guadeloupe travel

• Caribbean and Bahamas

5 Things To Know Before Your First Trip To The Guadeloupe Islands

Believe us: you’re going to want to visit this incredible french caribbean destination. but you need to do your homework first..

Long regarded among the Caribbean's greatest "hidden gems," the Guadeloupe Islands are poised to emerge as one of the most dynamic, raved-about tropical destinations in the region, if not the world. That's not hyperbole, at least not as much as it is wishful thinking and/or an educated prediction, because to see this place in person is to understand just how magical and spiritually fulfilling it can be.

With the addition of seasonal nonstop JetBlue service from New York City to Pointe-à-Pitre, this French Caribbean archipelago has never been more accessible to U.S. travelers, and it's high time everyone learns what they've been missing out on. The thing about the Guadeloupe Islands, though, is that this isn't the "typical" Caribbean destination. You can't, or at least shouldn't, just pack your bags and board the next flight out of Terminal 5. (Although I certainly wouldn't blame you.)

Some of this information is common sense, but it still bears repeating and reinforcing. Here's what you need to know before your first visit to the Guadeloupe Islands.

Brush Up on Your French

I was warned several times that I wouldn't find many English speakers here, and so I tried my best to keep my Duolingo streak running strong ahead of my flight. Even that barely helped, because when the wheels touched down my brain had stage fright, and I did things like ask, "¿Cómo está?" instead of "Comment allez-vous?" This happened way more than I'd like to admit, but I know I'm not alone.

I recommend planning far enough in advance so that you can put some real effort into learning the basics. It isn't just about being able to communicate with hotel and restaurant staff, although that is a very important component. You should also want to understand and appreciate the regional cultures, and so being able to communicate with the people is essential.

The people are so genuinely nice and warm here that you'll want to at least have the opportunity to make new friends and learn from them. After all, they're the real experts and will offer the best advice on where to eat and drink.

Forget Me Nots

No matter how many times we rehearse vacation preparation in our heads, some of that common sense gets shoved into a packing cube and is forgotten. Like, for example, when we landed in Pointe-à-Pitre and, coming back to Earth from the incredible views from the approach, I mumbled to myself: "I. Forgot. Euros."

It's not difficult to take care of this—you land at an airport, after all—but looking at the big picture, if you like to avoid ATM fees or you're apprehensive about using such machines in a foreign setting, then make sure you pack more than enough cash, because you never know when you'll come across a must-have piece of jewelry or art at a street vendor's tent, or when you'll find someone crafting tropical cocktails after a tiring hike to the cross atop Pointe des Châteaux.

You also might need an extra battery charger. I'm not talking about the Anker you already keep in your bag. I mean [DJ Khaled voice] another one. You will take so many photos and record so many videos that not only will your camera, phone and tablet batteries be put to the ultimate test, you might also want to bring a thumb drive or two to keep your new memories organized.

Oh, and don't forget your plug adapter. There are only Type C and E outlets to be found in the resorts here, so those battery chargers will be getting a ton of extra use if you forget your adapter. (I had to pick one up at the Club Med La Caravelle gift shop, and fortunately they took Visa.)

Run at the Island’s Speed

My first impression of the Guadeloupe Islands was something like: "Oh my... this place is so green and amazing. Hey everyone, look how green and amazing this is!" My second impression was that everyone on the two main islands, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, drives like they are vying for pole position at an upcoming F1 race.

However, I'm not saying they're bad drivers. Anything but. I was caught off guard by how well my drivers navigated the crowded highways and made it feel like we were never really stuck in traffic, even when we occasionally were. I mention this because we were informed upon arrival at the airport that all car rental companies operate here, and I immediately pictured the highway scene from Clueless .

I do not recommend first- or even second-time visitors renting a car. More confident drivers might ignore this advice, but I cut my teeth on I-95 in Miami, and I will gladly cede all driving responsibilities to the professionals.

When you're out of the cars and vans, everything else runs at the speed of life, maybe even a little slower. There are fast food restaurants on the Guadeloupe Islands, so if getting in and out and moving on to the next adventure is your priority, then grab a Grand McFarmer and a Mars McFlurry from McDonald's and be on your way. But when you're dining at an oceanside spot—especially one that is crowded, in a smaller town, or both—sit back, order a Ti' Punch or two, and chillax.

I'm not saying food service is slow or servers ignore customers. Things just take a little longer. Honestly, I'm glad this was the case, because these islands offer views for days and there wasn't a TV in sight. Embrace the way time seems to stop, and this will feel like heaven.

Bring a Healthy Appetite

Even if you're in a hurry and McDonald's is the best option for keeping to your itinerary, I implore you to stop and reconsider more time for eating. The way so many of the local restaurants blend French, Creole and Caribbean flavors is nothing short of wizardry, and not one hour has gone by since my return that I don't think about when I'll have Chicken Colombo again.

And don't just make time for better food; try something new. I'm not much of a soup guy, but I challenged myself to try three different bowls at An Chodye La in Pointe-à-Pitre, and now I won't stop talking about the white bean soup. Every fish dish I ate was among the freshest I've ever had in my life, and if it weren't for a pesky shellfish allergy I would have been grabbing lobsters from the ocean with my bare hands (I'm not recommending you do that, because it might be frowned upon).

I don't even normally have red meat for lunch, what with my desire to be awake in the daytime, but the beefsteak served at Ti Bo Doudou in Terre-de-Haut was fantastic and well worth the sleepiness.

From the resorts to the tiny buildings that look like someone's living room, the Guadeloupe Islands boast incredible culinary treats for visitors both brave and picky. It'd be a shame to leave without trying most of them.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Sticking with my mantra of trying something new, the greatest strength of the Guadeloupe Islands is variety. This goes for everything from food to accommodations, but more than anything it reflects activities and adventures.

If you simply want a gorgeous beach or a cascading pool with views that seem like they were pulled from your iMac's default screensaver, that's fine. Head to Grand Anse beach on Basse-Terre (or the beach of the same name on Terre-de-Bas), Plage Du Souffleur on Grande-Terre, or the pool at La Toubana and your vacation will be made. But just know that there is so much more to enjoy on these incredible islands.

For example, I have never thought about visiting a cacao plantation and making my own chocolate bars, but when I learned that this was offered at Gwakako in Pointe-Noire, I couldn't wait to try. The same can be said for horseback riding, which I hadn't tried since childhood, but I was told that some of the best views of Basse-Terre were only accessible on horseback, and so it was off to Ranch de Moreau to see if that was true. (Spoiler alert: It was!)

Best of all, there's so much left for me to do on the next trip to the Guadeloupe Islands, and that desire to return again and again is really the best gift this glorious destination offers.

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Guadeloupe Travel: complete & practical Ultimate Guide

• June 3, 2019
• Categories: Caribbean , Guadeloupe , Travel guides

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Living in the Caribbean was my dream for a while. I fulfilled it in 2018 when I was living in Guadeloupe for the whole month. I had enough time to visit the whole island and to try different Guadeloupe attractions it had to offer.

In this ultimate Guadeloupe travel guide , you will find the most important facts about the island, recommendations how to get there, where to stay, and information about the costs, food, transport, attractions, weather, Guadeloupe travel tips and many others.

Table of contents:

• Best things to do in Guadeloupe
• What to experience in Guadeloupe?

How to get to Guadeloupe?

• Where to stay in Guadeloupe?

Visa regulations

Costs, currency and payments, how to get around in guadeloupe, what to eat in guadeloupe.

• Phone and Internet
• Weather in Guadeloupe: when is the best time to travel?
• What to wear in Guadeloupe?
• Souvenirs from Guadeloupe
• Interesting facts about the Guadeloupe

Pros to travel in Guadeloupe

Cons to travel in guadeloupe.

• Guadeloupe Travel: conclusion

Geography: Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island located in the Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean . From the administrative point of view, this island forms an integral part of France and is considered as one of the French overseas departments. Because of this fact, the island is also a part of the European Union .

Read more: Wanna visit the French Antilles but you don’t know which island to choose? Check out my tips on differences between Guadeloupe and Martinique.

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Guadeloupe itself consists of two islands lying so close to each other, that they are often considered as one land. Their names are Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre , where a capital – the city of Basse-Terre – is located. Besides those two, a few smaller islands belong to Guadeloupe’s region: La Désirade, Marie-Galante, Petite-Terre, and Les Saintes.

On the interactive map below, you can check where Guadeloupe is located. You can save this map in your Google Maps as a cheat sheet with the best attractions in Guadeloupe and beaches in Guadeloupe , which I describe further in this post.

Guadeloupe travel guide: best things to do in Guadeloupe

To well begin the travel guide to Guadeloupe, I give you a list of the most popular places to visit in Guadeloupe and the most awesome things to do in Guadeloupe.

Most of them are natural Guadeloupe attractions with diverse hiking trails. But some are also museums and similar places where you can discover the beauty of Guadeloupe and its culture.

Read more: 9 best things to do in Guadeloupe!

The Volcano La Soufrière

La Soufrière Volcano is one of the most popular attractions for active tourists, so it is a fixed point of every Guadeloupe guide. It is also the highest peak of the Lesser Antilles.

Even if the main trail – called “The Ladies Trail” – is marked as “difficult”, even children will be able to achieve it. The views from the volcano side are so amazing that you will not regret hours spent on climbing.

Read more: How to climb the volcano La Soufrière?

Deshaies Botanical Garden

This colorful place is one that enchanted me the most in the Guadeloupian map.

Botanical Garden in Deshaies is a huge park filled with scents, colors, and noises. It is also a must-see place on the island.

There, you will be able to discover the diversity of exotic plants and greenery from different corners of the world. And you will spend some nice moments with charming inhabitants of the garden: parrots, Koi carps and goats.

Read more: All the wonders of Deshaies Botanical Garden.

Carbet Waterfalls

Sailors are able to observe two of those amazing waterfalls from the sea. Each of Carbet Falls has more than 100 meters.

A trail leading to the second fall is well preserved and easily accessible. It creates a nice trip opportunity for families traveling with children. The first fall, in the opposite, requires better condition and climbing skills. So it will be a great adventure for those who are more adventurous.

Read more: How we strayed from the trail while going to Carbet Falls.

Pointe des Chateaux

Pointes des Chateaux is the most Eastern part of the island. I have spent there a whole day wandering on a beautiful and diverse trail, leading on the cliff shore, beaches, and through a forest. The path is not so demanding, meanwhile, the trail is a great attraction for landscape lovers.

Read more: A whole day long trip to Pointe des Chateaux on Guadeloupe.

Mémorial ACTe and Pointe-à-Pitre center

If you would like to dive into Guadeloupe’s history, the must-visit place is Mémorial ACTe , which is dedicated to the Memory and History of Slavery Trade. During centuries the island population was increasing mainly because of the people forced to move to Guadeloupe to become slaves. Mémorial ACTe is a modern museum with a well-designed exhibition about the world slavery issue.

While visiting Mémorial ACTe I also recommend wandering in the center of Pointe-à-Pitre , which is the biggest city in Guadeloupe. Meanwhile, the city itself is not the prettiest one, I found there some old-time architecture that still remembers the colonial centuries.

Read more: The visit in Mémorial ACTe and things to do in Pointe-à-Pitre.

Coffee Museum

Caribbean islands have perfect conditions to grow coffee, a daily must-have for lots of people. A humid climate, a lot of sun , all of these make coffee grows. The beans are dried in a traditional way and you can taste them in a delicious Guadeloupian coffee like Café Chaulet.

I recommend visiting the Coffee Museum (fr. Le Musée du Café ), which is located near Basse-Terre city. There you can discover the whole process of coffee production and lots of interesting facts about this fascinating drink.

Read more:  The aromatic trip to the Coffee Museum in Guadeloupe.

Maison du Cacao

Another educative trip for your senses. Cocoa also likes Guadeloupian climate, so on the island, you can find a lot of cocoa trees.

On site, there is also chocolate made locally which recipe was created in 1911 and didn’t change from that time. Chocolat Elot has an unusual taste of cane sugar, which makes it a delicious snack. The history of the chocolate on the island you can discover in Maison du Cacao which is located on the Western shore.

What is your first thought about the Caribbean? White sand? Nah. Warm water. Noo. Rhum? Oh yes, give me more!

Sugar cane grows all around the island. So in Guadeloupe, you can find a few famous distilleries, like Bologne, Longueteau, Bellevue or Montebello. Rhum is a base for many other local drinks, like Ti’Punch. So visiting one of Guadeloupian distilleries is highly recommended.

Porte d’Enfer and Pointe de La Grande-Vigie

Guadeloupe does not only mean beautiful beaches covered with white sand. I was surprised how stunning cliffs I found there.

Next to Pointe des Chateaux, there are some other spots on trekking list. Porte d’Enfer (eng. Hell’s Gate ) and Pointe de La Grande-Vigie are wonderful places which you can find on the North of Grande-Terre Region. Porte d’Enfer is actually a grotto, which is thrilling deep. From its edge, you can get only a sneak peek which really gives you an impression of looking into hell’s gorge.

Read more:  A trekking to Porte d’Enfer during a 4-days road trip.

Costumes and Traditions Museum

This small family museum, located in Gosier, will be a nice spot for people willing to know more about the everyday life of Creoles living in Guadeloupe.

Well-preserved costumes and household items will tell you the story of the island’s traditions and old habits. In this museum , you will find all of the answers about how the life of people looked like in Guadeloupe years ago.

What else to experience in Guadeloupe?

Any Guadeloupe travel blog mentions places I listed below. But on the island, we will find much more valuable experiences to enjoy.

Chill on a beach and pick up coconuts

Let’s be honest: relax on the beach is one of the fixed elements of traveling to the Caribbean. This travel guide to Guadeloupe will not be completed without a short list of beautiful beaches to visit.

My very favorite was Plage de La Caravelle , next to Sainte-Anne city. I was living near to it while spending the whole month in Guadeloupe. Morning calm sunrises and joyful afternoons spent there were making me feel warm inside. The beach is located near a big hotel, so it’s clean and filled with attractions like kitesurfing, paddling, and kayaking.

The city beach in Sainte-Anne is also a wonderful spot. You can meet there locals having BBQ in palm trees’ shadow and active people having aqua-aerobic classes in water. You can also enjoy local restaurants next to the beach.

If you want to make a lovely selfie with a charming island in background, go to La Datcha beach. It is located in Gosier city. Maybe it is not the biggest one, but views are surely worth a stop.

Some other beaches worth your time are Bois Jolan, Grande Anse, Petit Havre, Plage du Souffleur and Raisins Clairs.

Buy fresh fruits on a market

Almost every city on the island has its own local market in a center. There you can find mountains of fresh local fruits and vegetables. Delicious bananas, pineapples, watermelons, and coconuts will definitely catch your eyes. The market is always easy to find, filled with scents and colors.

Interact with wildlife

Even if in Guadeloupe you will not meet any truly wild animals which could increase your adrenaline’s level, there are still some creatures that you will meet. Colorful fish and turtles swimming in the water. Huge iguanas hanging out on a beach. Hummind birds flying in a garden. And small, cute anolis lizards stealing bananas from your breakfast table.

Basin in a jungle

Guadeloupian jungle hides plenty of wonderful gems for us. Ones of my favorite were refreshing basins just below the waterfalls. Their water is much colder than in a sea, so swimming in them gives a huge relief after mountain trekking. Ones of the most popular basins are Le Bassin Paradise , Cascade aux Ecrevisses and Cascade Acomat .

Island hopping

Since Guadeloupe is not only the mainland of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre but also few smaller islands, very popular are daily boat excursions. In every touristic city, you will find stands proposing sailing or motorboat trips, where you can enjoy sightseeing, snorkeling, diving, or even whale and dolphin watching.

