You will be amazed at the incredible number of natural springs that feed and nourish Guadeloupe. Karukera, "the island of beautiful waters" will enchant you with its treasures that these 5 islands that make up the Guadeloupe Islands have to offer. Guadeloupe, like a butterfly, spreads its Grande Terre and Basse Terre wings linked by the salt river. Marie Galante, La Désirade and Les Saintes finish to compose one of the most beautiful Archipelago of the South West Indies.
Guadeloupe - From Basse-Terre to Grande-Terre
The island of Basse-Terre is an island where nature is predominant. Its emblem the Soufrière, in the South, is a rich natural resource. Many paths of the Trace will take you into this tropical forest and you can refresh yourself under the natural waterfalls. The most famous to name but a few : The Cascade aux Ecrevisses, the most accessible, on the retreat road which crosses the island from East to West. The Carbet Falls : the most famous : 3 falls form these cascades for two of them of 115 and 110 meters high. The third one, one could say that it is only 20 meters, but it is the one with the most water flow on all Guadeloupe. It is, moreover, not easily accessible. The island of Grande Terre is also full of sites to discover steeper, more windy, or nestled in the mangrove to discover a typical fauna and flora of the island, you will have a wide choice of excursions through small hiking trails. The Pointe des Châteaux after Saint-François is a really lively coast, where the sea crashes on these green cliffs. A small passage will lead you to a high point with the cross of Christ where you can admire a 360-degree panoramic view with Marie Galante in the distance. The sunsets there are memorable ! In the direction of Anse Bertrand in the north of the island of Grande Terre, the Pointe de la Grande Vigie and Porte de l'enfer are also places to visit, their cliffs can reach 80 meters high. It is a very rich coastline that Guadeloupe offers you. There are a large number of fine sandy beaches all around the island. Go for a swim at the Caravelle beach or the Bois Jolan beach towards Sainte-Anne, the beach of the clear grapes on Saint Francois, the Souffleur beach in Port-Louis, the Malendrure beach in Bouillante, the beaches along Sainte-Rose and Deshaies, or the beaches of Goyave or Sainte Marie. You can also enjoy many water sports, jet skiing on the Gosier, diving in Deshaies, surfing at the beach of Helleu or boat trips all around the island to visit the islet of Gosier, les Saintes, la Désirade or Marie Galante. Finally, you will be able to walk through the canals in this preserved mangrove to the north of Port-Louis or Petit-Canal which abound in preserved fauna and flora. Immerse yourself in the history and heritage of Guadeloupe is essential to understand the culture that is still present and proudly carried and conveyed by the Guadeloupeans. Many houses of Rum, Coffee, Cocoa, are open to make you discover the know-how. Museums on the history of the island, manual trades, sugar cane or banana plantations are also THE heritage of Guadeloupe. Madras, Matété-tet, Tambours, Gwo ka, traditional dances are still very active on the island. Groups and associations will be able to make you discover how to dress and sketch some dance steps. Another highlight is the Carnival which starts at the beginning of January and ends the day before Ash Wednesday. Each commune makes it a point of honour to have its own troupe and parade every weekend. If you wander through the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre or other towns around the island you will discover a Street Art very present. Young contemporary artists dress the old walls with their large contemporary frescos to give them a second life. The ACTe Memorial : This museum is a high place of duty of memory that traces the history of the slave trade and slavery until today. This memorial was designed by Guadeloupean architects Jean Michel Mocka-Célestine, Pascal Berthelot, Mikael Marton and Fabien Doré. Situated in the heart of Pointe à Pitre near the port, this memorial will amaze you at first by its architecture, then during the visit by its modernity to tell us a story that will not leave you indifferent. Artists such as Pascal Legitimus, Firmine Richard and many others lend their voices to characters who were at the heart of this bruise. Between two visits, go to eat and taste the very good cuisine of the island. Crab Matté, Chicken Colombo, Lambi Fricassé, Coconut Flan, Tourment d'Amour, Mont Blanc, Pomegranate, Guava or Passion Fruit Juice, Coconut Water or Cane Juice, these culinary dishes, where these good smells come out of the many restaurants, and the many country juices will know how to open your appetite and refresh you.
