Paria, Grand Tacarib and Madamas Beaches

The secluded beaches of Paria, Grand Tacarib and Madamas can be reached by hiking trail from Blanchisseuse or Matelot, or by boat. The boat trip from Blanchisseuse takes about half an hour to Paria and forty-five minutes to Madamas.

The journey provides breath-taking views of arches, stacks, caves and other rock formations along this coastline. Besides this scenery and the picture-perfect beaches, there are additional places of natural beauty. A stack formation is located within an arch on the western end of Paria and the refreshing Paria waterfall is just a fifteen minute walk inland from the beach.

Massive sandstone outcrops are exposed in layers at Grand Tacarib and a folded rock formation at Madamas allows a glimpse into the coastal processes that once helped to shape the island.

The beaches range between 800 m and 1 km in length, with Grand Tacarib being the longest. They have moderate to steep slopes and are composed of light-grey to brown, medium-grained sand. Generally wave energy is moderate to high and waves approach from the north. Wave heights range from 40 to 120 cm and longshore currents flow to the west.

The Paria River and the Madamas River enter the sea at their respective beaches. The backshore of all three beaches is densely vegetated and consists of sand runners, coconut palms, almond, parrot apple and sea grape.

While these beaches are very scenic, caution should be exercised especially while bathing at Madamas and Grand Tacarib. Madamas Beach has an abrupt plunge point while Grand Tacarib has strong longshore currents and visible rip currents.

Leatherback turtles nest on these beaches between March and August while the hawksbill turtle nests later in the year.

Prospective hikers should check-in at the nearest police station, informing officers of their intended destination and hiking time.

Enquiries should be made at the village for guides or boat rentals. This hiking trip could take a day from Blanchisseuse to Paria, or two nights camping in the forest from Blanchisseuse to Madamas. Suitable footwear, food, drinking water, a first aid kit, insect repellent and necessary camping equipment are essential for an expedition of this kind.