Snorkeling and diving

Around Guadeloupe, you can enjoy the coral reef. You can do some snorkeling even near the beach. The best places to snorkel on the mainland are Malendure , Plage du Souffleur , and Petite Anse . The most popular smaller island for snorkeling is Petite-Terre .

Route de La Traversée

While traveling in Basse-Terre by car, your GPS probably will lead you around the island. But instead, you can take the Route de La Traversée , which goes through the middle of the region, among the greenery of a jungle. It is not long, but worth to take if you would like to watch some jungle without hitting the trail.

Read more: Do you need a bit more inspiration? Check out my very favorite inspiring travel quotes!

In this part of the Guadeloupe travel guide, I will give you some tips about how to arrive at the island. Getting to Guadeloupe is easy when you are coming from continental Europe. There are many direct flights from Paris and few other cities. The airlines which operate this direction are for example LEVEL, Air France or Norwegian.

How to find cheap flight tickets to Guadeloupe?

Here is the way I did it : first, go to Skyscanner website by clicking here . Choose your desired airports. Then, in fields “Depart” and “Return”, instead of “specific date” click on “whole month”. And search for flights! This way you will be able to see the whole calendar with the best prices .

Then simply choose the one that satisfies you. Et voilà! This is how you can find cheap flights to Guadeloupe. Once you found your best price, click “select” and you will be redirected to the airline’s website so you can purchase your tickets to paradise.

Travel guide: where to stay in Guadeloupe?

Guadeloupe offers a lot of attractions, mostly natural, like beaches which you can enjoy almost everywhere. Most of the cities are really similar. So choosing one of them to live in shouldn’t be a big deal. I propose to look for a city with a nice beach, so you can enjoy it at any time.

I was living in Sainte-Anne which enchanted me. It was a small city but had everything that traveler needed: grocery shops, restaurants, pharmacies, post, and a beautiful beach. It also had nice bus connections with other cities.

Another place that I can recommend is Saint-François . I have been there several times and it made a good impression on me. It was a bit bigger than Sainte-Anne and had marina and golf course. Plus some nice beaches like Raisins Clairs.

Read more: My choice of the most stunning hotels in Guadeloupe for any budget

To be honest in this Guadeloupe travel guide I do not recommend staying in Pointe-à-Pitre. It is the biggest city of the islands and the economic center. But it is mostly built up with blockhouses, offices, etc. So if you would like to relax near nature, you can simply avoid choosing it while looking for the accommodation.

How to find accommodation?

Guadeloupe proposes plenty of accommodation options. The most obvious solution is, of course, finding a hotel. On websites like Booking.com you can find a lot of places to stay on the island. If you’ll take a look on the map below, you will see places that you can choose from on this website. Click on it to see more information (if you cannot see the map, try to switch of the ads blocker plugin in your browser).

Booking.com is usually the first place where I go to find accommodation . I can estimate the most popular locations there and check the prices range.

You can also take a look on my list of marvelous hotels in Guadeloupe that I found and would love to book on the next trip to the islands! I made this reasearch for any type of travelers: from backpackers, through families and couples, and ending with luxury travel.

Anther platform where I go to find a place to stay in is usually Airbnb. I can really recommend using it because it has some major features. The main is that you can rent a room or a whole apartment from a local living person. Thanks to this you will have an opportunity to receive the best information about the place where you travel, like bits of advice where to eat, how the local public transport work, or if there are any important things that you should know about the place.

Airbnb is also great when you book a longer stay. Sometimes, you can reach up even to 50% off discount for your booking! We had this situation while visiting Martinique and booked an apartment for the whole month.

If you are not a member of Airbnb community yet, then I’ve got something special for you. With the link below you will receive a 23€ discount for your first booking! Nice, right?

Go more local with your accommodation

People living in Guadeloupe very often promote their businesses offline . It means, that you can be able to find a pretty nice accommodation offer while being already in place. If you are planning a longer stay it might be a good idea to book a hotel or Airbnb for a few first nights, and then look for some other place directly in your destination. You can also try to find a nice apartment for rent in leboncoin . It is a French website with adverts from local people – including accommodation rentals.

Finally, if you are not coming for so long, you can always try to find a couch to sleep on via Couchsurfing . I love this initiative of sharing someplace to sleep in your house with other travelers. And I used this opportunity when I was coming back from my Guadeloupian trip – I stayed 3 days in Paris, with a very kind and knowledgeable host. In Guadeloupe, there are not so many hosts than in Paris, but you can always try this way of finding accommodation before booking a hotel.

Formal restrictions to get to Guadeloupe are relatively easy. Since the island is the French overseas department while landing there you will be treated the same way like entering the France territory (however, Guadeloupe is not a part of Schengen Area). That means, that if you are a European Union’s citizen, the only thing you will need is your ID card . You will be able to do both: work and travel Guadeloupe. I highly recommend taking also your passport with you, just in case. But personally, I showed only my ID card on the airport and ferry terminal and it was sufficient to travel. There is no visa, so actually, you can stay on the island as long as you want to.

Since Guadeloupe is a part of France, the currency there is euro (EUR, €). On the island, we found a few banks popular in continental France, like LCL or La Banque Postale. ATMs are available in most of the cities and we did not have any problems with using it.

In grocery shops, we usually used our cards to pay. But it is a good habit to have some cash with you because some shops had a rule that payments with bank cards start at the minimum amount of 5€ or 8€. When you see a paper note on a cash desk with “CB 5€” that means that card payments are available from 5€ (CB means carte bancaire , fr. bank card). On city markets, we usually could pay only with cash, the same for bus tickets.

We were using mostly Visa and it worked pretty well. I also recommend thinking about ordering a Revolut card . It is a great alternative for bank cards, where you can exchange your currency in just a few seconds via an app.

Click here and ready my Revolut review!

Guadeloupe is not the cheapest place. Before my 2-months trip to the Caribbean, I needed to save a lot of money to can afford it. But it was worth that money. After this trip, I prepared a detailed financial report which includes all of my costs: flight tickets, accommodation, food, sightseeing, transport and more (like food prices). You can download this extension of the Guadeloupe travel guide by clicking below.

To use this travel guide to Guadeloupe in the most practical way, you will need transportation. In order to reach all the best places to visit in Guadeloupe you can use a few different possibilities.

Next to a taxi, the most common public transport in Guadeloupe is a bus . In Grande-Terre, there operates a modern bus company – Karu’lis . Their line S1 operates from Pointe-à-Pitre through Gosier and Sainte-Anne til Saint-François. They also have some buses coursing between Pointe-à-Pitre and the airport. But remember that buses course only during the day.

The rest of the island is operated by buses which do not have any fixed schedule. Most of them are private, so they run only when a bus driver wants to.

Read more: If you want to know more details about public transport in Guadeloupe read my previous post about it .

Car rental in Guadeloupe

A popular way of transportation for tourists is a car rental in Guadeloupe. There is plenty of companies ready to rent you a car, both local and independent, and big international agencies. While being in Guadeloupe, I rented a small car from a well-known company and it gave me a great possibility to visit all the best spots on the island.

Another interesting option to rent a car in Guadeloupe is Carfully . This platform basically works the same like Airbnb, but for cars. So y ou can rent a car directly from a local person living on the island. This way of car sharing is very popular among local inhabitants and tourists.

Read more: The 4-days road trip with a car rental in Guadeloupe – detailed itinerary with an interactive map.

During the travel in Guadeloupe, you will have an opportunity to taste some Creole kitchen which is mixed with French traditions. Its origin comes from the times when first slaveries were brought to the island from different parts of the world. For that reason, Creole kitchen includes influences from different regions of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Since the island is a French territory, we can also enjoy a fresh baguette each morning or French wine in the evening.

Some of the most popular must-eat in Guadeloupe:

This dish has some Asian influence and is similar to curry. Usually, chicken or goat is marinated in a kind of spicy sauce and served with rice. It can be found in almost every restaurant on the island.

Accras de morue

This one is usually served as a starter. It is usually fish minced with potatoes and vegetables. Small balls are then deep-fried in oil .

A type of sandwich which is very popular in Guadeloupian street food. A white bun is flattened and fried on oil, which makes it very tasty. It is served with a variety of ingredients: chicken, cheese, ham, egg, fish, etc.

You can try langouste in almost every restaurant near a fishing port. Next to gilthead seabream, it is one of the most popular marine dish es which you can try.

This kind of drink you can find everywhere on the island. It is one of the most popular products in the city markets. Ti’punch is an alcohol ic drink which bases on white rum agricole . You can choose from different taste variations, like coconut, goyave , banana, etc.

Read more:  16 examples of the Caribbean food, drinks and sweets that you must try.

Is the water in Guadeloupe safe to drink?

In general, you do not need to worry about drinking tap water in Guadeloupe. It should be safe and free of bacterias. Nevertheless, its taste is not the best. The owner of our apartment in Guadeloupe told us, that we used to drink tap water mixed with lime juice to make the taste better.

Since we try to live more responsible and produce less waste we did not want to buy new plastic bottles each day. So we used a clever trick: each day we were preparing a few liters of red fruit tea and let it cool down. Then we were filling only a few of bottles with this cool drink, which we could take with us for day trips. The tea taste was much better than tap water.

On a daily basis I love to use refillable bottle with a filter . They work great during day trips, but also at home to stay hydrated. Moreover, you can carry this kind of empty bottle through security gates at the airport, and refill it with water before the flight. Awesome way to save some money and plastic!

Health in Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an island which is relatively safe if it comes to diseases. While traveling from Europe, only some standard vaccines were recommended. It is good to have vaccine protection against hepatitis B . You can catch this disease when your blood will have contact with non-sterile tools, like needles. The infection might occur in a hospital, or even in a tattoo of hairdresser saloon. Another way to catch hepatitis B is having sexual contact with an infected person. So better stay safe and get vaccinated.

Another recommended vaccine was against hepatitis A , which is also called “a dirty hands disease”. The infection might occur after drinking infected water (or ice cubes) or eating food prepared in infected water. This is the most common type of hepatitis, but you can stay safe when you will get vaccinated.

Tropical fevers

Luckily, during the travel to Guadeloupe, you will see no malaria or yellow fever these days. But you need to remember about the risk of catching other tropical fevers: chikungunya or dengue . Usually, they are not so serious if caught for the first time. You just need to stay in bed, stay hydrated and sweat out the disease. In pharmacy, you can try to ask for some local, natural remedies, that will help you through to beat the fever.

If your immunity system is not too strong, it is more likely for you to catch a tropical fever. For this reason, before coming to Guadeloupe, you should work on increasing your’s organism resistance. The most effective way will be taking a lot of vitamin C, in many other variations. Pills, citrus fruits, pickled cabbage, any of those solutions will be great.

Health insurance

If you are a European Union citizen, it will be good to have a European Health Insurance Card with you. So d epending on the visited country, it will allow you to recover your medical treatment costs when you will be back to your country.

A good habit is also to purchase individual health insurance before a travel to Guadeloupe. I was protected with whole year insurance from Planeta Młodych , which should help me to organize and pay for some eventual medical treatment worldwide.

Even if the island is generally safe, purchasing Guadeloupe travel insurance is definitely worth the money.

Dangers in Guadeloupe

Many tourists ask the question is Guadeloupe safe ? Above all we can assume yes, Guadeloupe is a safe island. Sure, there are some dangers, like everywhere, but in fact, you can treat it as a safe travel destination.

Natural dangers

Number one in this Guadeloupe travel guide goes to natural dangers. There are few, which do not appear too often. The most obvious is a volcano . Usually, it is a tourist attraction, but we still need to remember about the power of the Earth. Other ones are hurricanes . But in fact, hurricanes in the Lesser Antilles usually do not have such a power as when they are already above Florida. So in Guadeloupe, destructions are not so big as elsewhere.

On the island, there not many dangerous animals . There is actually nothing that could eat you – no big wild mammals, like tigers, bears, or even monkeys. But there are some smaller ones, which you should avoid. Like a red lionfish, jellyfish or sea urchin which you can meet while snorkeling. Contact with them can be very painful.

The most annoying animal on the island is a mosquito . Luckily, besides tropical fevers like chikungunya or dengue, they do not transfer many other diseases in Guadeloupe. Nevertheless, it is better to avoid them and use some protection and repellents during travel in Guadeloupe. You should be also aware of local centipedes. They will not make you sick, but they bite really painfully. But do not worry, during my two months in the Caribbean, I have seen only one.

The last dangerous category goes for plants . In the Caribbean islands, there grow a few toxic species. So while trekking in the jungle, you should be aware of a few of them: manchineel (which fruit looks like a small green apple), castor oil plant, jequirity bean. It is good to Google their look and to remember it. Once, on a beach, a local guy told us to move our things a little bit further from a tree, which he said was toxic and was losing leaves at that time. We were so grateful!

Social dangers

And finally, the last danger which goes for… people of course. In general, people on the island are very kind. But, like everywhere, you should be watchful in some places. Our neighbor from Sainte-Anne warned us to not hang around after dusk in Pointe-à-Pitre. He said that sometimes you can meet there some drunk or on high guys, who might be looking for provocation for a street fight. Luckily, we were not in Pointe-à-Pitre after dusk, and luckily we did not see anyone like this nowhere on the island. But it is always good to be open-eyed.

The official language spoken in Guadeloupe is French, in a form that we know from continental France. The second language, which is well-known on the island is Creole. This language is a combination of French, Spanish, Carib, Portuguese and African words. Below you can check out some common Creole expressions, as an addition to this Guadeloupe travel guide:

Welcome – Byen venu Hello / Good morning – Bonjou How are you? – Koman ou ye? Very good – Mwen byen I’m fine – N’ap boule So, so – Kon si , kon sa Long time no see – Sa fè lontan What’s your name? – Koman ou rele ? My name is… – M rele … Where are you from? – Ki kote ou sòti? I’m from… – M’soti… Nice to meet you – Anchante / M’kontan fè konesans ou

Good afternoon – Bon apre-midi Good evening – Bonswa Good night – Bònn nui Have a nice day – Bònn jounen Yes – Wi No – Non Maybe – Petèt Excuse me – Eskize mwen Sorry – Dezole Please – Souple Thank you – Mesi

English-speaking travelers might be disappointed in Guadeloupe. Local people seem to be true French in this case and in general, expect everyone else to speak French. So if you want to travel Guadeloupe, better learn at least a few words in the language of love, or take with you a good dictionary book and online translator.

But do not worry: in some most important touristic places, you can rent an audio guide in English, for instance in Mémorial ACTe or bigger distilleries.

Read more: 7 awesome travel blogs telling about the Caribbean!

The religion in Guadeloupe

Most of the people living in Guadeloupe are Roman Catholics. They are a huge group of 80% of the whole population. The second group, counting only 8% of the population, consists of Evangelical Protestants. The rest of people are members of Seventh-day Adventist Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the mysterious Voodoo.

Phone & Internet

The main phone and Internet suppliers in Guadeloupe are Orange Caraïbe, SFR and Digicel. In most of the towns, you will find a seller points in local shops, where you can purchase a SIM card.

But if you are a European Union citizen, there is some great news for you: Guadeloupe belongs to the first zone of Roaming for most of the European operators. That means, that you can call home with no other fees. You can also use your own Internet package, unfortunately with a gigabyte limit, which is different among Internet providers (you could check it on your Internet provider’s website). During our trip, we used Orange SIM card bought in Poland and roaming worked perfectly. My own SIM card did not have this luck – my Internet provider was Polish Play, and for the first three weeks, it was blocked. Fortunately, after few e-mails, Play’s technicians managed to fix this error.

So if you want to have access to a stable Internet connection, my biggest recommendation is to book accommodation with WiFi . In our case, Wifi in our apartment, and European roaming for an emergency case in the phone, to check the Google map on the road, was sufficient.

