Experience Bois Cotlette Estate in the Heart of Southern Dominica
The Bois Cotlette Heritage Tour gives you a chance to enjoy the Estate’s grounds at a relaxed pace in a pristine and tranquil setting. Tours at Bois Cotlette are currently available by appointment only. Please see our main Tours page for hours of operation or contact us to book your tour!
Dating from the early years of French settlement in the 1720’s, Bois Cotlette is the oldest surviving estate on Dominica. Nestled in a valley within the active Morne Plat Pays volcanic complex, it is the best preserved example of plantation architecture on the island, with its French colonial “Maison de Maitre” and buildings for the processing of coffee, sugar, and cocoa.
Read more about our background and history or get a sneak peak at the tour below.
The Tour
Length: 2 hours | Pace: Relaxing
- Orientation
- History Lane
- Cocoa
- The Windmill
- Archaeology
- Courtyard
- Maison (Main House)
- Jardin (Garden)
Orientation at the “Sugar Shack”
Looking for clues to date the structures along “History Lane”
Cocoa Enjoy freshly opened coconut water, see cocoa beans drying.
A fascinating story about the windmill dating to the late 1780’s, the only one remaining on Dominica.
Archaeological dig in the Bois Cotlette slave village, Summer 2012. Led by Mark Hauser, PhD.
The factory courtyard had many uses for the people of Bois Cotlette Estate.
The bake, a creole tradition and a mouthwatering treat. Served in the courtyard Maison.
Take a stroll through the Planter’s herb garden.
A Detailed Look at the Bois Cotlette Heritage Tour
What will you learn?
- You will gain insight from the research and expert knowledge of Northwestern University’s Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Mark Hauser, PhD. who has led excavations on the Bois Cotlette Estate since 2009.
- You will uncover clues to the property’s origins and learn why expert historians, too, are so enamored with Bois Cotlette.
- You will delve into the plantation history and learn that two stories emerge. One story is about the Owner/Planter class. You’ll learn about this story through the building structures, investment company documents, factory ruins, gardens, and all that you see. The second is a story about the slave village inhabitants and it is revealed by the 15 slave sites and artifacts unearthed in a recent archaeological dig.
- You will have an opportunity to enjoy authentic creole snacks and refreshments.
- You will stroll through the Planter’s herb garden located just south of the Maison.
Ready to start learning? Contact us to Book Your Heritage Tour or for more information about Bois Cotlette Estate.