Morne Coubaril

Morne Coubaril Review

On the site of an 18th-century estate, a 250-acre land grant by Louis XIV of France in 1713, the original plantation house has been renovated and a farm worker's village has been re-created to show visitors what life was like for both the owners (a single family who owned the land until 1960) and those who did all the hard labor over the centuries producing cotton, coffee, sugarcane, and cocoa. Cocoa, coconuts, and manioc are still grown on the estate using traditional agricultural methods. Guides show how coconuts are opened and roasted for use as oil and animal feed and how cocoa is fermented, dried, crushed by dancing on the beans, and finally formed into chocolate sticks. Manioc roots (also called cassava) are grated, squeezed of excess water, dried, and turned into flour used in baking. The grounds are lovely for walking or hiking, and the views of mountains and sea beyond are spellbinding. The Pitt, a large, open-air restaurant, serves a creole buffet at lunchtime by reservation only.