An Griyav’la farm in Le Robert, Martinique

Are you traveling to Martinique and want to discover the local flavors? 

The An Griyav’la farm offers gustatory discoveries on their estate or during excursions on the sailboat with Dénébola.

1. Tasty meals prepared by An Griyav’la in Le Robert, Martinique
2. The history of the An Griyav’la farm in Le Robert, Martinique
3. A collaboration between land and sea for responsible tourism in Martinique

Tasty meals prepared by An Griyav’la in Le Robert, Martinique :

Lunch on the farm :

As well as being farmers, Emile and Alice can welcome you to their farm as table d’hôte. Only for groups and by reservation.

You’ll be able to sample their famous gourmet recipes for coq fermier (free-range rooster) or fish with Creole sauce.

You can also visit the farm, which Emile will be delighted to show you around. The tour lasts around 1h30 and allows you to discover the beautiful An Griyav’la estate and the wealth of fruit it harbors. 

During the tour, you’ll be able to taste the garden’s fresh, juicy fruit, picked straight from the tree and cut in front of your eyes.

Lunches prepared for excursions aboard the sailing ship Dénébola :

You’ll find lunches prepared by the farm on the boat trips with Dénébola. These are sea outings to discover the islets and white bottoms of Robert in an ecologically responsible way.

Naturally, Dénébola turned to the local farm An Griyav’la, which prepares lunches using fruit and vegetables grown on the farm, and which is also located on Le Robert. 

Farmer Emile’s wife Alice prepares the meals in the morning.

What’s more, the fruit you taste on the sailboat trip is picked that very morning, and is in season, like juicy mangoes. 

The menu is all the more tempting for its fresh, local ingredients.

Papaya accras are usually served with homemade planteur or ti-punch. The starter is made up of raw vegetables, including a local specialty: cucumber herring saur. This is cucumber with smoked herring chicktail. For the main course, you’ll enjoy chicken marinated in old rum and browned with small onions, with a gratin of peyi vegetables (sweet potato or yellow banana). For dessert, you can enjoy delicious fruits from Alice and Emile’s garden. What’s more, during this day of sailing, you’ll enjoy fresh fruit juices made by them.

The history of the An Griyav’la farm in Le Robert, Martinique :

Guava at the heart of the farm : 

But what does this strange name mean? If we unravel it, “griyav” means guava in Creole and “an” means inside. Put end to end, it means “in the guava”. 

The name was chosen because the town of Le Robert (link to article îlets du Robert) was originally covered with guava trees. These trees are unique in that they can be used in their entirety.

The fruit is eaten, but can also be made into juice, jam and even ice cream. The foliage can be used to treat skin diseases, and can be made into tea to cure ailments, while the wood can be used to make charcoal.

The production of An Griyav’la in Robert, Martinique :

Once home to a sugar cane farm, the property was bought by Mr. Hayot and turned into a fruit-growing mecca. 

In fact, the farm is home to some 150 hectares of production, where different varieties of fruit are grown. Many come from abroad, such as the breadfruit from Tahiti. Other species come from India, China and Palestine. 

There are also animals such as sheep and goats. 

Emile has run the farm since 1983. There are 4 of them working on the farm, and in total they only produce on 12 hectares. 

They try to adopt an agro-ecological approach, using as much manure as possible to nourish the soil and avoid the use of pesticides. 

They grow fruit trees on sandy-clay soil. Unlike the sandy soil found in the north of the island, this will retain water when it rains.

An Griyav’la in Le Robert, Martinique : 

The farm offers a range of services, including wedding receptions, christenings and catering. 

It is also possible to buy their products directly on site every Wednesday at their sales outlet.

Last but not least, they are committed to keeping traditions alive, which is why in their cooking they try to preserve the flavors of yesteryear handed down to them by their parents.

An Griyav’la is one of Dénébola’s major partners, offering ecotourism outings to discover the islets and fonds blancs of Robert.

Passengers aboard the sailboat Dénébola greatly appreciate these home-cooked, local meals. Lunches from the An Gryiav’la farm are a real plus on these boat trips.

With Dénébola, it’s possible to privatize the boat for a more intimate day, where the menu can be adapted to suit your tastes.

A collaboration between land and sea for responsible tourism in Martinique :

The major advantage of the collaboration between the Dénébola sea outings and the An Griyav’la farm is the short production circuit.

In fact, the lunches enjoyed near the white bottoms of the îlets du Robert come from the farm in the same commune. 

According to the World Tourism Organization, responsible tourism is “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, by meeting the needs of visitors, professionals, the environment and host communities”. 

It is a form of tourism that aims to protect ecosystems and local populations. 

There are various sub-categories, the best known being ecotourism, but it is also known as slow tourism, nature tourism or green tourism.  

During an eco-responsible day on the sailing boat Dénébola, you’ll learn about marine flora and fauna while enjoying meals prepared by the An Griyav’la agro-tourism farm. At An Griyav’la, all fresh fruit is used as soon as harvested to make juices or for cooking.

After this beautiful day at sea, you can visit the farm to learn more about their production. 

In effect, you’re visiting an educational farm and learning about environmental issues at the same time.