Guadeloupe- The French Caribbean

Guadeloupe:

Trip Length: 3 weeks

Trip Budget: € 80 per day for a couple ( Accommodation per night €35, Care Hire per day €25, Food and others per day €20)

GENERAL INFORMATION

I have to admit that we ended up in Guadeloupe unintentionally. We had an amazing bargain on a Costa cruise from Italy that ended there, it was cold in Europe and the flights back were expensive in peak season, so we decided to stay a few weeks. I had only a vague idea where it actually was and knew nothing about what there was to see. My first impressions off the cruise ship were not that great and I thought, oh no 3 weeks is a long time. But as the old saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Get outside the main town of Pointe-à-Pitre, which is a little run down and you will find there is more to Guadeloupe than meets the eye.

I will say however, and please forgive this VERY broad generalisation, that there are 7000 Caribbean islands, and many are rather similar. Most have lovely beaches, lush jungle, aqua seas and lovely generous people. They are also generally rather poor, can be expensive to visit and are often run down outside the main tourist places. So, it is a matter of choosing an island that sounds good to you, with the right balance of beach and jungle. Whilst Guadeloupe is less developed than some of its neighbours, it as good as any- with some great positives (its Frenchness, good roads, beaches and rainforests, diving and trekking, and reliable tourist industry).

GEOGRAPHY: Guadeloupe is closer to Venezuela than the US and is halfway between Montserrat and St. John’s to the north and Dominica to the south. Part of France’s historical colonial empire, it is still part of France as a départment d’Outre-Mer.

The two main islands of Guadeloupe resemble the wings of a butterfly and are separated by a wide strip of land. The bigger southwestern wing, called Basse-Terre, is dominated by La Soufriere volcano and the Parc Nationale de la Guadeloupe. The smaller north-eastern wing, called Grande-Terre, is mostly flat, and is used for agriculture: sugar cane – an export crop used for sugar or rum production – and bananas, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables for local use- and of course beaches.

The largest city is Pointe-à-Pitre, which is near where the two wings of the island meet. You’re likely to arrive on the island either through the airport (modern and efficient with a T1 and T2 (low cost) just north of Pointe-à-Pitre or the ferry port or cruise terminal port in Pointe-à-Pitre.

Guadeloupe also includes several much smaller islands:

· Îles de La Petite Terre is made up of two uninhabited islands: Terre-de-Bas and the smaller Terre-de-Haut. Both are protected as a marine and land reserve but are popular places for day trips.

· Îles des Saintes is a group of islands south of Basse-Terre. The main islands in the group are Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut, each with a very small population of a few thousand. The other seven small islets are uninhabited.

· Jacques Costeau Reserve islands- great for snorkelling- and day trips- very popular

· La Désirade: Part of La Désirade is a geological reserve as well as a marine reserve.

· Marie-Galante: Besides beaches, Marie-Galante has three rum distilleries.

HISTORY and POLITICS: Guadeloupe’s colonial history began when Christopher Columbus first landed on the island in 1493. It was passed from native Arawaks to Carib Indians to the Spanish until the French expelled them and slaughtered the local population, officially claiming Guadeloupe as a colony in 1635. In 1946, it became a French département, vague status giving the island a locally elected government that reports to the national government in Paris. 

They say that Guadeloupeans, have a divided opinion about their “Frenchness”. Its economy is reliant on France and it caters almost entirely to French tourists. We were there during the French strikes and the supermarket shelves were bare, highlighting the heavy reliance on France for basic necessities . Guadeloupeans have French passports, have French as the official language (outside the schools and cities, Creole is the unofficial language), they follow the French legal and political system, teach the French curriculum, can travel freely within the European Union, and can vote in French elections. But few in Guadeloupe enjoy a quality of life comparable to that of mainland France. The average salary is less than 1,200 euros a month and although Guadeloupe receives 972 million euros from the EU each year, its youth-unemployment rate is around 50 percent , and has been for decades. Much of the local economy is still controlled by békés, descendants of white French slave owners who received massive reparations from the French government after 1848 after losing their livelihoods (interestingly the former slaves received nothing).

THE PEOPLE: There’s not much left to show that the Arawaks ever lived on Guadeloupe. Most were wiped out by the Caribs, who arrived in the 15th century and who were in turn were decimated by disease when the French arrived in Guadeloupe in 1626 to establish a trading colony. The Arawaks are gone, and the few surviving Caribs were eventually moved to nearby Dominica. Guadeloupe became a major slave trading port and nearly three-quarters of the 405,000 people living on the island today descend from West African slaves, but many have little connection to their ancestry. When slavery ended, former slaves were declared French citizens—but no official record of their ancestors’ arrival to the island exists.

PRACTICAL MATTERS

WHEN TO GO

Hurricane season is in the summer (August and September) and most tourist visit between November and February in the dryer and cooler winter. January can be showery and August VERY humid. The weather around the island varies greatly. Like many Caribbean islands the “windwards” side – is windy with cliffs and rough seas most of the time. The “leeward” side is calmer with beaches. Weather on the volcano is always windy.