Some restaurants on the island offer free WiFi to their guests. In a few cities, you will be also able to connect to a public ZeeWifi , when you need to register only for the first time, and then you can use it in places like Saint-François bus station or the center of Sainte-Anne.

Read more: Internet details in Guadeloupe and our electronical bloopers .

Weather in Guadeloupe: when is the best time to travel the island?

Guadeloupe, laying in the Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean, has a tropical climate, which is mostly influenced by Trade Winds. There are two main seasons on the island: a wet season (called winter) which lasts from July to December, and a dry season which goes from January to June.

The average temperature during the year is 26°C and it usually does not go under 20°C, so, in my opinion, there is no best time to visit Guadeloupe since there is always warm. I have spent the whole of October in Guadeloupe and I can say that the wet season is not so bad. It was raining almost every day, but only for an hour or two. After the rain, a beautiful sun shows up.

So the biggest advantage of the Guadeloupe travel in the wet season was that beaches were not so crowded . At the beginning of October, a hotel near the Plage de La Caravelle was closed, so there were very few people relaxing on the amazing beach. The biggest disadvantage was that trekking trails were muddy and slippery, which was inconvenient. And some trails might be even closed for tourists.

One of the best among the Guadeloupe tips for travelers is checking the dates of the French school holidays . Kids have some free time for two weeks around All Saints’ Holidays , as well as for Christmas and winter holidays in February and March. Then a lot of French families come to the Lesser Antilles to enjoy sunbathing, so the beaches might be more crowded.

Because of Guadeloupe’s geograpfical placement, we can enjoy a daylight for long hours during the whole year. On the island the sun shines at least 11 hours in January and even 13 hours in June. It raises up between 5-6 AM and sets around 6-7 PM.

What to wear on the Guadeloupe travel?

Guadeloupe is an always-warm island. So you do not need to worry about taking a warm sweater with you to travel Guadeloupe (do it only when you travel during the European winter – you might need it at the airport). I much recommend linen clothes , which will give you a nice, airy feeling. At least one pair of long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves is a good idea, when you plan some trekking in the full sun, like a trail of Pointe des Chateaux .

Read more: What to pack for dream vacations in the Caribbean? [+printable checklist]

On the beach, everyone wears swimsuits , it is understandable. But it is not kindly welcome in bars and restaurants, so light shirt or pareo is a must have.

Packing for the Guadeloupe travel is relatively easy. You don’t need many clothes, and most of them are very light. That’s why it is absolutely possible to travel to Guadeloupe with hand luggage only. I was able to pack all my stuff in a carry-on backpack from CabinZero. Here you can read my review of this multipurpose bag.

When it comes to shoes, I highly recommend sailing shoes. Not only they are classy and stylish, but also super practical. In my pair of Sperry Top-Sider , which I absolutely love, I was wandering on beachs, climbing the volcano, and visiting the small Caribbean towns. They are very comfortable, so it’s pleasant to wear them, plus they are doing pretty well on the water.

The most popular fabric pattern in French Antilles is a colorful grid . Its most common colors are yellow, orange, red and green. Local women love to wear it on skirts, dresses, blouses, and turbans. For that reason, Caribbean cloths are a popular souvenir from Guadeloupe. Those which are created locally (be careful of touristic items manufactured in Asia – yes, they are imported even to the Caribbean) are usually made of high-quality cotton.

Read more:  How to travel in the Caribbean with hand luggage only?

Which souvenirs to bring from the Guadeloupe  travel?

As I mentioned above, local cotton clothes could be a nice souvenir if you like lively colors. On the island, there are also a few spots, where you can buy high quality and strong hammock . They are more expensive, but if you would like to bring some Caribbean chill to your own home, this could be a great option.

I usually recommend bringing some food delicacies as a gift for beloved. Unfortunately, airport security forced us to throw away delicious coco jam at gates. But we did not have any problem with bringing home cocoa bars, Guadeloupian coffee or cinnamon sticks to Europe.

Read more: Looking for a special gift? Take a look on the list of best sustainable gifts for traveling women!

Interesting facts about Guadeloupe

• The original name of the island – Santa Maria de Guadalupe – was given by Christopher Columbus. Nowadays, the official name is Guadeloupe, but lots of locals call it Gwada .
• Before Christopher Columbus came to Guadeloupe, it was settled by local Arawak, then Carib people. They called the island Karukera , which means “ The Land of The Beautiful Waters “.
• The most extraordinary festival which you can attend during your travel to Guadeloupe, in my opinion, is La Désirade Goat Festival (fr. Fête du Cabri ) in April, where the people can enjoy… the goats’ fashion parade .

Read more:  8 things that surprised us in the Caribbean.

Warm sun always assists your travel to Guadeloupe

The weather in Guadeloupe is almost every day perfect! Even during a rainy season, the sun comes out after a few hours. This island is a paradise for sun lovers. You will easily catch some nice tan even without laying on the beach.

Beautiful beaches

Guadeloupian beaches are just wonderful. They offer lots of different variations: wide and sandy area or small, intimate paradises. Ones are calm and peaceful, while others are full of life and people enjoying BBQs.

Read more: 20+ Insanely beautiful Caribbean photos that will make you wanna travel now!

Lots of activities

Guadeloupe gives you plenty of possibilities to spend your free time. Lying on the beach, swimming in the sea, snorkeling, scuba diving, sea excursions, hiking trails, waterfalls, volcano, botanical gardens, discovering of plantations… Everyone will find something interesting.

Snorkeling and scuba diving paradise

The marine life around the island is extraordinary and rich. You can snorkel even near the sandy beach or purchase a full-day sailing trip to see the best diving spots.

No visas to travel in Guadeloupe for EU citizens

The biggest advantage for Europeans which look for some exotic places that are easy to reach. Your passport, or even ID card, will be sufficient to visit the island, and even to work there.

Guadeloupe is expensive

Unfortunately, this Caribbean paradise is not the cheapest one. In general, the prices are comparable to those in France, maybe even Paris. If you are staying there longer, you will most probably cook at home, because food prices in restaurants are high, as well as local activities. So be sure to download my detailed financial report before planning your travel to Guadeloupe .

Guadeloupe travel with public transport is hard

Even if bigger cities on Grande-Terre are connected with a bus line, there are no much stable transport opportunities to get to the best locations without a car. But in order to see the volcano La Soufrière or Carbet Waterfalls, you most probably need to share or rent a car.

The English language is not so popular

A lot of people living in Guadeloupe do not speak English. Even young people. So be prepared to use a dictionary or an online translator a lot.

You need to be careful in the night

In general, Guadeloupe is a safe island. But in the evening, especially in bigger cities like Pointe-à-Pitre, you need to be careful and be aware of thieves and people who are looking for a provocation. Even if Guadeloupe is expensive, it is not a very rich island. Some people have difficulties to find work, so they are getting addicted to alcohol and drugs and might cause problems. Fortunately, during the whole month spent there, I did not have any. I was only warned by others.

Travel to Guadeloupe: conclusion

Visiting the Caribbean was my dream for a while. Since traveling to Guadeloupe is very easy with direct flights from Paris and no visa requirements, it could be a great place to spend some time on. The wonderful Caribbean Sea, warm water, white sand, we can call this island a paradise.

Since the island belongs to the European Union, it is perfect for people who would like to taste some exotism, but who still want to feel the Western influences. The cultural shock is not so big when you can eat your coco jam with a typical French baguette.

So start to plan your travel now. Best of Guadeloupe is waiting for you!

If you found this travel guide to Guadeloupe useful, feel free to share it with your friends ! And who knows, maybe Guadeloupe will be your next dream destination?

Learn more about beautiful Guadeloupe and more useful topics:

• Guadeloupe or Martinique: which island to choose for your perfect vacation?
• Ultimate guide to transport opportunities in Guadeloupe and Martinique
• What to pack for a trip to the Caribbean?
• Get to know costs of living in the Caribbean
• How to painlessly save money for your dream vacation?

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Dominika is a founder of Sunday In Wonderland and she recently switched her life to be local independent. She aims to travel the world and admire all of its wonders. She is much focused on sustainable life, self-development and making this world a better place.

Hi there! I’m Dominika, the occasional traveler and the creator of this blog. I am here to help you plan your short and long trips around the globe and fully enjoy the time that you have to spend. Click here to get to know me better.

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2 Responses

Dominika, this is such an impressive guide! You’ve really packed everything in 🙂 Your love for Guadeloupe really shines through.

To be honest, Guadeloupe isn’t a place I ever really considered visiting. I wasn’t against it, just didn’t know much about it and I’m not really a beach person. But I think you may have changed my mind, as you’ve made it look and sound amazing! Plus, turns out I don’t have to spend all my time at the beach since some of those museums sound fascinating!

Not sure I’ll be eating much, though, since I’m a vegetarian. But everywhere has bread, right?

Oh, and can I just say, I had no idea that Guadeloupe was a foreign French territory. I feel like that’s something I should have known, but nope, no idea! Thanks for blowing my mind 🙂

Thank you Dagney! 🙂 Guadeloupe is really a place, where there is a lot of things to do. Actually, during the whole month spent there I was only ONCE lying on the beach and only for 5 minutes. Rest of time I spent in the water and wandering on trekking trails. It really offers a lot and I was surprised too.

In some bakeries you can buy a perfect French baguette, so I think you can be safe if it comes to food. 😉 I was eating pancakes with absolutely delicious coco and pineapple an yogurt and it was heaven. Personally, I preferred them over the Colombo chicken. 🙂

Thanks for reading Dagney!

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A guide to the islands of Guadeloupe

Aug 29, 2017 • 6 min read

Magnificent Guadeloupe, the southernmost of the Leeward Islands and the European Union’s largest territory in North America, has more than its fair share of natural beauty even by Caribbean standards. Stunning beaches, soaring mountains, superb food and spectacular diving are shared over the five main islands, each of which has its own special character and different reasons to visit. The joy of Guadeloupe is that you really don’t need to choose: even if you only have a week it’s perfectly possible to enjoy them all, as ferries go back and forth between them several times a day.

Grande-Terre

Best for: Dining out

While Grande-Terre has been a traveler favorite for decades due to its gorgeous southern beaches, it’s now generally accepted that it boasts Guadeloupe ’s most exciting culinary choices as well. This is particularly true in and around the town of St-François, where a steady stream of jetsetters and yachties has given rise to some excellent establishments. Particularly outstanding are Iguane Café  for multicourse gastronomy, Le Mabouya dans La Bouteille  for a fusion of classical French dishes with Caribbean ingredients and Le Zagaya  for unpretentious but top notch seafood. Destination dining elsewhere on the island can be found at cozy yet sophisticated Koté Sud in Ste-Anne, a foodie favorite for its inventive Creole cuisine, and in the north of the island at Chez Coco , which overlooks a lovely private beach surrounded by the high cliffs of the so-called Porte d’Enfer . The sprawling and rather unattractive city of Pointe-à-Pitre , also on Grande-Terre, won’t be on many visitors’ radar, but its brand new and highly ambitious museum, Mémorial ACTe , tells the story of Guadeloupe’s brutal history of slavery and colonialism, and is an important stop for anyone visiting.

Getting There : Nearly all visitors to Guadeloupe arrive at Grande-Terre’s Pôles Caraïbes Airport or by ferry from neighboring Caribbean islands at Pointe-à-Pitre. Grande-Terre is also connected with direct services to all other islands in Guadeloupe, from Pointe-à-Pitre to Les Saintes and Marie-Galante ( jeansforfreedom.com ,  valferry.fr ) and from St-François to La Désirade (Archipel 1) and Les Saintes ( comatrile.com ), as well as by two road bridges to neighboring Basse-Terre.

Basse-Terre

Best for: Hiking and Diving

Ironically Basse-Terre means ‘low land’ in French, which is a fairly poor description of this majestic stunner, whose thick foliage rises up to looming La Soufrière , the active volcano that towers over the entire island at 1467 meters and is the highest point in the Lesser Antilles. Around this giant, Basse-Terre boasts Guadeloupe’s only national park , filled with dense forest, misty peaks, rivers and waterfalls. Another reason to visit is the string of beachside villages on its northern coast, most charming of which is the yachtie and foodie hang out of Deshaies , a colorful and rather traditional Caribbean village that has garnered a dozen good restaurants and some very atmospheric hotels in recent years. Finally, Basse-Terre offers magnificent diving just off its western coast in the Réserve Cousteau , which surrounds tiny Pigeon Island.

Getting There: Access to Basse-Terre is a cinch from Grande-Terre, with two road bridges connecting the islands. Basse-Terre also enjoys multiple daily sailings to Les Saintes from Trois-Rivières ( ctmdeher.com ,  valferry.fr )

La Désirade

Best for: Tropical Escape

Sitting a short distance off the craggy rock nose of Grande-Terre, La Désirade is something of an archetypal Caribbean fantasy, a child’s drawing of a desert island. Its unusual name comes from it being the first island Columbus saw on his second voyage, and thus the desired landfall for which he had been praying.  With its huge central bluff running much of its diminutive length, it’s an imposing place, with swaying palms overlooking idyllic white sand beaches and just one road extending along its southern side. The welcome is warm, and while there’s definitely a good number of day-trippers taking the ferry from Grande-Terre, this is the least touristic island in Guadeloupe and there are just a couple of hotels and a few restaurants. The sleepy ‘town’ of Beauséjour exudes old Caribbean charm and is the kind of place where everybody knows each other, while up at the tip of the island things get even quieter and more remote, ending in a dramatic flourish with the island’s lighthouse that looks out into the open ocean.

Getting There:   La Désirade can only be reached by ferry from Grande-Terre. There are two crossings per day  from St-François (on Archipel 1).

Marie-Galante

Best for: Beaches & Rum

Flat as a pancake and not particularly alluring at first glance, Marie-Galante’s real draw can be found in the wonderful beaches that attract a loyal crowd of French holidaymakers. The island is rather too big to explore easily in just a day, and the locals seem fairly united in believing you should spend more time than that here. Indeed, many hotels don’t accept one- or two-night bookings to encourage just this. Do not miss sunning yourself on gorgeous Plage de la Feuillère and Plage de Petite Anse, and be sure to visit all three of the island’s charming towns:  bustling ‘capital’ Grand-Bourg, spectacularly set Capesterre and friendly St-Louis. Marie-Galante also has a number of historic rum distilleries to visit, where you can take a tour to see the entire manufacturing process from sugar cane to bottle. Distillerie Bielle , Distillerie Poisson and Domaine de Bellevue  are the most visited­­, and the latter has a gorgeous old windmill.

Getting There:  There are daily ferry connections between Pointe-à-Pitre on Grande-Terre and Marie-Galante’s main town Grand-Bourg  ( express-des-iles.com ,  jeansforfreedom.com ,  valferry.fr ), while the village of St-Louis has daily connections to both St-François on Grande-Terre and Les Saintes ( comatrile.com ).

Les Saintes

Best for: Utter Charm

Unlike the other four main islands of Guadeloupe, the mountainous archipelago of Les Saintes is made up of nine different islands, though only two of them are inhabited. Tourism is focused on the island of Terre-de-Haut, and it’s quite possibly the loveliest place in the whole of Guadeloupe thanks to its Norman architecture, sophisticated restaurants and a backdrop of high, thickly forested hillsides. The beaches here are superb, too – don't miss a lazy afternoon on the Baie de Pompierre , with its friendly goats and wonderful little island to swim out to, or check out the stunning sand and wild waves of Grande Anse , where sadly it’s too rough to swim, but great for a long walk along an empty beach.

Elsewhere on Terre-de-Haut you can visit historic Fort Napoleon , an imposing French defensive battery that now contains a museum; climb Le Chameau , the 309 meter peak that dominates Terre-de-Haut and affords wonderful archipelago views; and if you really want to get off the grid, take one of the hourly boats to neighboring Terre-de-Bas, a sleepy little island where little seems to have changed for decades.

