Carbet Falls

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The first and second cascades.

Carbet Falls (French: Les chutes du Carbet) is a waterfall on the Carbet River in Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France located in the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean region. Its three cascades are set amid the tropical rainforests on the lower slopes of the volcano La Soufrière. The falls are one of the most popular visitor sites in Guadeloupe, with approximately 400,000 visitors annually.

In 1493, Christopher Columbus noted Carbet Falls in his log. Appropriately, he named Guadeloupe Karukera, which translates as "the island of beautiful waters".^{[citation needed]}

1 Description
2 Recent events
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Description

The falls' first and highest cascade comprises a drop of 115 m (380 ft). Visitors reach the cascade by a long, steep trail. The source of the Carbet River is located another 2 km (1.2 mi) upstream from the first cascade, at an elevation of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).

The second cascade receives the most visitors of the three, due to its convenient accessibility. This fall of 110 m (360 ft) is reached by a paved and very well designed path.

The third cascade.

The third and last cascade measures "only" 20 m (66 ft) in height, but has the greatest water volume of any waterfall in Guadeloupe. It is only accessible on foot, and only to experienced hikers.

[edit] Recent events

Following an earthquake in 2004, several cubic meters of rock split from the cliff face behind the second cascade. The safety hazard thus created led park authorities to limit access to the cascade to no closer than a bridge just downstream. Heavy rains in 2005 only exacerbated the problem by leaving the terrain yet more unstable.