Col de la Tourmente Live Cam

History

The Col de la Tourmente holds a unique place in Saint Barthélemy’s tapestry of history, intertwining indigenous presence, colonial endeavors, and modern recreational pursuits. Long before Europeans set foot on the island, the Arawak and Carib peoples likely used the natural saddle between the twin peaks of Morne Vitet and Morne du Colonel as a vantage point and pathway. These early inhabitants, skilled navigators of rugged terrain, would have followed deer trails and wildlife corridors that cut through the granite passes—precursors to what centuries later would be formalized as the Col de la Tourmente trail.

French settlers arrived in the mid-17th century, establishing small farming plots on the lower slopes of nearby hills. The steep gradients of the Tourmente pass deterred large-scale cultivation, but local farmers exploited the surrounding ridges for grazing goats and cultivating hardy crops like cassava and sweet potatoes. Search terms such as “St Barts colonial agriculture,” “Arawak Carib trails,” and “historic farming St Barts” capture the essence of this epoch, when the highlands served as refuge from hurricanes and as lookout points for incoming ships.