Getting There:  There are multiple daily ferries to Terre-de-Haut from Trois-Rivières ( ctmdeher. com ,  valferry.fr ) on Basse-Terrre and Pointe-à-Pitre ( express-des-iles.com ,  jeansforfreedom.com ,  valferry.fr ) on Grande-Terre, and less frequently from St-François on Grande-Terre  ( comatrile. com ) . The latter service calls at Marie-Galante .

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Guadeloupe Travel Guide

Visiting the Guadeloupe archipelago in the French Caribbean

Iris Kurschner/Getty Images 

Comprised of five main islands , Guadeloupe is a unique blend of France and the tropics, well-seasoned by African and South Asian culture. Each island has its own unique charms, so a little island-hopping is a must when you visit.

Guadeloupe Basic Travel Information

Location: In the eastern Caribbean Sea, between Antigua and Dominica

Size: 629 square miles/1,628 square kilometers, including the islands of Grand-Terre, Basse-Terre, Les Saintes, La Desirade, and Marie-Galante.

Capital: Basse-Terre

Language: French

Religions: Primarily Catholic

Currency : Euro

Area Code: 590

Tipping: not expected, but appreciated; restaurants and most hotels add 15 percent

Weather: ​ Average summer temp 87F, winter 74F. Located in the hurricane belt .

Airport Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport​

Guadeloupe Activities and Attractions

Guadeloupe's five islands are dotted with old forts and colonial homes, while local markets burst with color and activity ; the latter, along with the weekly oxen pulls and cockfights, are a great place to absorb the local culture. Basse-Terre is blessed with lush tropical forests protected in a national park that includes the Le Carbet waterfall. Butterfly watching is among the local passions. Visitors to Marie-Galante can stay with a rural family and soak up the agrarian lifestyle, hike, or kayak up the Vieux-Fort River. The bay on Les Saintes is considered one of the world's most lovely.​

Guadeloupe Beaches

Guadeloupe has both Atlantic and Caribbean beaches, some with shimmering white sand, others volcanic black. On Guadeloupe's Grande-Terre island, where coral reefs often create shallow lagoons, Caravelle beach, trimmed with palms, is one of the most beautiful. Dozens of secluded beaches are scattered at the ends of dirt roads across the island. Most visitors to Les Saintes flock to the Grande-Anse beach in Terre-de-Bas. Petite Terre is a tiny flat island rimmed with pristine white beaches, a favorite day-trip spot for beach lunches and scuba diving .

Guadeloupe Hotels and Resorts

M gallery and Club Med operate "name brand" hotels on Guadeloupe, but most properties are small and locally owned. Lodging on Marie-Galante includes a number of guest houses where you get the chance to interact with local families. You'll find some lovely beachfront hotels on Les Saintes, including the Bois Joli and Auberge des Petits Saints. Private villa rentals are another option on Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, and Les Saintes.​

Guadeloupe Restaurants and Cuisine

You'll find great Creole and French cuisine throughout the Guadeloupe islands, which have more than 200 restaurants. Seafood, of course, is a staple of any menu, from spiny lobster to stewed conch. The islands' South Asian influences reflected in curry dishes. Come in August for the annual Fete des Cuisinieres, or Festival of Women Cooks. Lunch is the main meal of the day for locals. On Les Saintes, try to special coconut custard tarts, known as Torrent of Love, sold by the boat dock.​

Guadeloupe History and Culture

Discovered and named by Columbus, Guadeloupe has been part of France on and off again since 1635, during its long and sometimes bloody history of slave revolts and colonialism. Today Guadeloupe is an overseas department of France with a population mostly of African origin but also with strong South Asian influences. It is a country of poets (including Nobel Prize winner Saint-John Perse), writers, musicians, sculptors, and painters, and you'll still find island women wearing colorful traditional dresses and head scarves on special occasions.​

Guadeloupe Events and Festivals

Carnival season on Guadeloupe runs from the Feast of the Epiphany in January to Easter, peaking in February around Shrove Tuesday. Marie-Galante hosts an annual music festival in May that draws a variety of regional and international acts. The BPE bank sponsors an annual transatlantic race from Marie-Galante to Belle Ile en Mer in May. Towns around the islands hold festivals in honor of their patron saints throughout the year. Cockfights are held from November to April.​

Guadeloupe Nightlife

Zouk dance music, which was born in Guadeloupe, pounds out from a variety of discos and nightclubs in towns like Gosier, Bas-de-Fort, St. Francois, Le Moule, and Gourbeyre. Zouk club crowds tend to be more locals than visitors. Casinos are located in Gosier and St. Francois, offering blackjack and roulette as well as slots. There also are party boats operating from Gosier and Pointe-a-Pitre, and the Bas du Fort Marina is known for its piano and jazz bars. Evening entertainment options often are centered on hotels, especially on the smaller islands

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• 2 Other destinations
• 3.1 Climate
• 3.2 Terrain
• 3.4 Tourist information
• 5.1 Passports and visas
• 5.2.1 From the Caribbean
• 5.2.2 From North America
• 5.2.3 From South America
• 5.2.4 From Europe
• 5.4 By boat
• 6.3 By taxi
• 9.2 Shopping
• 10.1 Restaurants
• 10.2 Local specialties
• 13 Stay safe
• 14.1 Emergency phone numbers
• 16.1 Phones
• 16.2.1 Rates

Guadeloupe , known as Gwadloup in the local creole, and sometimes known as the Butterfly Island ( French: l'île Papillon ) on account of the shape of two of its major islands, is a group of islands in the eastern Caribbean , and is a French overseas department, southeast of Puerto Rico .

Guadeloupe is the largest of the four departments and collectivities that make up the French Antilles .

Islands [ edit ]

• 16.15 -61.666667 1 Basse-Terre : green and lush vegetation, mountainous with a sulphuric volcano.
• 16.3175 -61.428611 2 Grande-Terre : flat and dry with a lot of beaches, some of them very touristy.
• 15.85 -61.6 4 Les Saintes : composed of Terre de Haut and Terre de Bas , one of the most beautiful bays.

Other destinations [ edit ]

Don't miss the spectacular waterfalls in the jungle of Basse-Terre (Carbet Falls) within Guadeloupe National Park . Some are within 5–10 minutes walking distance from the nearest carpark, some require at least 3–4 hours of hiking (those are, of course less frequented by other tourists and you might find yourself alone at a spectacular waterfall in the middle of nowhere, an amazing experience).

The local rum distilleries offer tours (check for opening times as they may vary from season to season) which are certainly worth the while since rum production is an integral part of Guadeloupe's economy. And sampling the local rums is definitely worth the while.

Even though they might not be the best way to get around the island, a ride on the bus is an experience you should not miss. Cheap, full of locals, conducted by fearless drivers, you can enjoy the beautiful Caribbean panorama to the sound of Guadeloupean zouk music. Some routes are not good for passengers with weak stomachs.

Understand [ edit ]

Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635 except for the years 1813-1814 when it came into Swedish possession as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars .

Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthélemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin).

Climate [ edit ]

Subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity.

Terrain [ edit ]

Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin.

Watch [ edit ]

Tourist information [ edit ].

• Guadeloupe Tourism website

Talk [ edit ]

French is the official language, although Guadeloupean Créole (very different from French) is the native language. Everyone speaks French but few people understand English. Most people working in the tourism industry will speak English and sometimes Spanish or German.

Get in [ edit ]

Passports and visas [ edit ].

Being an integrated part of France , Guadeloupe is considered as European as Paris politically, so European Union immigration rules apply.

By plane [ edit ]

From the Caribbean [ edit ]

• Air Antilles [1] connects Guadeloupe with Dominica –Canefield, Dominica –Douglas-Charles, Fort-de-France , Saint Barthélemy , St. Maarten (SXM), St. Martin (SFG), San Juan , Santo Domingo –La Isabela, Santo Domingo –Las Américas
• Air Caraïbes [2] connects Guadeloupe with Fort-de-France , St. Maarten (SXM), St. Martin (SFG), Santo Domingo –Las Américas.
• Air France [3] connects Guadeloupe with Cayenne , Fort-de-France , Port-au-Prince
• Servicios Aéreos Profesionales [4] connects Guadeloupe with Punta Cana .
• Winair [5] connects Guadeloupe with Dominica –Douglas-Charles

From North America [ edit ]

• Air Canada [6] connects Guadeloupe with Montreal .
• Air France [7] connects Guadeloupe with Miami and Montreal .
• American Airlines [8] connects Guadeloupe with Miami .
• JetBlue [9] has direct flights from New York -JFK.

From South America [ edit ]

• Air France [10] connects Guadeloupe with Cayenne (Codeshares with Air Antilles Express).

From Europe [ edit ]

• Air Caraïbes connects Guadeloupe with Paris -Orly
• Air France connects Guadeloupe with Paris -Orly and Paris -Charles de Gaulle during the peak season.
• Corsair International [11] connects Guadeloupe with Paris -Orly
• Level connects Guadeloupe with Paris -Orly

For more information, you can have a look at Guadeloupe Airport website .

From Guadeloupe, to travel in the surrounding places, here is an idea of the prices (roundtrip): Trinidad ~€250, Barbade ~€260, Puerto Rico ~€300, Dominican Republic ~€350, Cuba ~€550

You can obtain information at Agence Penchard, 1 bis rue de la République 97100 Basse-Terre, Tel 0590 812 712 Fax 0590 810 711

By car [ edit ]

From some neighbouring islands, you can travel with your car on ferry companies (See section by boat).

• Rentacar - One of the largest agencies of car rental in Guadeloupe, agency at the airport and English speaking counter agents. All types of passenger vehicles and several types of contracts possible.
• Quickly [dead link] - Agency at the airport of Pole Caraibes, presents 14 years on the islands of Guadeloupe. All types of vehicles.
• Locacar [dead link] - Car rental implemented on Grande-Terre, near to the hotels. Shuttle from airport services.

By boat [ edit ]

• From Martinique , Dominica , Saint Lucia , Marie Galante, and Les Saintes: Express des Iles , Brudey Frères [dead link] , and Star Ferries .
• Windward Islands [12] - Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bare boat to crewed in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St Martin. Operating from its international offices (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Hong Kong, and Dubai).
• Canadian Sailing Expeditions - Tall Ship Caledonia - Travelers can embark at Pointe-a-Pitre and sail on to various locations such as Deschaies.

Get around [ edit ]

Cars can be hired at the airport in Pointe-à-Pitre. The main roads are of the same quality as metropolitan France, but smaller roads are often uneven, pot-holed and frankly dangerous. Prudence is required! Drivers are often undisciplined, but rarely aggressive.

By bus [ edit ]

There is a public bus system. You can find the routes and timings on Karulis . Most routes start from Pointe-à-Pitre and connect with the main locations, such as the Airport. Services are limited on weekends.

By taxi [ edit ]

You will find plenty of taxis. But this is definitely the most expensive way of getting around. Fares are 40% higher from 21:00 to 07:00, as well as all day on Sunday and holidays. It's possible, but expensive (about ~€200/7 hours), to sight see by taxi. You could ask your hotel for help to make the arrangements.

See [ edit ]

Natural beauty is perhaps Guadeloupe's main attraction, and tourists flock to its sandy beaches, azure waters and vast forests. The southern coast of Grande-Terre is the main resort area, where you'll find developed, beautiful beaches and calm waters. It's a good place to kick back and enjoy a cocktail in one of the beach bars or join the many French women bathing in the Caribbean sun. Or, head for one of the many diving schools and explore underwater wildlife. For a fun day trip, hop on a ferry service around the scenic eight islands cluster of Les Saintes , skirting Guadeloupe's southern coast. The gorgeous and rustic island of Marie-Galante makes another perfect trip for a day or even two, as it has lovely scenery, great sands, 19th-century windmills and sugar cane plantations to see.

In contrast to the rolling hills and flat plains landscape of Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre (the western wing of the island) has a rough volcanic relief. Here you'll find the splendid Parc national de la Guadeloupe , a 74,100-acre protected rainforest with plenty of trails for expert and novice hikers. The park is home to the 1467-m-high peak of the La Soufrière volcano}, the highest mountain peak in the Lesser Antilles . On its lower slopes are the grand Carbet Falls, a series of 3 waterfalls on the Carbet River and one of Guadeloupe's main attractions. For wildlife lovers, the Zoological and Botanical Park of Guadeloupe offers a great insight in tropical flora and fauna and its animal collection included rare and endangered species.

Basse-Terre city, the administrative capital of Guadeloupe, is home to a range of colonial buildings. Furthermore, there are the 19th century Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, the main square and adjoining Jardin Pichon.

In Pointe-à-Pitre , there are museums, a bustling creole market place, an aquarium, and the impressive colonial fort to explore. The Mémorial ACTe is a museum tells the history of slavery and the slave trade from ancient times to modern-day.

Guadeloupe is the filming location for the Franco-British TV series Death in Paradise , with the island doubling as fictional British Overseas Territory "Saint-Marie". The real village of Deshaies doubles for "Honoré", where the characters' police force is based.

Do [ edit ]

Scuba diving and snorkelling. There is an amazing assortment of tropical fish, even in water less than one metre deep. For those who can't swim, glass bottomed boat trips are on offer.

There are many festivals to attend to in Guadeloupe. In Guadeloupe they call them "parties on the street". They use colourful ribbons and tie them round their wrists to resemble the colours of all the nations. Their parties last all through the night until the early morning. They sometimes call them "swatson".

At the Distillerie Damoiseau on Grande-Terre, you can find out how rum is made, and enjoy a tasting session.

The Zoo de Guadeloupe in Basse-Terre has about 85 species of animals in this popular garden and nature reserve. Hiking trails and hanging bridges will give you the feel that you are in the jungle.

Buy [ edit ]

Money [ edit ].

Like the rest of France, the official currency is the euro (" € ", ISO currency code: EUR ). It is divided into 100 cents.

Shopping [ edit ]

• Characteristic of the Antilles is the colourful tiled Madras fabric.
• The local made rum is also distinctive and very cheap to buy. Certainly worth sampling (during an evening at one of the beautiful beaches or at home when showing holiday pictures to friends and family to warm everyone up to Caribbean temperature)

Eat [ edit ]

Restaurants [ edit ].

Most restaurants in Guadeloupe offer local Creole cuisine. These restaurants are often found on or in close proximity to a beach, on a shore or in a marina, and on a national highway.

There are also a few restaurants with fine French cuisine.

International cuisine and fast food are also represented in Guadeloupe.

Local specialties [ edit ]

Not to be missed, the plate Colombo (chicken, rice, curry), imported from India, has become the typical regional plate. The expected cost for a restaurant meal is from €5-40.

