Guadeloupe, an island renowned for its beaches, is less well known for its landscapes and places to visit. If you’re planning a vacation in Guadeloupe, don’t miss out.
Recommended routes
Pointe à Pitre
' The port district
Fishermen dock here to supply the small covered market with fresh fish.
Behind the majestic trees of Place de la Victoire, a few beautiful Creole-style houses, and the magnificent facade of an old cinema.
' Schoelcher Museum
' Saint Antoine market
' Guadeloupe aquarium
' Saint-John Perse Museum
The latter alone is worth a detour to Pointe à Pitre.
Housed in an attractive colonial house, the Souque-Pagès house, it recreates the interiors of wealthy planters, and has assembled a fine collection of period clothing, not forgetting of course photos and letters by Saint John Perse.
The "butterfly island" or mainland is made up of Basse-Terre (850 km2), where housing and economic activity are concentrated. This part of the island is mountainous, and the famous La Soufrière volcano, still active, towers over the island at over 1,467 meters.
Saint-François
Beaches, water sports, diving
' Getaways to nearby islands (see below: boat trips and boat rentals)
' La Pointe des Châteaux
Its landscape of cliffs and rocks jagged by the elements, with a wind that gives a freshness reminiscent of the Breton coast!
No swimming due to the many eddies and currents, not to mention the sometimes powerful waves. Instead, opt for one of the many beaches lining the road to Pointe des Châteaux.
Discover the mangrove
The mangrove is a forest of mangroves extending over the mudflats of the coastal strip. In Guadeloupe, mangrove areas cover around 8,000 hectares, 80% of which are located around the Grand Cul-de-Sac marin and on either side of the Rivière Salée.
The fauna is very rich. It's home to many seabirds and freshwater birds, both sedentary and migratory, as well as crustaceans, shellfish, hermit crabs and fish.
So as not to disturb this fragile universe, the Mangrove can be visited at low speed aboard motorboats or on water scooters.
From Le Gosier, you can discover the bay at the head of Pointe à Pitre.
Boat trip
Discovering Guadeloupe also means taking a boat to admire the island's coasts, lagoons and dreamy landscapes. All in a friendly atmosphere, with Ti-Punch and tasting of West Indian specialities.
A number of companies organize sea trips departing from Sainte-Anne or Saint-François.
Some of them allow you to spend a day in the archipelago of Les Saintes, Désirade or Marie-Galante, which are less than an hour from mainland Guadeloupe.
These excursions are highly recommended, and if you're lucky, you may even have the chance of a pleasant encounter at sea... with whales!
We've put together a selection of boat rentals for you.
The fauna is very rich. It's home to many seabirds and freshwater birds, both sedentary and migratory, as well as crustaceans, shellfish, hermit crabs and fish.
So as not to disturb this fragile universe, the Mangrove can be visited at low speed aboard motorboats or on water scooters.
From Le Gosier, you can discover the bay at the head of Pointe à Pitre.