Piton du Canot is a small isolated peak lying on the south west of the island. Its location provides some great views over the south west coast and onto the valley of Chamarel, including the lagoon spanning from Black River to Le Morne and the island of Ile aux Benitiers.
The path is relatively short and the ascent can be accomplished within 45 minutes as there are no technically difficult parts along the path to the summit.

Location

The path to the summit of Piton du Canot mountain starts in the car park of Le Chamarel restaurant, adjacent to the Chamarel Forestry office.
There are buses from Quatre Bornes which go to Chamarel via Baie du Cap but due to the distance and route taken, the trip can take a considerable amount of time.

Route description

• Park your transport in the car park of Le Chamarel restaurant.
• Walk south westwards past the gates of the Chamarel forestry office.
• The path is lined with a wooden fence, and after a steep climb of around 20 metres, there are a couple of huts with seats provided for visitors to rest and enjoy the views overlooking Black River and Tamarin.
• The path continues, passing to the side of a private property and then along an ageing wire fence which can provide support in some places to help you up.

• After about 1km and a steep scramble, you will emerge on the summit of Piton du Canot mountain where you can enjoy the views.

On the summit, you will notice there is a path leading down from the summit towards the west. It would be unwise to follow this route as after a long fruitless exploration, you will encounter a fence marked 'Private Property' forcing you to return to the summit and take the same route down as you took on the way up.