• Boudin créole (or Boudin for short). A black pudding spicy with Creole ingredients.
• Féroce d'avocat . A variation of guacamole. You never know how hot the seasoning will be until you taste it.
• Bananas . The "dessert banana" tastes pure or flambéed with rum and is the ideal ingredient for countless recipes, whether as jam, cake, tart, ice cream, fruit salad, punch or smoothie. A staple of Antillean cuisine, the plantain can be fried, grilled, boiled or made into chips.
• Accras . The very popular Accras are small fritters traditionally made with cod. But some also contain other fish or shrimp or vegetables. According to tradition, donuts with vegetables are prepared on Good Friday. Every August, on the Saturday closest to Saint Lawrence Day, there is a parade in which Guadeloupe chefs dress in traditional costumes and parade through the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, showing the Accras and other Creole dishes to try.
• Sorbet coco . Prepared by beach vendors in traditional wooden sorbet vats, this refreshing treat is an ideal snack after a swim in the sea or after a little siesta on the beach.
• Ti Punch (Rhum, Lime, Cane Sugar). Traditionally served in many venues by placing a glass, a slice of lime, cane sugar and a whole bottle of rhum on the table for the guest to mix their own ti punch. Be careful with the dosage: the rum has at least 50% by volume. A local saying goes: "Tue-toi toi-même!" ("Kill yourself!")
• Planteur . Rum with fruit juices.
• Rhum au coco . Rum with coconut water.
• Gratin de christophine (or Cristophine for short). The chayote, called "Christophine" in Guadeloupe, is a large green or white berry in the shape of a pear, with a taste reminiscent of zucchini or potatoes. It is a fruit of the gourd family and has health-promoting properties.
• Colombo . Colombo, a blend of spices, is an indispensable ingredient in Guadeloupe's cuisine. Traditionally, it consists of turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds and black pepper. Milder than curry, this flavourful concoction is a wonderful addition to vegetables, as well as chicken, shrimp, pork, swordfish and crayfish dishes. By the way, the famous and delicious Colombo with chicken is one of the most iconic dishes in Guadeloupe. Every year at the end of July, the municipality of Saint-François participates in the Colombo festival.
• Chicken boucané . The famous smoked chicken, popular for its spicy and succulent taste, is made with meat that has been previously marinated in onions, garlic, spring onions, chilli, lemon juice, thyme, oil, salt and pepper and then grilled very slowly cooked over a mild, moist heat and without a flame.
• Sauce chien . This seasoning sauce traditionally consists of scallions, onion, garlic, parsley, chilli, lemon juice, oil, warm water, salt and pepper. It is served with grilled chicken, meat and fish.
• Jams . Contrary to what one might think, Creole jams are not made to be stored, but are served with dessert and it is not uncommon to find them in a local cake. Some of the most popular jams include those made with banana, coconut, guava, mango, pineapple, and papaya.
• Blanc-manger coco . To make this dessert, in addition to coconut milk, you need sweet condensed milk, gelatin leaves, vanilla, cinnamon, and grated lime zest.
• Fricassee de ouassous . A large freshwater shrimp very popular in Guadeloupe, the Ouassou can be prepared in a number of ways: grilled, flambéed with rum, or fricassee to be served as a main course. In a beautiful green setting, the Pointe-Noire Aquaculture Park offers guided tours of the shrimp tanks.
• Blaff de poisson (or Blaff for short). Traditionally, this stew is prepared with snapper, tuna or mackerel. This stew's name comes from the sound the fish makes when it falls into the pot of boiling hot water. Sometimes this dish is offered as court bouillon . It then contains a little less fish

Drink [ edit ]

The local drink is white rum. Do try the "'Ti Punch" (petit punch/small punch) made with rum, lime, and sugar cane/brown sugar. Packs a wallop, so be prepared to melt into the island way of life.

Work [ edit ]

For European people coming from an EU country, working in Guadeloupe is allowed without problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget, though. that the unemployment rate is around 28%. But if you work in the health sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier. Otherwise, you could find a job in bars, restaurants, and/or nightclubs.It's best to have a precise idea of what you want to do, inform yourself, and prospect before going there.

Stay safe [ edit ]

The main tourist areas (city centre of Point-à-Pitre, Le Gosier, St. Anne, St. Felix...) are pretty safe, especially by day. When it gets dark, you should avoid walking around in Point-à-Pitre alone and stay on the main roads and plazas and be aware of smaller side streets. Always try to keep a low profile as a tourist to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

There are no particular diseases to worry about, but you should protect yourself from the sun. Sanitary and medical facilities in Guadeloupe are good. Health care in Guadeloupe is controlled by a state-owned organisation ( Sécurité Sociale ). Doctors are available in almost every village. Tap water is usually safe for consumption. Public sources of water are unsafe if labeled with "Eau non potable" (no drinking water). Visitors from European Union should bring their European Health Insurance Card with them. Ask details at your local health care organisation.

Emergency phone numbers [ edit ]

• emergency services: 112 (which can be called from any mobile phone, even if not connected to a GSM network);
• fire brigade: 18;
• police station: 17;
• specialised emergency medical service (called SAMU): 15.

Respect [ edit ]

While it is a part of France, the country does not have a very Europeanised way of life; life in the Caribbean has a much slower pace. Buses run very infrequently, taxis are hard to find, smaller stores open or close not always on time, queuing in stores is sometimes very time consuming. Try to get into the local pace and do not complain about minor annoyances, as Guadeloupeans will see that as an offence to their way of life. And they are proud of the distinction between Caribbean and metropolitan (French) lifestyle.

Connect [ edit ]

Phones [ edit ].

Country code: 590

Dialing within Guadeloupe: all numbers have 10 digits. Landlines begin by 0590 and mobile phones by 0690.

Dialing to Guadeloupe: international prefix + 590 + phone number without the first 0 (this leads to dial twice 590 which is normal). If you dial from France, just use the 10 digits number.

Dialing from Guadeloupe: the international prefix is 00.

Calling to a mobile phone is more expensive than to a landline. Number beginning by 0800 are free phone. Number beginning by 089 are premium-rate.

Few foreign mobile phone companies offer international roaming to Guadeloupe so double-check before leaving. Your company should provide specific roaming to Guadeloupe since it has deferent mobile phone companies than in mainland France.

Alternatively, you should be able to get a Pay-as-you-go SIM card from various locations. There is one company offering wireless services: Orange Caraïbe [dead link] .

Post [ edit ]

Post offices are found in all cities. Letter boxes are colored in yellow.

Rates [ edit ]

Less than 20 g (postcard, letter with one or two pages in a regular envelope) :

• France (including Oversea Territories DOM-TOM ): €0.53
• area 2 (rest of the world) : €0.90

The basic stamp for regular mail is red with the head of "Marianne" (the Republic logo). It does not carry its value and can therefore be used even after a price increase. It is sold in all Post Offices, Bureaux de Tabacs (Tobacco sellers identified by a red lozenge) and postcard vendors. The latter may also carry other common stamps.

In most Post Offices you will find an automatic machine (yellow) with a scale and a screen. Just put your mail on the scale, tell the machine (French or English) the destination, pay the indicated amount and the machine will deliver a printed stamp.

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Guadeloupe Travel Guide

Useful tips.

Everything you need to know before you fly to Guadeloupe

Average Trip Cost

December to April

Ideal Length Of Stay

7 to 14 days

About Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe – one of the French islands in the Caribbean, is an archipelago.  A collection of five islands, Guadeloupe includes the main islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre along with the  smaller islands  of  Marie-Galante ,  La Désirade , and the  Îles des Saintes.  With history influenced by Indian, African, and French traditions, Guadeloupe is rich in culture as well as beautiful natural sites!  Dedicated to preserving the natural terrain, residents of Guadeloupe strive to protect the island’s resource and keep the unspoiled landscape the way that it is.  

These beautiful islands have something for everyone.  Beautiful beaches where sunbathing and strolling along the shore are exciting pastimes to engage in, water sports that are considered the best in the world, historic forts replete with dungeons and battlements to explore, and Creole cuisine, unlike anything that you’ve tasted elsewhere.  Guadeloupe is the total package and offers much to even the most seasoned of travelers.  

If you have always wanted to dive, Guadeloupe is the perfect place to learn.  Crystal clear waters that are protected as part of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve surround the island.  Considered to offer some of the best diving in the world, Guadeloupe offers interesting dives that will introduce newbies to the wonder of the world below and challenge experts to use their skills.  The array of tropical fish will amaze you as will the clarity of the water and the feeling of peace that envelope you as you glide.  You won’t believe how easily you can see the wonders of the deep; exploring the world under the sea is a heady rush.

Surrounded by waters from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Guadeloupe is perfectly positioned for a diver’s wonderland.

Other water sports can be enjoyed as well, such as Jet Skiing along the surface of the water, taking a catamaran out, snorkeling, and good, old-fashioned sunbathing.  UNESCO designated Guadeloupe as a biosphere reserve. The beautiful greenery that is abundant in Guadeloupe is a matter of pride for the islanders. Nature lovers can spend hours interacting with the beautiful flora and fauna.  

Food is a tradition on the island.  Effectively mixing French cuisine with Caribbean practices yields a unique style of food that visitors can’t get enough of. Try island favorites like clam blaff or conch stew. Sample the homegrown produce available at farmer’s markets and taste the difference in the quality and flavor of the food. Take a tour of one of Guadeloupe’s nine rum distilleries and sample the national drink yourself.

Enjoy Guadeloupe. In this lovely archipelago, anyone can find the perfect activity to get involved in. Let yourself go. Truly embody the meaning of the word vacation in Guadeloupe.

See the island in as much depth as you would like.  Whatever you choose, there is something sure to tickle your fancy.

Where To Stay In Guadeloupe

Visitors to Guadeloupe stay in a wide variety of accommodations, including private rental, guesthouses, and luxurious all-inclusive hotels.  Some of the best hotels in Guadeloupe include: 

• La Creole Beach Hotel & Spa
• Club Med La Caravelle – Guadeloupe
• La Toubana Hotel & Spa 
• Le Relais du Moulin
• Auberge de la Vieille Tour
• Caraibes Royal
• Mahogany Hôtel Résidence & Spa

Activities In Guadeloupe

Major tourist activities in guadeloupe include:.

• Exploring Point-a-Pitre on Grande-Terre an intriguing mix of French and Caribbean influences
• Hiking at Guadeloupe National Park which stretches over 12,000 acres
• Checking out the Arawak Indians rock carving at the Parc Archelogique des Roches Gravees
• Visiting Terre-de-Bas, a tiny island in Guadeloupe with coffee plantations and traditional villages 
• Climbing to the top of LA Soufriere which is still an active volcano 
• Snorkeling and diving at top sites like Reserve Cousteau at Pigeon Island off Basse-Terre.  

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Facts about guadeloupe.

660 square miles 

Population:

Official language:.

Guadeloupean

Capital City:

Basse-Terre

Government:

Telephone country code:.

 right side of the road

Local Beer:

National dish:.

Queen conch fricassee 

Main Airport:

Pointe-à-Pitre Airport

Electricity:

230 V/50 Hz – plugs are European standard with two round prongs

Visa Information For Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an Overseas Department of France, and as such French immigration rules apply.  That said, no visa is required for citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and most other European countries.  

All visitors to Guadeloupe must have a passport with at least another six months’ validity. Furthermore, all visitors must have a return or onward ticket plus sufficient means to support themselves during their stay in Guadeloupe.   

How Long Does It Take To Get A Visa For Guadeloupe

With a valid passport and supporting documents, it can take between 5 to 20 working days for a Guadeloupe (French) visa application to be processed by the nearest French Embassy. Approved visas for entry to Guadeloupe are valid for a stay up to 90 days.  

Is It Safe In Guadeloupe

In comparison to major American and European cities, Guadeloupe is relatively safe, and crime levels are low. That said, it is though recommended that visitors be vigilant at all times, especially when away from the major hotels and tourist areas. 

How To Get To Guadeloupe

Most visitors to Guadeloupe arrive via the Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (IATA: PTP, ICAO: TFFR) located on the island of Grande-Terre.

From Canada, book flights to Guadeloupe via:

• Air Canada Montréal–Trudeau  
• Air Transat Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau

From the United States, book flights to Guadeloupe via:

• American Eagle: Miami
• JetBlue: New York–JFK

From Europe, book flights to Guadeloupe via:

• Air Belgium: Charleroi
• Air Caraïbes: Paris-Orly
• Air France: Cayenne, Fort-de-France, Miami, Paris–Orly (Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle)
• Alitalia (seasonal charter): Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino
• Condor (seasonal charter): Frankfurt
• Corsair International: Paris–Orly
• Level: Paris–Orly
• Neos (seasonal charter): Milan–Malpensa

With the Caribbean region, book flights to Guadeloupe via:

• Air Antilles: Dominica–Canefield, Dominica–Douglas-Charles, Fort-de-France, Saint Barthélemy, St. Maarten (SXM), St. Martin (SFG), San Juan, Santo Domingo–La Isabela, Santo Domingo–Las Américas
• Air Caraïbes: Fort-de-France, St. Maarten (SXM), St. Martin (SFG), Santo Domingo-Las Américas
• Air France: Port-au-Prince (seasonal charter: Havana)
• Servicios Aéreos Profesionales: Punta Cana
• Winair: Dominica-Douglas-Charles

When To Go To Guadeloupe

The most popular time to visit Guadeloupe is from mid-December to May when the weather is warm, sunny, and typically dry.  From August to late October is the low season as temperatures are hot and muggy; also, there is an increased risk of tropical storms.  Some upscale close during the low season for renovations and others offer discounts.

Major events attracting visitors to Guadeloupe include: 

• February – March: Guadeloupe Carnival 
• July: Traditional Sailing Tour of Guadeloupe  
• July – August: International Zouk Festival 
• August: Tour De La Guadeloupe
• October: Journée du Créole, Créole Day
• November: Route Du Rhum, transatlantic sailboat race 

Weather In Guadeloupe

The weather in Guadeloupe is tropical all year long.  The temperature remains in the 80s.  Their rainy season is from June to November.  The most expensive time to visit Guadeloupe is during Christmas, the French February holidays, July and August.

Getting Married Guadeloupe

Marriage requirements:.

Couples looking to get married in Guadeloupe will need to get a special license, which takes three weeks to process.  This is obtained from the Town Hall in the city where the marriage will take place.  

Documents required

In addition to the completed application for marriage, both the bride and groom will need their:

• birth certificates along with driver’s licenses or other forms of identification
• certificates of no impediment or single status report
• certificate of Law to be obtained from the French Consular Division
• resident certificates and residency card

Also, if applicable: 

• divorce papers i.e., decree absolute and/or death certificate of spouse
• proof of parental consent if under 18 to be witnessed by a French Consular Officer if not a resident in France
• proof of name change by Deed Poll, stamped and signed by a solicitor

Note:  All documents much be translated into French.  A “Bulletin de Marriage” and “Livret de Famille” are delivered at the ceremony. 

Residency Requirement:

Either the groom or bride must reside on the island for at least three months.

Witnesses: 

Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony.  

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The Guadeloupe Islands

An overseas region of France, The Guadeloupe Islands are an archipelago covering some 630 square miles and made up of five main islands. A bridge connects the two most populated ones, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, while Marie-Galante, Les Saintes (actually a miniature archipelago of its own), and La Désirade are accessed via ferry. With the Caribbean to the west and the Atlantic to the east, these dreamy islands boast multicolored beaches, thick forests, hundreds of waterfalls, rugged bluffs, and offshore coral reefs. Grande-Terre is the main entry point and tourism hub, while Basse-Terre is home to Guadeloupe National Park and its active La Grande Soufrière volcano. Les Saintes melds French sophistication with a Caribbean rhythm, and has upscale shopping and dining to match its natural beauty.

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When’s the best time to go to The Guadeloupe Islands?

Guadeloupe enjoys a tropical climate with steady trade winds on the Atlantic side and temperatures hovering between 75 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The rainiest season is June to October but thunderstorms rarely last. Wet days are more common in the forest areas of Basse-Terre. High season is December through February when travelers from Europe and North America flock to the islands, while summer is when the French take month-long vacations. With so many islands to explore, it never feels too crowded in Guadeloupe, but some areas, such as Les Saintes, do sell out quickly during high season. For a more culture-focused experience, visit during Carnival in February, or in August during the Fete des Cuisinières—a colorful festival dedicated to the island’s female chefs and queens of Creole cuisine, who parade in traditional costumes while tastings take place.

