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
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Pointe-à-Pitre
This popular market on the seafront in front of Place de la Victoire is Pointe-à-Pitre's main fruit-and-vegetable market. It's full of characters and you…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Cathédrale de St-Pierre et St-Paul
Pointe-à-Pitre
Rather than the traditional arches, this attractively painted sand-colored church, nicknamed the ‘Iron Cathedral,’ is supported by iron girders intended…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Parc Archéologique des Roches Gravées
Basse-Terre Island
This prehistoric site features rocks carved with petroglyphs of human, animal and abstract form. Some of the rocks were found on the site; others were…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Terre-de-Haut
Easily one of Terre-de-Haut's best beaches, long, sandy Grande Anse unfortunately has rough water conditions, and swimming is not allowed. The north side…
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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…
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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…
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Terre-de-Haut
A winding cement road leads to the summit of Le Chameau, which at 309m is Terre-de-Haut's highest point. From Bourg des Saintes it’s a moderately…
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Guadeloupe
This remotely located rum distillery has a historic setting and a wonderful old windmill. The modern operation uses totally sustainable and nonpolluting…
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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…
