat boucan

  Sloanea caribaea belongs to the Elaeocarpaceae family. It is an extremely large tree that can reach up to 40 metres in height. It is the most spectacular tree in the Sloanea genus. It has an exposed trunk and magnificent buttresses. Its bark is reddish-brown and tends to flake off in thin strips when the tree ages. Formerly, visitors to the forest would make us of its enormous buttresses to shelter their fires and to smoke meat. We now know that lighting fires among the roots is not conducive to the well-being of trees.

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  Flora

  Mountain guava

  Eugenia pseudopsidium, also known as the mountain guava, belongs to the family of Myrtaceae.

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  Fauna

  Cirique crab

  The cirique crab is average in size. It has an oval and flattened carapace. Adults are yellow and chocolate coloured, while juveniles are darker: black with orange claws.
  An omnivore that feeds on seeds, fruits and organic waste, this crab can also occasionally hunt prey its own size.
  It lives in the rivers of tropical forests, often at altitude. It digs shallow holes in river banks for shelter. It is the only crab from our rivers which completes its life cycle solely in freshwater.

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  Flora

  Wall of giant Asplundia rigida

  A member of the Cyclantaceae family, Asplundia rigida can be translated literally as "Fly wings" on account of its similarity with the insect.
  A typical species of moist forest undergrowth, there are three species in the Asplundia genus. Two terrestrial and one epiphytic and lianescent (vines climbing from aerial routes).

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  River and waterfall

  Small waterfall

  There is a small waterfall visible near the trail.