How to get around The Guadeloupe Islands

Getting to The Guadeloupe Islands is now easier, with flights on JetBlue from major U.S. cities, including New York, Boston, Fort Myers, Denver, and Los Angeles beginning in February 2020. American Airlines and Air France are also options out of Miami. Taxis are abundant—look for their official signage. Most visitors rent a car to have the most flexibility exploring the multiple islands. All the rental companies are based at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, and rental pickup and drop off is easy. The infrastructure across Guadeloupe’s main islands of Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre is developed, with well-marked highways and decent roads to most tourist sights, hotels, and attractions. You can also arrange for a driver during your stay if you’d rather not worry about getting lost. Island-hopping to Marie-Galante, La Désirade, or Les Saintes is easy via daily ferries, leaving from Pointe-à-Pitre, Trois-Rivières, Saint-Anne, or Saint-Francois. Book tickets online, or purchase them on-site at least one hour prior to departure.

Can’t miss things to do in The Guadeloupe Islands

There is no doubt Guadeloupe’s beaches are stunners, and the prime reason most visitors venture to the archipelago. Once there, you’ll notice the Guadeloupean way of life is about staying active and healthy. Hike the Guadeloupe National Park, where trails are marked by difficulty, and swim in one of its many waterfalls. Head to popular local beaches like Saint-Anne or La Datcha after sunset during the week, and join locals for an evening of volleyball, swimming, and snacking from food trucks. Pointe-à-Pitre is a must on Saturdays, when the streets come alive with gwo-ka drum performances on the way to the colorful markets. Island-hop to Marie-Galante for a feel of the old Caribbean and for the best local rhum, then head to Les Saintes for the ultimate mix of laid-back beaches and gourmet dining.

Food and drink to try in The Guadeloupe Islands

On the rise as a culinary capital of the Caribbean, the food scene in Guadeloupe is one of its strongest assets. With a blend of African, French, and Indian influences, local restaurants surprise diners not just with their flavors but also with their presentation. Meals kick off with a ti’ punch—a traditional stiff drink made with your choice of white rhum plus cane sugar and lime juice. Neutralize the kick by snacking on delicious accras de morue (cod fritters) or boudin créole (blood sausage). Common entrées include Colombo (a Sri Lankan–influenced curry-like stew with chicken) and seafood prepared in various ways, from lobster to crayfish to stuffed crabs. Try rice and beans as a side, with baked christophine (a type of gourd also known as chayota) topped with cheese. Dip anything in the onion-based sauce chien dip because it’s that good. If you’re roadside at night, find the bokit truck and bite into this fried, stuffed johnnycake. Desserts are taken seriously (you are in a French territory, after all) so be sure to save space for a banane flambée or mango soufflé.

Culture in The Guadeloupe Islands

Guadeloupeans are unabashedly proud of their African roots, taking pains to preserve that heritage alongside their French nationality. You’ll see it in the Creole cuisine, in the lively, colorful markets, in the former sugar plantations turned distilleries, and at museums like the Memorial ACTe, which commemorates the slave trade and Guadeloupe’s tortured history. You will also hear it in the local French Creole language, although French is the official tongue. But more than anywhere else, you will feel the African soul of Guadeloupe in its music. The primary folkloric tradition is gwo-ka (big drum), a high-energy drumming, chanting, and dancing that was born during slavery. A pillar of Guadeloupe’s heritage, gwo-ka (also spelled gwo ka and gwoka) is recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Gwo-ka drummers come out at night on the beaches and will play in the streets on market days, among other occasions. You’ll also hear gwo-ka fused with other music played in the clubs of Pointe-à-Pitre. The other dominant genre of musical expression is zouk, a rapid-tempo, carnival-type beat popularized in the 1980s by internationally acclaimed band Kassav’. Their first hit, Zouk La Sé Sèl Médikaman Nou Ni (which means “zouk is our medicine”) took over the charts worldwide in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and even Asia. It’s no exaggeration to say that people often travel to Guadeloupe because of its zouk fame. You can listen and dance to live music at multiple nightlife and restaurant venues, the most popular of which are in Pointe-à-Pitre and Gosier on Grande-Terre. For the most raucous cultural celebration, visit Guadeloupe during Carnival, with celebrations kicking off in January.

For Families

Guadeloupeans love to stay fit and active, and they do so with their families. This healthy spirit, which also translates into other areas like dining and learning new things, helps make The Guadeloupe Islands an excellent destination for families. There are beaches to suit every family’s whim, and you can go surfing on Basse-Terre, windsurfing in Saint-Francois, or snorkeling and diving off Les Saintes Bay. As well as the national park’s multiple trails, waterfalls, and thermal baths, you can stroll through botanical gardens and learn about the flowers and birds there, visit ancient sugar mills on Marie-Galante, and explore historical colonial forts. For something less active but still informative, there’s always shopping the markets. Last but not least, the islands’ multiple Creole and French restaurants are all family-friendly and often have dedicated kids’ menus.

Local travel tips for The Guadeloupe Islands

Guadeloupeans always greet others when entering a place, and you should respond in kind. Sainte-Anne is a dream daytime beach escape, but it’s even better on weekend evenings when roadside stalls sell barbecued conch skewers served on banana leaves. On the road to popular sight Pointe des Châteaux, few know to stop at La Douche (the shower), a hidden cove off the main road with a small, golden-colored beach. The sea crashes against the rocks hard enough to splash high up into the air, creating a cooling spray that falls down onto you like shower droplets.

Local Resources

Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board

Région Guadeloupe (official site of Guadeloupe Regional Council)

Nouvelles Semaine (local news)

Guide Editor

Lebawit Lily Girma

Lebawit Lily Girma is an award-winning travel journalist and photographer specializing in the Caribbean region. A tropical bird since 2005, she’s lived in Jamaica, Grenada, Belize, and the Dominican Republic, aside from visits to other islands, including Guadeloupe. Lily’s writing and photography, focusing on culture, nature, and adventure, have been published in AFAR, Delta Sky, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, and MorningCalm (Korean Air magazine), and on the BBC, CNN, Shermans Travel, and more. She is the author of several guidebooks for Moon Travel Guides, including Moon Belize, Belize Cayes, and Moon Dominican Republic. In 2016, Lily was honored with the Marcia Vickery Wallace Memorial Award for excellence in travel journalism from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Follow her journey online at Sunshine and Stilettos.

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10 Best Things to Do in Guadeloupe: How to Plan Your Trip to the Guadeloupe Islands

Posted on February 14, 2020

Categories Blog , Caribbean , Guadeloupe , Travel Guides

Guadeloupe Islands are a French archipelago of five Caribbean islands, with Montserrat and Antigua to the north and Dominica to the south. The official language of Guadeloupe is French, although most of the population can also speak Creole. In tourist areas, you will be able to find some English speakers as well. Guadeloupe has a tropical climate with a temperature between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius, so it’s nice all year long. Each of the Guadeloupe islands has a distinct landscape and varied biodiversity, so it’s a good idea to visit all of the islands if you can.

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The Guadeloupe Islands

There are five islands in total, or should I say, five island regions: Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie Galante, La Desirade, and Les Saintes. Les Saintes is actually an archipelago of nine islets, and just two of them are inhabited (Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas). Here’s a basic overview of the things to do in Guadeloupe on each island or municipality.

Basse-Terre

The two main islands of Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, look like the wings of a butterfly from above. Basse-Terre is mountainous, volcanic, and has lots of places to go hiking and waterfall chasing. This is where you’ll find the Guadeloupe National Park, and protected marine areas that are fantastic for diving, like Reserve Cousteau. Chocolate and coffee are also produced in Basse-Terre (two of my favorite things!).

Grande-Terre

Grande-Terre has a diverse landscape, comprised of lush hills, humid mangrove forests, stark cliffs, flat plains, and white sand beaches. You’ll find a lot of amenities, hotels, and beach resorts here, but there’s vast rolling countryside beyond the popular attractions.

Marie Galante

Marie Galante is a peaceful place with beautiful natural attractions and rural traditions. You can visit a former sugar plantation and old sugarcane mills, one for every day of the year.

La Désirade

La Desirade has a central mountain, long stretches of white sandy beaches, and a protected geological national nature reserve. It’s a great place to escape the crowds.

Les Saintes

The two inhabited islands of Les Saintes, Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut offer a taste of history and nature. You’ll find Fort Napoleon on Terre-de-Haut, and the Terre-de-Bas hiking loop has brilliant scenery along the way. There are no cars on Terre-de-Haut, so you can explore by scooter or bike.

Ferry Service Between the Islands

With ferry service between each place, it’s easy to hop around the Guadeloupe islands. Here’s how to get to the smaller islands from Grande-Terre (from Point-a-Pitre or Saint-Francois) and Basse-Terre (from Trois-Riveires):

• Ferry to Les Saintes: Departure from Trois-Rivieres to Terre de Haut or Terre de Bas with CTM Deher , and Valferry . Departure from Saint-Francois with Comatrile . Departure from Point-a-Pitre with Jeans For Freedom (Saturdays only).
• Ferry to Marie-Galante: Departure from Pointe-a-Pitre with Valferry and Express-des-Iles . Departure from Saint-Francois with Comatrile .
• Ferry to La Desirade: Departure from Saint-Francois with Babou One .
• Ferry to Petite Terre: Departure from Saint-Francois with Babou One .

Relax on the Beautiful Beaches

There are many sandy beaches all over the Guadeloupe Islands in a variety of colors: white sand, black sand, red sand, and pink sand beaches. Here are a few spectacular Guadeloupe beaches to get you started, although there are no shortage of pretty beaches in Guadeloupe.

Grande Anse Beach

Grand Anse Beach in Basse-Terre is thought to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe. It is a red sand beach that’s over one kilometer long, surrounded by lush vegetation.

Souffleur Beach

Plage Du Souffleur (Souffleur Beach) in Grande-Terre is another gorgeous beach in Guadeloupe with light yellow sand and azure waters. You can go snorkeling near the rocks here, and there are lots of sunny and shady spots to lay down your towel.

De la Feuillere Beach

In Marie-Galante, De la Feuillere Beach is a long stretch of white sands. While there are lots of calm water here, there are also places to try kite surfing and wind surfing in the lagoon. You can also find restaurants here that are right by the water.

Visit Protected Nature Reserves

The Guadeloupe archipelago is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve because it has one of the highest rates of biodiversity in the world. It has 300 species of trees, 270 varieties of ferns, and 90 types of orchids. There are also 11 different mammals, 28 bird species, 11 species of bats, and its indigenous bird, the Black Woodpecker .

Les Iles de Petite Terre

Les Iles de Petite Terre (Petite Terre Islands National Nature Reserve) is a gem in Guadeloupe that you can reach by ferry boat or private excursion. They are two small uninhabited islands southeast of Grande-Terre, and it’s the perfect day trip in Guadeloupe. You can walk around the islands, visiting a lighthouse and spotting numerous iguanas. You can also go snorkeling around the islands to witness colorful fish, turtles, and small sharks.

Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin

The Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve are a chain of coral islets, protected by the longest coral reef in the Lesser Antilles (25km long). It’s off the coast of the northern portion of Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre. There’s a wide variety of marine life, coastal mangroves, and both snorkeling and bird watching opportunities. There’s an astounding variety of ecosystems and terrain there, including marshes, mangroves, prairies, desert islands, sandbanks, and two wrecks for drivers to explore.

Explore the Botanical Gardens

Some of the most popular Guadeloupe attractions are its gorgeous gardens. Here are two notable gardens in Guadeloupe, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Deshaies Botanical Garden.

Jardin Botanique du Désert

On La Desirade, the Desert Botanical Garden is the largest cacti and succulents garden in the Caribbean. There are 3500 plants here, featuring over 800 species of plants from around the world. It’s one of the most unique Guadeloupe attractions and one of the top things to do in Guadeloupe, especially if you’re spending the day on La Desirade.

Jardin Botanique de Deshaies

In Basse-Terre, the Deshaies Botanical Garden is a peaceful place in the French Caribbean to take in the delightful sights and sounds. Designed by landscape artist, Michel Gaillard, you can wander around this 7 hectare park to discover beautiful trees, plants, and flowers. There are palm trees, native Caribbean flowers, a Japanese garden, and so much more.

History and Culture of Guadeloupe

When you visit Guadeloupe, there are lots of historical places, museums, and aspects of local culture that you can check out. Here are a few suggestions for cultural and historical places. Be sure to scroll down a little further to festivities and events for even more local happenings.

Fort Napoleon

Fort Napoleon , on Terre-de-Haut (Les Saintes) is located on the top of a hill with panoramic scenery all around. There’s a small museum where you can learn more about the history and nature of the island. Take the time to walk around the grounds and browse the museum, taking part in a guided tour if you’d like to learn more information.

Memorial ACTe

Memorial ACTe , in Point-a-Pitre, is a cultural center devoted to the history of the slave trade. It is part of UNESCO’s Slave Route Project , which serves to showcase the stories, the difficulties, and the struggles of those forced into slavery in the Guadeloupe Islands. This museum preserves the memory of those who suffered and creates a productive dialogue around this dark history.

Moule Market

The Moule Market in Basse-Terre takes place every Wednesday, starting at 2:00pm. It’s one of the most authentic markets that you’ll visit with many local products, locally made handicrafts, and you’ll hear the sounds of the Gwo Ka .

Things to Do in Guadeloupe: Go Hiking

Guadeloupe is a very lush and green island, meaning that it’s a very natural destination to take hiking trips. There’s the national park, nature preserves, and waterfalls. In addition to those protected spaces, here are a few popular places that hiking enthusiasts will want to check out on their adventures to Guadeloupe.

Terre de bas Hiking

There are over 10 kilometers of hiking trails on Terre de Bas island, featuring stunning views and a great variety of flora. There are four clearly marked trails that take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours to hike.

Pointe de la Grande Vigie

Pointe de la Grande Vigie is the northernmost point of Grande-Terre and the Guadeloupe Islands. You can admire the vertical limestone cliffs and panoramic sea views. There are several marked long distance hiking trails there, too.

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving at Reserve Cousteau

At the Pigeon Islands, the Cousteau Reserve is a protected underwater reserve with schools of colorful fish and impressive coral reefs. It’s about 400 hectares in size, and an amazing place to go scuba diving or snorkeling. You could spot turtles, eels, crayfish, seahorses, and coral reef sponges.

I highly recommend booking a snorkeling tour at Reserve Cousteau. If you’re interested in trying scuba diving, there are opportunities to try diving here for first timers . For the more experienced divers in the crowd, you can book a tour to visit two dive sites at Reserve Cousteau.

Looking for more snorkeling sites around Guadeloupe? You’ll find fantastic snorkeling at The Salines of Saint-Francois, The Cabrit Islet, Pain de Sucre, Petit Malendure, and Petite-Terre.

Water Activities in Guadeloupe

Beyond snorkeling and scuba diving, there are so many opportunities to try unique water sports in Guadeloupe. They are among the best things to do in Guadeloupe. Spending time in the water on a kayak, boat, or board are some of the best reasons to visit Guadeloupe. Here are some new activities to try in Guadeloupe, French Caribbean.

• Kayaking : Embark on a glass bottom kayak tour through the waters of Le Gosier for the chance to view wildlife in these crystal clear waters.
• Stand Up Paddleboarding: Take a SUP tour through the mangroves of Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin
• Sailing : One of the best things to do in Guadeloupe is to go sailing, whether you’re drifting on the waters of a sunset cruise or booking an eight day catamaran adventure .
• Surfing : Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned surfer, Guadeloupe is a great place to practice this exhilarating sport! You’ll find some of the best beginner surfing spots at Le Helleux, Le Souffleur, and Bananier Beach. For experienced surfers, check out La Chapelle, Damencourt, Petit-Havre, or La Bouelle.
• Kitesurfing : There are several schools to try kitesurfing in Guadeloupe. Visit Guadeloupe between December and June if you’d like to go kitesurfing. Some of the best sites are around Grande-Terre.

