The Pointe des Châteaux Cross

Monument - Saint-François

This lookout point atop Morne Pavillon attracts many visitors to its imposing cross. The path to the cross may be accessed from the parking lot at the foot of Morne Petite Saline hill. It is a steep one, winding through woody shrubs with long roots and thick, shiny leaves. The cross is ten meters high and weighs nine metric tons. It was erected for the centennial celebration of the diocese at the instigation of Saint-François parish priest Father Jean-Baptiste de Lahondèses, and the Bishop of Guadeloupe Monseigneur Gay (1946). A new cross was erected here in 2002. Nearby, visitors will find two viewpoint indicators to inform their enjoyment of this stunning view. Straight across from Pointe des Colibris (“Hummingbird Point”) lies the asymmetrical “table-top” plateau of La Désirade; further south, the Petite Terre islands may be seen; to the northeast, a series of different landscapes leading to the plateaus of eastern Grande-Terre. Anse des Châteaux, with its churning ocean and dangerous currents, lies below