Marie-Galante
Located in the Caribbean Sea, the island of Marie-Galante is administratively attached to Guadeloupe. It is customary to call it 'the island of a hundred mills', or 'the big cake' because of its shape and flat terrain. Grand-Bourg, Saint-Louis, and Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante are all three towns located on the edge of a preserved coastline, but they also extend inland. You will have 2 options to get to Marie-Galante : Grand-Bourg, which is the main port of the island and which concentrates most of the active life, or Saint-Louis. It must be admitted that the arrival by Saint-Louis is most magical: mangrove and beaches surround this village which seems to have stopped in time. The change of scenery is total. If you wish, finally, a more peaceful and quieter corner, go to Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante where you can relax on one of its beaches with crystalline waters. Generally speaking, Marie-Galante has remained authentic. And if you take a closer look, as you pass by the farmland, you will see ox carts pulled by oxen.
Les Saintes
To speak only of its magnificent bay and of Terre-de-Haut about the Saints would be reductive. Les Saintes are two small islands, Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, plus 7 uninhabited islets. You can get there from the landing stage at Trois Rivières à Basse Terre, in 20 minutes of crossing. Los Santos, as Christopher Columbus nicely named it in 1493, is first of all an island that perfectly illustrates the tropics: volcanic, green with a rich history. Long coveted by the English, it finally remained French after many battles. Bretons and Normans settled there, and you will understand as soon as you arrive in this magnificent bay of Terre-de-Haut that they were right as the beauty of the place remains engraved in the memories. The city is made of beautiful and colourful houses and you will enjoy strolling through its streets where crafts, restaurants, museums and many other shops are convivial. As soon as you arrive, you will have noticed the Fort Napoleon, classified historically, which dominates the town and where you will be able to contemplate the most beautiful view of the Saintes and its bay. It is also worth visiting as it retraces the history of Les Saintes. Then you will go back down and stop at the Pain de Sucre beach, accessible by a small path. Or if you prefer the quiet and lively atmosphere, you can choose to go to the Dompierre beach, the most famous of the island. And there, you will take the time to taste, facing the sea, one of the most famous pastries: le tourment d'amour, a cake from Les Saintes made of shortcrust pastry, custard and local jam. And to end your trip in beauty we will invite you to Terre-de-Bas which is really different from Terre-de-Haut. More mountainous and larger, it is composed of 2 communes Grand Anse and Petite Anse and will be the ideal place for hiking lovers. There are indeed several marked paths that will allow you to discover the island. You will then be able to discover the Morne Abyme and admire an intact tropical fauna and flora. A true ecological journey in itself.
La Désirade
La Désirade is located 10 km east of Grande Terre in Guadeloupe. So you will take the boat from Saint-François and after 45 minutes of crossing, which can be a bit hectic, you will arrive at the port of Beauséjour, the southern part of the island where the hillside dwellings and its beaches are located. This was the first island discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage, perhaps that is why he called it Desirada. Here, calm and voluptuousness are the key words, far from the tumult of its big sister Guadeloupe, you will feel like out of time. The northern part is made up of cliffs and a 4x4 will be strongly recommended to tame this "Mountain Road" in beaten earth, rocky and very steep that leads from Beauséjour to the plateau, road that also leads to the Chapel of Calvary where you can contemplate a sublime panoramic view of the surrounding islands and the town below nestled between the green of the hill and the turquoise blue of the sea. Note that there is only one asphalt road, the one that runs along the south coast with beautiful beaches (the beach at Fifi, the beach of the blower), the old cotton mill and the lighthouse...la Désirade is to be tamed...but the numerous iguanas will keep their freedom to be everywhere at home. They have chosen to live at the Pointe Doublé lighthouse, which is located in the geological nature reserve, near the old weather station (the current one is at Le Raizet in Pointe à pitre). As you will notice, La Désirade has managed to keep its National Nature Reserve and the inhabitants who still live on the island keep this treasure unaltered.
Our must-sees !
- Pointe à Pitre and its ACTe Memorial - Saint François and the Pointe des châteaux - Sainte Anne and its littoral - Deshaies and its botanical garden - Basse Terre and the Carbet Falls - Hiking in La souffrière - Day Cruise to Marie Galante, Les Saintes, La Désirade