Visit the Guadeloupe National Park

Guadeloupe National Park is the seventh largest national park of France. It’s the biggest forest in the Lesser Antilles. One of the main goals of the national park is to return the Antilles Manatee to its native habitat. This manatee is nearly extinct and disappeared from the bay of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin in this past century.

La Soufriere

La Soufriere is the highest point in Lesser Antilles, and you’re able to hike this volcano within a few hours. It’s a relatively young volcano at 100,000 years old, and it’s located in the southern part of the Guadeloupe National Park. Take a hiking tour of La Soufriere with an experienced guide to safely climb to the top, enjoying a dip in natural hot springs at the end of your hike.

Cascade aux Ecrevisses

The Cascade aux Ecrevisses in the Guadeloupe National Park is a must visit natural Guadeloupe attraction. This jungle waterfall cascades down the side of the mountain into a natural pool where you can go swimming. It’s right off the main road, so it’s very accessible. Naturally, it can get busy there, especially on weekends.

Chute du Carbet

The Carbet Waterfalls are a series of three cascading waterfalls on the lower slopes of the volcano, La Soufriere. The second waterfall is only a 20 minute walk from the parking lot, so it’s the most accessible and visited of all three. Both the first and third waterfalls can be reached by foot, although the third waterfall is the trickiest one to visit (only for experienced hikers).

Travel to Guadeloupe During a Festival

There are festivals and events in Guadeloupe all year long, so you can always plan your visit around the festivities. Here are a few festivals in Guadeloupe to base your itinerary around:

• Carnival : The vibrant and energetic Carnival celebrations in Guadeloupe take place for three months, from January to March. You’ll witness a dazzling rainbow of colors in the Carnival parades.
• Tour Cycliste de la Guadeloupe: This cycling competition takes place in August every year, and you can watch from various points all over the island.
• La Toussaint, Festival of Dead and Lights: In October, the citizens of Guadeloupe visit cemeteries to celebrate those that they’ve lost. There is a light show at the Morne a l’Eau cemetery, famous for its black and white checkered patterns.
• Festival Terre de Blues: In June, there are numerous concerts in this jazz and blues festival at the Murat Castle in Marie Galante.

Stay at a Gorgeous Hotel or Resort

Make your stay in Guadeloupe extra special by choosing a stunning resort or hotel property. Many hotels have beautiful beaches, delightful restaurants, and rejuvenating spas. Here are my top picks for where to stay in Guadeloupe.

Club Med La Caravelle

I had the opportunity to visit Club Med La Caravelle with a day pass , and it was pretty easy to see why I’d love to stay there. It’s an all-inclusive resort with delicious food (lots of options for vegetarians and vegans!), a spectacular beach, tons of sports and activities, and so much more. The rooms look so clean and comfortable, and the staff are super friendly. We also loved the drinks – the mojitos are delicious! Read more reviews of the Club Med La Caravelle to see what fellow travelers think of this resort.

La Toubana Hotel & Spa

In Sainte-Anne, La Toubana Hotel & Spa is a five star property with gorgeous sea views, bright suites and bungalows, and a spacious spa. There’s a swimming pool, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a cocktail bar overlooking the azure waters. With a prime location and amazing facilities, you might never want to leave! Book your stay at La Toubana Hotel & Spa and read more reviews written by fellow travelers who have stayed there.

La Creole Beach Hotel & Spa

In Le Gosier, La Creole Beach Hotel & Spa offers four star luxury amidst a tropical setting. In the middle of tropical gardens close to the beach, you can enjoy sea or garden views from your room. There’s a swimming pool, an on site restaurant, and access to numerous cafes and bars in nearby Le Gosier. The location is perfect for those wanting to experience the island, yet you’ll have the perfect place to return to at the end of your adventurous days. Book your stay at La Creole Beach Hotel and read more reviews written by fellow travelers who have stayed there.

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Guadeloupe Map

Want to see Guadeloupe attractions and sights visually represented on a map? Here’s a Guadeloupe travel map to help you with your vacation planning.

No matter which islands you decide to visit in Guadeloupe, you’ll sure to have an incredible vacation in the Caribbean. I recommend spending 7 to 10 days in Guadeloupe and island hopping so you can see them all. There are so many amazing things to do in Guadeloupe, especially if you love the great outdoors.

This post is brought to you by Guadeloupe Islands.

Have you ever visited Guadeloupe? What’s the #1 thing that you’d like to do there?

Lauren is the full-time travel blogger and content creator behind Justin Plus Lauren. She started Justin Plus Lauren in 2013 and has travelled to 50+ countries around the world. Lauren is an expert on vegan travel as one of the very first vegan travel bloggers. She also focuses on outdoor adventure travel, eco and sustainable travel, and creating amazing travel itineraries for cities and small towns.

Monday 17th of February 2020

Thanks for sharing amazing tips for this type of trip. There are looking amazing & wonderful pics. I would be definitely planning a trip like this.

The best things to do in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean

Posted on Last updated: November 16, 2022

Discover the best things to do in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean, with highlights from Grand-Terre and Basse-Terre including beautiful beaches, waterfalls, rum distilleries and jungle hikes.

* This site contains affiliate links , where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

Boulangeries selling croissants right next to market stalls selling tropical fruit. Boules players on the beach alongside stands selling homemade coconut sorbet. Guadeloupe is a real hybrid – a picture-postcard Caribbean island with a Gallic twist.

Guadeloupe is actually an overseas department governed by France, so it’s part of Europe and you’ll hear French spoken and spend euros. But there’s a spicy side to the island too, with Creole dishes, an annual spring carnival and plenty of rum.

This France-meets-the-Caribbean feel makes it a favourite with French visitors. But beyond France it’s not that well known – until BBC TV series Death in Paradise starting using it as a filming location, which is how I first heard of it. So I headed to the island to explore its two different sides and discover the best things to do in Guadeloupe.

Along with French neighbour Martinique , Guadeloupe is one of the Eastern Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands. It is made up of six inhabited islands – with the two largest Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre coming together to form a butterfly shape.

We split our time between the two and found each ‘wing’ had a different feel and landscape, from sandy beaches to jagged peaks. Even the weather can go from sunshine on one side of the island to tropical downpours on the other. But it’s this diversity and unique French-Creole culture that made it such a great place to visit (the sunshine helped too).

So if you’re planning a Caribbean escape and fancy something a bit different, here’s my island guide featuring the best things to do in Guadeloupe (other than feasting on pastries and ti’ punch rum cocktails of course – that’s a given).

Things to do in Guadeloupe map

Grande-Terre

Grande-Terre (which is actually smaller than Basse-Terre) is the beachy side of Guadeloupe, with a flatter, drier landscape and plenty of sunshine. It’s where you find most of the beach resorts, especially around Le Gosier. There are lots of sheltered bays with calm waters for sailing and swimming, and plenty of white sand for lazing on with a book.

So if you’re looking for a sunny Caribbean beach break this is where to come. But if you head to the east or north and Grande-Terre you’ll find its less developed side, with small villages, rocky wild coastline and good surfing around Le Moule.

Things to do in Guadeloupe: Grande-Terre

Relax in sainte-anne.

Sainte-Anne was the base for the first part of our trip and has one of the island’s most popular beaches, with classic Caribbean-style palm trees and powdery sand. Grande-Terre’s south coast is protected by an offshore reef, so the water here is calm and clear.

A mile out of town, Caravelle Beach is home to a Club Med hotel but the beach is also open to non-residents too. Sainte-Anne has its own small beach too, with a market running along the waterfront where you can buy crafts, spices, fresh fruit and homemade rum punch made with pineapple, guava or passion fruit – which come with quite a kick.

Soak up the views at Pointe des Châteaux

In the far south-east of Grande-Terre, the Pointe des Châteaux is a peninsula where sandy beaches meet crashing waves and dramatic rocks. The sea currents make it dangerous to swim, but you can wander along the shore – look out for fossilised shells in the rocks.

Pointe des Châteaux translates as Castle Point, but there’s a definite absence of castles. There is a 10-metre high cross on top of a hill though, which takes 15 minutes to walk to. From the top you can look across the islands and out to neighbouring La Désirade.

Explore Point-à-Pitre’s history

Pointe-à-Pitre is Guadeloupe’s largest city – and most people just pass through on their way to or from the airport. It’s not the most inviting part of the island, but if you do stop off then there are some pretty French colonial buildings to explore as well as the Cathédrale de St-Pierre et St-Paul, the Place de la Victoire and shopping at the covered market.

Point-à-Pitre’s also the home to the modern Mémorial ACTe museum, which opened in 2015 and traces the history of slavery and the slave trade. It’s a moving place, set in an incredible steel structure built on the site of an old sugar factory on the waterfront.

Rum tasting at Damoiseau distillery

Or should that be rhum ? Guadeloupe’s boozy local speciality is rhum agricole , a type of rum which is made with sugar cane juice instead of the usual molasses. You can find out how it’s made (including a tasting session of course) on a self-guided tour of the Damoiseau distillery in Le Moule, one of the biggest distilleries on the island.

There’s more to see during the cane harvest from February to June, but you can wander around the estate any time of year and see its historic machinery, including the windmill originally used to crush the sugar cane. You can also try and buy their rum, ranging from white to dark golden rum aged in oak barrels, as well as rum punches.

Basse-Terre

Where Grande-Terre is beachy and flat, Basse-Terre is Guadeloupe’s more dramatic, mountainous side (though the name is another confusing one as it means low land). The peaks of the Parc National de la Guadeloupe fill the centre of the island, and mean a few more tropical downpours.

But all that rain makes it incredibly lush and green, with thick jungle, giant ferns, waterfalls and plenty of bird and animal life. It’s the place to come if you love hiking, with hundreds of miles of paths. And the coast has great diving and a mix of gold and black sand beaches.

Things to do in Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre

Drive the route de la traversée.

Because the centre of Basse-Terre is so mountainous, there’s only one road which travels across the middle of the island – but it’s a beauty. Route de la Traversée (less poetically known as the D23) travels west through sugar cane fields before heading up into the dense jungle of the National Park. Along the way you can stop off at the Cascade aux Ecrevisses waterfall – an easy 10-minute walk from the road – and cool down with a dip.

Or visit the Maison de la Forêt, an info centre and starting point for 190 miles of hiking routes (bring decent hiking boots and waterproofs). And on a clear day there are great views across the park from the top of the Col des Mamelles (aka the Hill of Breasts!).

Climb La Soufrière volcano

At the heart of the National Park is La Soufrière volcano, the Antilles’ highest peak. It last erupted in 1976 but there was an earthquake in 2004 and there’s still lots of smelly activity going on under the surface (its name doesn’t mean ‘big sulphur outlet’ for nothing).

The walk to the peak at 1467 metres takes about two hours each way – though it’s often hidden in clouds so you might not see much. The first part is an easy 30-minute climb through the forest, then it’s a rockier 90-minute ascent, with a bit of scrambling at the end. Afterwards you can soothe your muscles at the Bains Jaunes thermal pool by the car park.

Hike to the Chutes du Carbet

Another of the highlights of the National Park is the Carbet falls – with three waterfalls at different heights (€2.50 entry). The tallest is fall number one at 125 metres high, followed by number two at 110m and number three at 20m. The second falls are the easiest to get to via a 25-minutes walk each way along a flat path. The only downside is that a landslide after the 2004 earthquake means you can’t get very close up to them.

To reach the other two falls you’ll need to be prepared, with hiking boots, wet weather gear and a decent level of fitness as the paths are a lot rockier and steeper. The hike takes around 1 hour 45 minutes each way to reach the first fall and two hours to get to the third.

Walk through the forest canopy

If you want to get right up into the rainforest canopy (and don’t mind heights), a network of rope bridges run through the trees at Guadeloupe’s zoo, the Parc des Mamelles . These hanging walkways runs up to 50 feet above the ground, strung between the trees.

It’s a bit wobbly, balanced on narrow wooden boards with only two people allowed on at a time, but it’s the nearest you’ll get to feeling like a monkey! The zoo also has wildlife from the Caribbean and Guyana, with monkeys, raccoons, lizards, turtles and tropical birds, and big cats like jaguars and ocelot (entry €15.50 adults, €9 children 3–12).

Dive off Pigeon Island

Off the west coast of Basse-Terre, Pigeon Island’s waters are part of the National Park known as La Reserve Cousteau. Jacques Cousteau rated it as some of the best diving in the world and helped make it a protected area after filming Le Monde du Silence here in 1955.

The coral reef is home to sea turtles, seahorses, angel and parrot fish – plus a giant underwater statue of Cousteau. There was some damage to the area after Hurricane Maria in 2017, but you can still dive or snorkel the reef on a day trip * from Bouillante or Malendure – or hire a kayak and paddle out yourself.

Visit Deshaies and Anse de la Perle beach

Deshaies is just how you’d imagine a Caribbean town to look – colourful buildings, whitewashed church, palm trees and beachside restaurants grilling seafood next to a clear turquoise sea. It’s all so picture perfectly Caribbean that it is used as the main filming location for the popular BBC TV detective series Death in Paradise .

Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, visiting Deshaies is still one of the best things to do in Guadeloupe. As well as wandering around the town intself, don’t miss the Botanic Gardens just south of town for tropical flowers and sea views. And 10 minutes north of Deshaies is Anse de la Perle beach, a gorgeous long stretch of golden sand with a couple of beach bars at one end where you can watch the sunset with a cold Carib beer.

And beyond…

If that’s not enough, then there are three more islands (or island groups) that make up Guadeloupe – Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and La Désirade. Marie-Galante is the biggest and flattest of the three, with fantastic beaches and a big crop of rum distilleries.

Les Saintes are a group of nine islands six miles off the coast of Basse-Terre. Only two are inhabited, with most visitors heading to Terre-de-Haut for old-school Caribbean charm mixed with buildings which look like they’ve been transplanted from Brittany. And La Désirade is the least developed – a former leper colony where you can find your own deserted beach. All are close enough to visit on a day trip from Grande/Basse-Terre.

The details

When to visit guadeloupe.

Guadeloupe climate is tropical, so it’s hot and humid year-round, with average maximum temperatures around 29–31°C (84–87°F). The most popular time for visiting Guadeloupe is from November to March, when the island’s weather is warm, sunny and not too humid.

From January to March the temperatures are slightly cooler thanks to the northeast trade winds, with pleasantly cool mornings and evenings, and there are plenty of sunny days and lower rainfall, making Guadeloupe a perfect addition to your spring bucket list .

July to November is Guadeloupe’s rainy season, with hotter weather, higher humidity and more rain showers. September/October is also peak hurricane season in the Caribbean. The busiest times to visit are French school holidays, so you’ll find Guadeloupe is most expensive and busiest around the Christmas, February, Easter and July/August holidays.

Generally Basse-Terre is more humid and rainy than Grande-Terre as it’s more mountainous. Though because the island’s climate is tropical, you’ll see thunderstorms or brief downpours instead of sustained rain, so there will probably be plenty of sunshine too. And the seas around Guadeloupe are warm enough to swim in year-round.

How to get to Guadeloupe

If you are travelling from Europe, the easiest way to get to Guadeloupe’s Point-à-Pitre airport is via Paris. There’s a choice of budget airlines Air Caraïbes and Corsair or Air France (who I can’t recommend as we were bumped us off our flight and delayed!). Flights from Paris to Guadeloupe take just under 9 hours and cost from €340 return.

If you are travelling from North America, there are direct flights to Guadeloupe from Miami in the US and Montreal in Canada. You can also get the ferry from Guadeloupe to neighbouring Martinique and from there on to Dominica and Saint Lucia .

How to get around Guadeloupe

There is a bus service around the islands, run by a company called Karu’lis . Most routes start and end in Pointe-à-Pitre and connect out to the main locations including the airport. Timetables can be found on their website, but beware services are limited on weekends.

