Grande-Terre - The Grande-Terre is a beautiful island surrounded by coral reefs with white and black sandy beaches, cliffs and rolling hills with vast farmland. It's a popular destination amongst visitors, especially: Pointe-à-Pitre, Gosier, Saint-François, Pointe des Châteaux, Le Moule, Pointe de la Grande Vigie and Port-Louis (excellent diving spot).
Pointe des Chateaux (Castles Point) - Situated at the most eastern part of the island its spectacular views draw many visitors, enabling you to see neighbouring islands; La Desirade, Iles des les Petite-Terre, Marie Gallante, Iles des les Saintes and sometimes more! Despite the name, there aren't any castles, its actually a reference to the majestically carved rocks formed by the ferocious waves.
Sainte-Anne beach - There is of course the most popular Club Med Caravelle beach which is accessible to anyone and the bourg beach, with a little marina, wonderful for swimming and has every pretty white sandy beach as seen in post cards. Attention, an entrance fee is paid on weekends if you go by car. But you can park the car alongside the boulevard.
Saint Francois - A large seaside resort and fishermans port, which is a favourite destination for many due to its beautiful beaches and rich landscape. Centered around an old market, you can find nurseries, a fishermans wharf (where you can buy fresh fish each day), fresh fruit and vegetable merchants and a diverse range of local traders, which brings a certain liveliness and ambiance to the town. At various times throughout the year there are parades, dances, festivals and local fairs along with numerous restaurants, hotels a casino and a range of other activities including a superb golf course. One of the great things about Saint Francois is its easy access to other islands as you can take a boat to many destinations such as; La Desirade, Petite-Terre and Marie-Glante. If you're looking for a great holiday villa in Saint Francois, Guadeloupe we recommend Villa Belle Allee which is a short distance from the town centre.
Porte d'enfer: the gates of hell - Despite the name, La Porte d'Enfer is a protected cove with calm waters and a small palm-lined beach backed by high limestone cliffs, which give it a uniquely captivating allure. The beach is great for swimming, especially for small children and adventurous travelers can explore the limestone cliffs and surrounding area.
La Porte d'Enfer is close to Le Moule, so you can tour the town after your visit to the beach. Guadeloupe's beaches are hardly known for their seclusion, but this beach is a little further from the crowds, making it a perfect spot for some vacationers.
Pointe a pitre - Guadeloupe's largest city is a mix of old and new and is perfectly located between the two main islands, which assisted its development. The city has had a colourful past with numerous fires, hurricanes and earthquakes, however it stands tall today. It's a bustling city with a great market where you can buy fresh fish, vegetables, spices and an array of other things on a daily basis. The market is open every morning and is situated in the center of Pointe-a-Pitre.
Another worthwhile visit in Pointe-a-Pitre is the aquarium, which contains a vast array of beautifully coloured fish housed in huge tanks. The staff are extremely visit and it makes a nice break from the Caribbean sun! Deshaies Botanic Garden
The Botanical Garden is located in the north east of Basse Terre in a beautiful village called Deshaies. You can find over over 200 varieties of native plants along with wildlife and picturesque waterfalls and ponds. A must for lovers of nature.
Basse-Terre (Low Land) - Despite its name, Basse-Terre is in fact the highest and largest island of Guadeloupe located to the east. It's rich in wildlife and there is an abundance of things to see and do.
National Park of Guadeloupe - One of the main attractions is the National Park of Guadeloupe (Parc Naturel), which provides around 300km (188 miles) of marked trails leading into the rainforest, where visitors can observe many tropical animals and plants. The scenery on these walks often includes waterfalls (such as the Cascade aux Ecrevisses) or lakes (such as the Grand Etang). On Grande-Terre, hiking trails lead through the mangrove or along the cliffs of the Atlantic coast.