SAFETY

The crime rate is not high but with high unemployment petty theft and tourist scams do happen. The graffiti, rubbish and general state of disrepair probably makes it look more seedy than it actually is. The biggest safety threat would be Dengue Fever or Zika virus.

NECESSITIES

The medical system is French , albeit a poorer version (French doctors),the supermarkets are French (Carrefour) but more expensive- try to by fruit and veg for local stores rather than imported from France and the roads are generally good (windy and steeper on the Basse-Terre). You can buy everything you need easily. Most things shut at lunchtime Sunday.

Everything is in € and generally speaking is as expensive or more so than mainland France. There are plenty of ATM’s and banks.

There are not many free WIFI spots and generally the signal is weak in hotels.

Electricity is the European 2 prong plug.

Pointe-à-Pitre, has several large western shopping centres with above Europe prices- there is even a Decathlon! It also has local markets. Outside the city are smaller shops and supermarkets and plenty of services stations for fuel. Tourist areas have the usual strips along the popular beaches with souvenirs, local artists and more flowered shirts and dresses than you could count!

Food is Caribbean with a French twist. Everyone has their daily supply of €1 baguettes and the wine and pastries are very French. The national dish is a stewed pork (Pork Colombo) with green pepper, chopped onion, garlic, sweet potato, diced tomato, and spicy seasoning peppers. There are lots of variations.

PLACES TO STAY

700,000 tourists come to Guadeloupe each year and the vast majority are French on pre-arranged packages. Club Med is the biggest resort. Booking a room via Booking.com (our regular source) shows mostly small apartments and rooms. The quality varies greatly. We had self-catering and even in high season found rooms for €30 a night- they are as low as €20 in low season but many of the small private homes just shut down so there are less to choose from.

GETTING IN/OUT and MOVING ABOUT

Most people arrive via the airport right near town. You will be way better of hiring a car. Cars are expensive at €25 a day (compared to similar cars we have been getting in France for half that). But taxis are more expensive and local buses whilst reliable are not that frequent and won’t get you to the beaches and waterfalls you will want to see. WE shopped around and found the prices similar- the big ones have better airport drop off locations (they are all together outside the airport with shuttle buses).

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

There are 2 islands and depending what your focus is you could easily spend a week or so on each. Bass Terre has the jungles, cliffs, waterfalls and black sand beaches and Grand Terre has the white sand and more protected beaches. Let’s start with the gigger of the 2 but less busy Bass Terre.

Basse-Terre:

We liked Basse-Terre . We recommend Pointe- Noire as a good place to base yourself. It rained every day, even when it was sunny on Grande-Terre. It would rain several times a day and sometimes very heavy (it's the rainforest, what do you expect) and in between the sun came out bright -- birds chirping, lizards running about, beautiful views and scenery. BUT you must have a car to get around. Some roads can be one switchback after another, as they wind around bays and headlands. They are in good condition.

Rum Distilleries: The Musee du Rhum near St. Rose has rum tasting and good displays.

Coffee plantations Vanibel and La Grivelière are 2 of interest. You can learn more about the history of coffee farming on Guadeloupe at La Grivelière.

Basse- Terre Town: A vice town with a long strip of Beach and a port to visit some of the Islands.

Fort Delgrès : This French colonial fort is where rebels resisted Napoleon’s effort to reintroduce slavery. There’s also an exhibit about the 1976 eruption of La Soufrière volcano. Le Carmel, Basse-Terre. Open Tuesday-Friday 9-16:30 and Saturday and Sunday 9:30-16:30. Free.

Carved Rocks Archaeological Park: The park has a series of simple rock carvings made by the Arawak (free unless you pay a guide a few Euros). Nearby is a lovely trail to walk along the coast. Go early, have a picnic and walk along the coast. Open Tuesday-Saturday with tours at 9:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00.

Deshaies

The BBC mystery series “Death in Paradise” is filmed here. You can see the “police station” of the fictional Saint-Marie, the church, the restaurant on the water where the characters gather after solving crimes, etc. The Jardin Botanique in Deshaies has a huge koi pond and an aviary where you can feed the parrots. Lovely setting above the sea with a nice restaurant with a view. The Zoo has a great canopy walk. Try the Maison de Cacao (chocolate house).

Guadeloupe National Park. This park covers much of Bass- Terre and includes La Soufriere Volcano and the Carbet Waterfalls.

La Soufrière

The volcano is 1467m high La Soufrière and last erupted in 1976, and the one before that in 1797, but it is still bubbling away. You start by driving from Saint-Claude 5 km to The Bains Jaunes which are hot springs (950m)and the car park. The car park was originally higher, but the road was damaged on 2004 and you now have to walk a bit further (and the car park is smaller so you may have to park down along the road. You follow the partly paved path through the forest for 20 mins towards the Plateau de la Savane à Mulet and the second (now closed) car park. After about 30 mins more, you’ve reached the volcano’s foothills, and the scenery and atmosphere change. On the final stretch of the climb (40 mins) lichen and moss cover the rocks. It takes 2-3 hrs to climb and 1-2 hours to descend. Often the cater edge is closed (if winds are too high or if the sides are slippery) and often there is so much cloud that you may not see much, of either the crater or the view. Winds are ferocious but the path is well maintained. You can walk back around the other side of the crater, but that track is not well used, takes longer and basically follows a water course back to the 2nd car park.

