Located in the heart of the rainforest in the Mount Pelée massif, the Couleuvre waterfall is the most renowned and highest (426 ft / 130 m) of the waterfalls in the north of the island of Martinique. It is only accessible on foot via a fully marked trail laid out by the Office National des Forêts (National Forestry Office) in 2007 which crosses the Couleuvre river several times. The banana and cocoa trees that line it are a reminder of the old vocation of the Habitation Couleuvre. Flowing on the northwest slopes of Mount Pelée, the Couleuvre river has its sources on the flanks of Piton Pierreux and leads to the black sand beach of Anse Couleuvre. About 98 ft (30 m) to the left of the waterfall is a reserve of green clay made up of lithological layers. Its virtues for the skin have been known for centuries.