La Route de la Traversee is the road that crosses through the middle of Basse-Terre and the National Park (Parc National). It's a gorgeous region surrounded by mountains and forests with several lagoons for swimming and plenty of places to hike. Notably, there is a Zoo with a suspension bridge where you can walk around the forest 15-20metres above the ground! There's lots of trails that lead to waterfalls, however the finest are Cascade aux Ecrevisses and Saut de la Lézarde. Cascade aux Ecrevisses is an intimate, picturesque cascade with lots of lush vegetation and a beautiful warm pond with a waterfall where you can swim. It's well worth the trip as its quite secluded and there is a place where you can have a picnic with tables and chairs etc. Le saut de la Lézarde is another slice of paradise similar to the cascade, which is again tranquil and sublime consisting of a 30 foot waterfall a huge pool for swimming and open sided cavern with trees and creepers hanging off the walls. Take a right to l'Orée du parc, direction Vernou then follow the indications.
Capesterre-Belle-Eau - Situated in the south east of Basse-Terre, Chutes du Carbet is the most popular destination in the region and also of Guadeloupe, comprising of three huge cascades, which is a must see! The first one is difficult to acces and reserved to specialists, the third one needs 2 hours of hiking and has an incredible 20 meter high water-fall. The second one is easier to access taking approximately 1 hour to get there and back, however it's still a great walk with only the sounds of falling water in the mangroves. The view is simply breathtaking and was noted in Christopher Columbus' log when he named Guadeloupe 'Karukera', which translates to "the island of beautiful waters. We recommend you take a raincoat and approximate wet weather gear as it rains a lot!
Kassavery of Capesterre-Belle-Eau is potentially one of the last places in the Lesser Antilles where you can taste the famous cake of Manioc made of coconut and banana.
Iles des Saints - Islands of the Saints - Described as some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, Iles des Saints is a group of picturesque islands south of Basse-Terre. There are very few cars and the best way to visit is to rent a scooter or walk. There are a number of historical sites to visit such as Fort Napoééon (dates back to 1867), which has exhibition and iguanas. There is a number of beautiful beaches, in particular 'Pain de sucre', along with various shops, galleries, restaurants and the like. Try climbing the "Chameau" (309m), the magnificent circular view is well worth the effort!
Terre-de-Haut - is the largest and most populated islands of Les Saintes. It is an incredible place with fabulous walking, snorkeling, and places to stay and eat. Many people take only day trips to this island, but its worth a few nights in its own right. If you're looking for empty beaches, a quaint village, and the feeling of having an island all to yourself, this is the place for you.
To get there you can take a boat from either Trois rivieres, Pointe a pitre or St francois and potentially some other places.
Iles des les Petite-Terre - Located south of Pointe des Chateaux, under La Desirade in the east of Guadeloupe, Iles des les Petite-Terre is a magnificent desert island occupied by a few iguanas and some birds called 'sucriers'. You can take a day trip there and once you arrive you find a paradise perfect for snorkeling and swimming. Please note, hunting and fishing is forbidden.
Marie Galante - Her name is taken from Christopher Columbus' caravel and she is the largest of the islands depending on Guadeloupe and is approximately 1-2 hours from Saint Francois or Pointe a Pitre. The island is very chilled out and was a haven for writers and painters for inspiration. It was originally the home of the rum distilling which is easy to see based on the amount of natural vegetation there and they still carry the sugarcane by cart. You can taste rum at one of the local distilleries or take a walk and discover the beauty of a landscape scattered with windmills and ruins of former sugar refineries. The beaches are regarded as the most beautiful in Guadeloupe.
La desirade island - Picture an overturned ship in the water and that kind of describes La Desirade. It's the least touristic places in Guadeloupe (with only two hotels), mainly because it is quite mountainous and rocky with not much vegetation. The lack of contact is probably why the inhabitants are so friendly and relaxed as the lifestyle is very calm. La Desirade is 11km long and 2km wide, with desert-like terrain, coconut and sea grape trees along the coast and a large cactus garden at the eastern end. The northern side of the island is uninhabited, consisting of a rocky coastline with rough open seas, whilst the southern side has beautiful sandy beaches and reef-protected waters. If you're looking for a place to get away from the hussle and bussle of touristic places and want to checkout some beautiful secluded beaches and smaller farmers villages, then this is the place for you. It's best discovered on a scooter as its quite hilly.
