Tips & Tricks
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Engraved Rock Archaeological Park (Trois-Rivières, Basse Terre) — Inhabited by the Arawaks and the Carib people before being discovered by Christopher Colombus in 1493, Guadeloupe still bears many signs of these ancient civilizations. The archaeological park in Trois-Rivières is home to many of them and offers a stunning peek at pre-conquest Guadeloupe, not to mention […]
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 Pointe de la Grande Vigie y Porte d’Enfer (Anse-Bertrand, Grand La Pointe de la Grande Vigie and Porte d’Enfer (Anse-Bertrand, Grande-Terre) —located on the north coast of Grand Terre, La Pointe de la Grande Vigie are monumental cliffs with unforgettable vistas Signs in French warn visitors that there are sometimes rock slides, with unsuspecting […]