Basse-Terre Island
Jacques Cousteau brought Pigeon Island to international attention by declaring it to be one of the world’s top dive areas, and the waters surrounding the…
Must-see attractions in Guadeloupe
Pointe-à-Pitre
Top billing in the French Antilles goes to this huge museum of slavery, opened by President Hollande in 2015. Housed in a spectacular silver-latticework…
Basse-Terre Island
One of Basse-Terre's most enjoyable attractions, the Maison du Cacao is for anyone who loves their chocolate. Presentations in English take place at 10am,…
Basse-Terre Island
One of Guadeloupe's must-sees, this excellent zoo, high in the mountains of Basse-Terre, combines animal enclosures with a jungle adventure. Follow the…
Grande-Terre
This headland of white sand about 2km west of Ste-Anne's center is one of Guadeloupe's very finest beaches – it's the Caribbean you probably came to see…
Deshaies
This superb golden-sand beach with no hotel development in sight is just 2km north of Deshaies. This is one of Basse-Terre's longest and prettiest…
Basse-Terre Island
This Unesco Biosphere Reserve just off the coast of Basse-Terre makes for an enjoyable day trip. A chain of coral islets sitting atop a 25km-long coral…
Terre-de-Haut
The horseshoe-shaped Baie de Pompierre is perhaps Terre-de-Haut's loveliest beach: a reef-protected golden strand with a splendid setting. There are even…
Basse-Terre Island
Active volcano La Soufrière (1467m) looms above Basse-Terre's southern half. For an adventurous 1¾-hour hike to the sulfurous, moonscape-like summit, a…
Basse-Terre Island
This idyllic jungle waterfall drops from a Basse-Terre mountainside into a small riverside pool where you can swim. It's a wonderful and therefore popular…
Grande-Terre
Possibly Guadeloupe's best beach, Datcha is a dreamy strip of cream-hued sand, backed by shade-giving trees and fronted by calm, reef-protected sea. The…
Edgar Clerc Archaeological Museum
Grande-Terre
This relatively small but informative museum has a fascinating display of archaeological finds made on Guadeloupe and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Much of…
Basse-Terre Island
Unless it’s overcast, the drive up to the Chutes du Carbet lookout gives a view of two magnificent waterfalls plunging down a sheer mountain face. From…
Parc National de la Guadeloupe
Basse-Terre Island
Guadeloupe's only national park is an absolute stunner, covering much of the interior of Basse-Terre and including such sights as the Chutes du Carbet…
Deshaies
Between Grande Anse and Ste-Rose, at the northern tip of Basse-Terre, this dazzling stretch of golden sand is lapped by jade waters that just beg to be…
Basse-Terre Island
Starting from St-Sauveur on the N1, the road runs 8.5km inland, making for a nice 15-minute drive up through a rainforest. Nearly 3km before the end of…
Deshaies
Away from the beach, Deshaies' top attraction is its botanical garden, which also has some interesting animal life to keep the kids entertained. Among the…
Terre-de-Haut
Built in 1867 on the site of an earlier fort destroyed by the British in 1809, this installation sitting over 100m above sea level affords a splendid view…
Grande-Terre
Make a beeline for this oft-overlooked white-sand beach about 1.5km north of Anse Bertrand. Strong riptides make it quite dangerous for swimming, but the…
Grande-Terre
This long peninsula right at the eastern tip of Grande-Terre is a beautiful stretch of landscape. With some good beaches on both sides, it's popular with…
Grande-Terre
The island’s northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie offers scenic views from its high sea cliffs. A rocky path – walkable in flip-flops but better…
Basse-Terre Island
A short drive inland from the Maison du Cacao, this waterfall and deep pool are one of Basse-Terre's most accessible beauty spots. Cool off in the rushing…
Grande-Terre
Since it ceased operations, this former sugar factory has been converted into a learning center about the local region and the history of slavery and…
Grande-Terre
This long, gently arching beach in northwestern Grande-Terre has soft, pale sand, lapis-lazuli waters and fabulous views of mountainous Basse-Terre in the…
Grande-Terre
Just 600m off Gosier is idyllic little Îlet du Gosier, surrounded by calm turquoise waters that have some good snorkeling. Motorboats (one way €5) shuttle…
Grande-Terre
The real reason to head to St-François, Plage des Raisins Clairs on the western outskirts of the town is a popular sandy beach where it's safe to swim…
Grande-Terre
For those who don’t speak French but know how distilleries work, this is a nice chance to wander around at will. It's particularly active during the cane…
Grande-Terre
The nearly empty, quite remote beach of Anse Maurice is accessed via a small road with concrete tracks. The water is clear and very shallow until you walk…
Grande-Terre
Around 3km east of Ste-Anne and only accessible by car, this heavenly, off-the-beaten-track beach with its shallow warm water and white sand backed by…
Guadeloupe
This remotely located rum distillery has a historic setting and a wonderful old windmill. The modern operation uses totally sustainable and nonpolluting…
Basse-Terre Island
Nestled in the hills west of Petit-Bourg, this mature 14-hectare botanical garden includes a wide range of tropical plants and flowers, a palmery, and…
Guadeloupe
Midway between St-Louis and Grand-Bourg, this famous distillery bottles the island’s best-known rum under the Père Labat label. There's also a good…
Terre-de-Haut
The oddly named Anse Crawen is a secluded, clothing-optional beach just a couple of minutes’ walk down a dirt path that starts at the southwestern end of…
Grande-Terre
This beach in the small town of the same name has golden sand and is backed by palm trees. It's rarely too crowded and is one of the loveliest beaches in…
Terre-de-Haut
Two kilometers southwest of Bourg des Saintes is Anse à Cointe, a good beach for combining swimming and snorkeling. The snorkeling is best on the north…
Terre-de-Haut
South of Grande Anse and about 2km from town is Anse Rodrigue, a nice beach on a protected cove that usually has good swimming conditions.
Pointe-à-Pitre
This three-level municipal museum occupies an outstanding example of 19th-century colonial architecture and is dedicated to renowned poet and Nobel…
Grande-Terre
‘Hell's Gate’ is actually a long, narrow lagoon that could be mistaken for a river. Its banks are a nice place for a picnic lunch on a drive around the…
Basse-Terre Island
Those who want to understand how the ambrosia called rum starts in the sugarcane fields and ends on their palate should head to this museum, which has…
Terre-de-Haut
Baie du Marigot is a pleasant little bay with a calm, protected beach about 1km north of Bourg des Saintes. It’s fairly close to Fort Napoléon, so most…