Carbet waterfalls #1, #2, #3

Carbet Waterfall # 2 is the most popular and most accessible. You will need a car to get there. The road winds up a mountain through the rainforest, getting narrower and rougher as it climbs. From where the road ends at the visitors centre( €2 admission) the climb is only half an hour each way.

Carbet waterfall #1, which requires a 3-4-hour walk (about 7½ km.) round trip.  It’s rated as a difficult walk and is quite steep (free)

Carbet Waterfall #3 is less difficult than #1 but takes 4-5 hours round trip (free).

The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

Réserve Cousteau is a protected marine area. It has an area of 400 hectares around the Pigeon Islands, facing Malendure beach (where you get a boat out). The area is diverse with coral reef sponges to turtles, crayfish, eels and seahorses. Jacques Cousteau declaring it to be one of the world’s top dive areas, and the waters surrounding the island are now protected as an underwater park. The coral reefs are shallow enough for good snorkelling. It’s only a 10- to 15-minute boat ride to the dive sites; myriad operators run trips from Malendure Beach.

Le Trois Rivieres: Nice port and place to catch a boat to Marie Galant and Ille de Saints.

And, of course, beaches! The water can be rough all year around and sometimes the beaches further south are closed. Remember that the southern bit of Basse Terre has black volcanic sand and it is only in the top that the san becomes white again. There are also some nudist beaches.

Plage de Leroux:

Plage de Rifflet and near-by Plage de la Perle

Malendure Beach: The Beach to get to Pigeon Island.

Plage de Rossaue (dark)

Plage de Grande Anse: There are 2- one near Deshaies (Go early as parking is a problem) and one near Basse-Terre.

And Islands:

Îles des Saintes. The main islands in the group are Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut, each with a very small population of a few thousand. The other seven small islets are uninhabited.

Terre-de-Haut is only five square kilometres in size, but the village there, Bourg des Saintes, is picturesque and the Catholic Church in the village is worth a visit. Fort Napoleon, the colonial fort on a hill above the village is in good condition and includes a museum of the fort’s history. You can rent a scooter or golf cart to get around. Fort Napoleon: Terre-de-Haut island. Open daily 9:00-12:30 with last admissions at 12:00. €5

Marie-Galante. Besides beaches, Marie-Galante has three rum distilleries. Since the island used to be devoted to sugar production, you’ll spot ruins of windmills here and there.

Grande-Terre:

The flatter island with most of the beaches (Basse -Terre has a few bays but mostly black volcanic sand). Most of the attractions here revolve around one of the many stunning white sand beaches fringed with palm trees.

The Memorial ACTe

Memorial ACTe explains the history of slavery in the Caribbean and around the world.

Rue Raspail in Pointe-à-Pitre. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9-19:00 (last admissions at 17:30) and Sunday 10-18:00 (last admissions at 16:30). Closed on Mondays. €15

Cliffs and Headlands: It is a nice day’s drive around the coast of the island. The beaches on the southern coast give way to cliffs as you head towards Point de la Grande Vigie and continue along to Point de la Petite Vigie.

And, of course, beaches! In order heading east from the port and going anticlockwise around the coast

There are many small bays all along the coast. Some are very quiet and local, and others are touristed. Parking is an issue in the main touristed ones. This is just a few- use Maps.me and find the thousand smaller bays.

Plage de bas-fort: Nearest small beach from town

Plage de L’Anse Tabarin and Le Datcha (le Grosier): Le Grosier is the main beach area 10 mons from the port. All facilities. We liked the smaller beaches a walk to the west rather than Le Datcha (through the park and around a headland). These are more local and therefore quieter in the week.

Plage de Saline: Right near the Slavery memorial

St Anne: The club Med beach with music and bubble machines. You can use the well-maintained beach, but parking is bad unless you pay €2.50 and walk. Too crowded for us.

Plage du Bourg: Still in tourist centre- but larger than St Anne so more spread out. Parking still an issue but tree lined white sand with lots of places to eat and shops in the long beach strip.

Plage de Bois Jolan: A long beach with lots of parking but few facilities (a few gazebos and a café). Clusters of palm trees. Quieter.

Plage des Raisons Clairs and St Francoise: Small beach- mostly marina in this area. Nothing special

Pointe des Chateaux: Right at the tip near St Francois.On the way to Pointe des Chateaux, both sides of the road are beaches, separated from the road by low, scrubby vegetation. There are no facilities until the very tip of the island, but you can pull off the road anywhere.

Plage du Souffleur:Another beach with full facilities.Y ou can find small isolated bits of beach that you can have to yourself.

And Islands: You can get to Marie Galant from this Island but it is easier from Bass-Terre.

There is a small island off Le Gosier where it is €7 for a Navette to take you across and back.

So, if you find yourself in this neck of the woods, drop by. You may not have heard of it before I’m sure you find something there to interest you.