Tips & Tricks
The eastern Caribbean island of Guadeloupe was first discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to America in 1493. He named that island Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura (which would later be shortened to Guadelupe). Although he himself never settled on the island, Spanish settlers eventually did make their way to Guadeloupe. With […]
Fort Louis Delgrès (Le Carmel, Basse-Terre) — Fort Louis Delgrès—Guadeloupe’s historical Mecca—towers over Basse-Terre, the island’s oldest city (founded in 1643). Formerly Fort Royal, Fort Richepance, and Fort Saint Charles, the fortification was declared a national historic monument in 1977. Take a self-guided tour of the fort and museum, or show up on a Friday […]
La Désirade (island) – accessible by sea (45 min from Saint-François) or by air (15 min from the Pôle Caraïbes airport), the island has a single road that runs its length and is fun to explore on foot, by bike or scooter. This peaceful and remote island is an 11-kilometer stretch of tabular rock. Swimmers, […]
L’Habitation La Grivelière (Vallèe de Grand Rivière, Vieux Habitants, Basse-Terre) – this is a coffee and cocoa plantation in Vieux Habitants (located in the southeast coast of Basse-Terre) that dates back to the 1700s. This place gives visitors a glimpse of the French Caribbean economy during the colonial period. Admission: €7.50 (adults), €4.50 (children). Those […]
Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve (Basse-Terre) – established in the late 1980s, the National Park manages a 3,700-hectare nature reserve at the heart of a vast bay closed off by the longest coral reef in the Lesser Antilles. With a myriad of different coastal features, le Grand-Cul-de-sac Marin boasts mangroves, swampy forests, grassy marshes, herbaceous […]
Le Gosier Islet—this small island is located off the southern coast of Grande-Terre. Locals get there by either swimming or kayak paddling their way into it from Datcha Beach. Divers can explore the tropical marine life from the new and improved underwater trail by that islet.