If you’re limited on time or want to explore some of the smaller places it’s easiest to hire a car – there’s a mix of big name and local car hire firms at the airport. Roads are generally pretty good around the islands, though they can be hilly on Basse-Terre.

If you want to visit the other islands, ferries run to Les Saintes from Point-à-Pitre, Trois Rivières and Basse Terre, to Marie Galante from Point-à-Pitre and Saint François, and to La Désirade from Saint François. The journey takes 25–40 minutes and costs €25–€45 return.

Where to stay in Guadeloupe

Grande-Terre has the largest selection of hotels, with the bigger resorts concentrated around Le Gosier, Sainte-Anne and Saint-François. There are also a mix of B&Bs, gîtes and self-catering villas and apartments spread around both islands.

We stayed in a couple of self-catering places – a two-bedroom apartment * with balcony close to the beach in Sainte-Anne on Grande-Terre. And a gorgeous little two-bedroom cabin surrounded by gardens in Saint Claude up in the hills of Basse-Terre.

Looking for somewhere to stay in Guadeloupe?*

Food and drink in Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe’s food is a mix of French and Caribbean influences, with local fish and seafood as well as tropical fruits like banana, pineapple and coconut – fresh from the market or juiced. Local specialities include accras (fish or aubergine fritters with a spicy sauce), bokit (a fried sandwich filled with meat, cheese and a vinegar sauce) and coconut sorbet.

And on the French side there are plenty of boulangeries and patisseries , as well as French supermarkets like Carrefour, Casino and Super U, with prices similar to mainland France.

Guadeloupe travel tips

Tourism in Guadeloupe is very French-focused, so it’s useful to be able to speak and read basic French. The currency used on the islands is the euro and there are banks with ATMs in most towns. Credit cards are also accepted in hotels and larger shops and restaurants.

And if you’re visiting Guadeloupe from an EU country you can use your mobile minutes and data for no extra roaming cost as the island is part of France.

Save for later

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Monday 14th of March 2022

Great information; thanks! Can I ask you which beach it is that is pictured with the caption 'relaxing on the beach'. It seems a perfect beach for families, so we are very interested to learn which one that is. Thank you in advance!

Lucy Dodsworth

Tuesday 15th of March 2022

Hi Ashanti, that's the beach in Sainte-Anne on Grande-Terre – quite shallow waters and sandy so would be good for families.

Wednesday 9th of February 2022

Hi Luce, Very nice blog and very helpful. I only need a few good places to eat in Guadeloupe. Could you help? My manager is going there and we would like to offer him a voucher in a very good restaurant on the island. Can you give us some tips? Thanks Patricia

Friday 18th of February 2022

Thanks Patricia – I think most of the high-end restaurants are attached to hotels on the island. We liked the Poisson Rouge in Deshaies and heard good things about Chez Margaux.

Fran Russell

Sunday 19th of September 2021

Lucy, love your blog! With the start of each new season of DIP, I can hardly wait to find new location pix. And your information is so helpful and interesting, because we hope to visit Guadaloupe in January if Covid restrictions are lifted. Thanks for such great pix and suggestions!

Tuesday 26th of October 2021

Thanks so much – fingers crossed you can make it out in January, sure you'll love it!

Wednesday 16th of June 2021

Thanks for this Lucy - we’ve found ourselves stranded here for a night because of a missed connecting flight and feel inspired to make the most of our 24 hours here after reading this. Quite tempted by the zoo to be honest….

Monday 5th of July 2021

Hope you enjoyed your taste of the island!

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How to go to Guadeloupe?

Last update : 02/06/2024

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As I write these few lines, it’s been a little more than a month and a half that we moved here, on the island of Guadeloupe. After introducing you to some hiking areas like the Cascade du Paradis in Vieux-Habitants , it’s time to start writing useful articles, articles that will help you see more clearly the organization of your trip in Guadeloupe. So, I’ll start with the basics: how to go to Guadeloupe ?

This question may seem silly, but before any trip, vacation, road trip, it’s the first thing we ask ourselves: how to get there? In this article, I’ll present you everything you need to know to travel to Guadeloupe, what are the possibilities from France, from other French speaking areas, other corners or even other islands. In short, every possibility to go to Guadeloupe will be discussed. Of course, this article was first written in French, but I added more information for those coming from the US or Canada.

Since we wrote this article, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to budget your stay in Guadeloupe .

Because finally, after 4 years of blogging, we still get a lot this question about other destinations. We will also talk about the different options, whether by plane or by boat, as well as the different airlines that fly to the islands of Guadeloupe.

Once this article is finished, I will start a short one summarizing everything you need to know to travel in Guadeloupe during this Covid period. Indeed, this virus is still present in our lives when I write these lines, and not specifying that you have to respect some conditions to travel to Guadeloupe would be a bit silly. As in all destinations, prices vary greatly depending on the season. But this will also be the subject of a new article: when to go to Guadeloupe ?

In any case, at the time of writing this article, it is necessary to be vaccinated to be able to visit Guadeloupe as a tourist. Indeed, if you are not, you need a compelling reason to enter the territory and obviously, tourism is not one of them. To follow the conditions of entry on the Guadeloupean territory during the Covid19, you can look at this page on the official website of the Prefecture of Guadeloupe. Here is what it says: “ Passengers who do not have a complete vaccination scheme must justify, in order to travel, a compelling reason of a personal or family nature, a health reason of an emergency nature or a professional reason that cannot be postponed “.

How to get to Guadeloupe?

You have two possibilities: either by plane or by boat. Of course, unless you are scared to death of flying or have a crazy desire to spend 10 days at sea rather than 8 hours by plane, few people decide to go to Guadeloupe by boat (at least from France, but it’s possible from the US or the Carribean Islands). This is a reality, but you should know that it is still possible, I will talk about it below.

Going to Guadeloupe by plane

This article being first written in French, most of the people reading it probably come from France, Quebec or any French speaking countries (Switzerland, Belgium, etc.). I will therefore focus on these places.

For your information, there is only one airport, called “Guadeloupe – Pôle Caraïbes Airport”. It was formerly called “Airport of Pointe-à-Pitre – Le Raizet”. In 2019 (before Covid), it was the first overseas airport in terms of passengers (about 2,500,000).

Getting to Guadeloupe from France

If you want to visit Guadeloupe from France, here is some general information you should know:

• There are three airlines that fly to the island of Guadeloupe: Air France, Air Caraïbes, and Corsair,
• The majority of flights departing from France (Paris) are direct flights, but depending on the season and the company, it is possible to stop over for a few hours in Fort-de-France (Martinique) or Cayenne (Guyana),
• The cheapest and most frequent flights usually depart from Paris airports,
• However, you can find very interesting fares from many provincial cities, including direct flights.
• Air France offers direct flights from both Parisian airports (Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports), but none from provincial cities (to my knowledge),
• The airlines Corsair and Air Caraïbes only fly from Paris-Orly airport.

Going to Guadeloupe from Paris

From Paris or its surroundings, you can choose between the three airlines mentioned above. Of course, the rates change and evolve according to the seasons, but they remain more or less identical between the companies. However, do not hesitate to compare rates between them. When we arrived in Guadeloupe, on some specific dates, the prices varied enormously from one day to another. But this is also a general advice that I give very often: avoid, if you can, setting a specific day for your departure, or even a specific company. By being flexible, even if it’s only 1 or 2 days, you can find very good rates.

Depending on where you live, it may be worthwhile to take the TGV for a few hours to fly from Paris, rather than choosing a flight from a provincial city which, in most cases, will offer a flight with a stopover.

Find the best rates from Paris to Guadeloupe – Might as well save money, right?

Getting to Guadeloupe from the provinces

Not everyone lives in Paris of course, so you’ll have to adapt. According to my research, here is what you need to remember:

I only found direct flights from two provincial cities to Pointe-à-Pitre: Bordeaux and Lyon . These flights are operated by Corsair. For those living in these cities or their surroundings, it is clearly a good deal and you won’t have to go to Paris. I found direct flights between 350 and 450€ from these two cities. There are of course flights with a stopover in Paris (the dates of direct flights are limited).

For other cities in the provinces, you have several options (in my opinion). Whether it is Bordeaux, Lyon or other large cities, you will always have the same dilemma. You can therefore choose between:

• Doing the first part of your trip by train to get to Paris, and then follow it up with a flight from Paris -> Pointe-à-Pitre. This is sometimes more economical depending on the departure station, but it implies to make sure that you will arrive at your departure airport. Think about it carefully, for example if you go from Montpellier to Paris by TGV, you will arrive at the Gare de Lyon and your flight will leave from Paris Charles de Gaulle – it’s getting very complicated then,
• Finding a flight with a stopover in Paris, which I think is the easiest. I did my research, and whether it is from Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier or other cities, you will almost always find flights with a 2 to 4-hour stopover in Paris. The easiest way is to buy the whole trip together and not two different tickets. Ideally, stay with the same company between these two flights. If ever there is any problem with your first flight (delay), the second company will not be held responsible for what happened if you miss the second one. If I look closely, I see that it is very often flights with Air France for a stopover in the capital, since the company offers a large number of flights from provincial cities to Paris airports.
• Also, be aware of your departure city. I’ve looked at an example of Nantes – Pointe-à-Pitre, and I noticed that the majority of the cheapest flights make a stopover in Paris Charles de Gaulle, but the second flight leaves from Orly. So, there is a switch of airport between your two flights, which is clearly not practical, knowing that with the Covid crisis, the “ Bus Direct ” does not exist anymore and you will have no other choice than taking a cab (about 80€) or the RER B (cheaper but long and tedious with luggage). Be careful to compare the flights in detail!

Find the cheapest flights from the province to Guadeloupe

Going to Guadeloupe from other French islands/areas

I’m nice, I also think about all the people who have the chance (so to speak!) to live elsewhere than in France. You can of course come to Guadeloupe from other areas. In a few words (you have the links to see the prices for each departure sector):

• Going from Martinique to Guadeloupe : Air France, Air Caraïbes and Air Antilles Express airlines do the round trips. Prices are around 150€ round trip,
• Going to Guadeloupe from Saint Martin : Air Antilles Express and Air Caraïbes fly to Guadeloupe from Saint Martin. Count between 120 and 160€ round trip,
• Going from Saint Barthelemy to Guadeloupe : only Air Antilles Express serves Guadeloupe. 120 to 140€ return ticket
• Traveling from French Guiana to Guadeloupe : Air Antilles Express and Air France are the only airlines serving Guadeloupe, with prices between 400 and 500€ round trip.

Travelling to Guadeloupe from abroad

I also wanted to add a few words for French expatriates. Guadeloupe is relatively well connected from abroad. I will not detail all the islands and countries offering flights to Guadeloupe, but I will give you the ones which are I think the most interesting:

• Air France now offers direct flights from New-York and Miami . From New-York, Jetblue airline offers very cheap flight, from less than 300$ from these two cities,
• For Canadians, it is possible to visit Guadeloupe directly from Montréal ,
• Belgians can enjoy a flight from Brussels , but with 1 or 2 stopovers,
• Finally, it is also possible to reach Guadeloupe from many Caribbean islands (Antigua, Dutch Antilles, Haiti, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic or Saint Lucia).

Going to Guadeloupe by boat?

What a strange idea, you may say! But if you search the Internet what people are looking for, this request comes back quite often – going to Guadeloupe by boat from France. I did a lot of research, and here is what I found, in a nutshell:

• There are cargo boats from several companies that cross the Atlantic Ocean to get to Guadeloupe. I found Mer & Voyages, which offers fares from 1650€, but also voyagesencargo (from 130€/day),
• Count about 10 days of crossing,
• There are also boats between Martinique and Guadeloupe, such as the Express des Iles which offers return tickets from 80€, or the company Jeansforfreedom (from 70€ return ticket).

Some practical information

Here is some useful information that may help you if you are preparing your trip:

• As a French citizen, you do not need a passport to come to Guadeloupe. A valid identity card is enough,
• No visa is necessary if you are French, Swiss or from a European Union country. For the others, you will need a valid passport and a visa may also be required depending on the country,
• Obviously, if you are planning a stopover (for any reason) in the USA, you will need a passport and the famous ESTA ,
• No vaccination is required to visit Guadeloupe (except Covid19 for tourist).

Here I am, at the end of this article which explains everything you need to know to go to Guadeloupe, whether it’s by plane or by boat. Normally, all the essential is here. If you see something to add that would be interesting, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

In the meantime, if you want to start dreaming, I invite you to explore the beautiful Pointe des Châteaux .

See you soon for the rest!

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Driving Around Guadeloupe Travel Guide + Itinerary

After spending time driving around Guadeloupe, I can’t wait to go back. It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a solo road trip — especially one in such a gorgeous place as this French Caribbean destination — and it was exactly what I needed.

Now in   this Guadeloupe travel guide , I share the best moments from my Caribbean vacation. 

Hate spending hours planning daily activities?

I’ve got you covered, as below you’ll also find a suggested one-week Guadeloupe itinerary.

The best thing about the destination is that it isn’t just great for couples, but it is also an amazing place for solo female travelers, especially as it’s safe, easy to navigate and packed with fun experiences. 

If you’re ready to book your own Guadeloupe road trip, read on.

Psst, don’t forget to pin this post for later!

Table of Contents

Booking Cheap Flights To Guadeloupe

I paid less than $165 for my round-trip NYC to Guadeloupe airfare.

There are many ways to score cheap flights , though one of my favorite tactics utilizes Twitter.

Let me start off by saying I despise phone notifications — except when they’re alerting me to great flight deals.

Here’s how I do it:

• Follow @TheFlightDeal and @SecretFlying on Twitter. There are other flight deal accounts, but I like these two because they promote a lot of flights originating from NYC.
• Click that little bell symbol to make sure you get push notifications for these accounts.
• When you see a deal, book fast! Really good deals can go away within hours. My friend tried to book my flight a few days later and the price was much higher.

Guadeloupe Travel Guide [Video]

But wait, before you read any further…

Check out my Guadeloupe travel video above!

You’ll get a first-hand point-of-view of this gorgeous French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, particularly the stunning  landscapes.

*A huge thanks to Christian of Veedyou Media for creating it for me. If you’re interested in having your trip footage turned into a video, check out their high-quality yet budget-friendly services here . 

When you’re done watching, keep reading for my Guadeloupe itinerary as well as tips for how to travel solo successfully .

Guadeloupe Facts

Guadeloupe — an overseas department of France — is actually comprised of seven inhabited islands , and even more uninhabited islands.

Inhabited islands include:

• Basse-Terre
• Grande-Terre
• Marie-Galante
• La Desirade
• Iles des Saintes (which has two inhabited islands)
• Iles de la Petite Terre

One of the main draws  of this Caribbean destination is its natural beauty.

In fact, the Guadeloupe Archipelago is considered a Biosphere Reserve.

Ironically, the two main islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre — which are divided by a narrow channel and connected by a small bridge — are the epitome of nature in both offerings and aesthetics. If you were to look down at them from above, they form a butterfly shape.

Along the bottom of the butterfly is the Atlantic side of the destination, and along the top is the Caribbean side. For a Guadeloupe map view of this, click here .

There are also a ton of cultural activities to be enjoyed on Guadeloupe. Just check out this list of Guadeloupe experiences . Don’t those food tours look delicious?

In terms of history, Guadeloupe was originally inhabited by the Arawak peoples — who were eventually wiped out during Christopher Columbus’ mass genocide — and then the Carib tribes that followed. Christopher Columbus tried to conquer the land for Spain, but it ultimately became part of France in 1946.

Finally, something to love about Guadeloupe today:

It’s one of the most stunning non-touristy destinations I’ve ever seen!

Despite visiting during high season, it never felt like the islands were overcrowded.

Driving Around Guadeloupe

You’ll definitely want to rent a car in Guadeloupe.

As stated above, the “mainland” is composed of two islands — Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre. It’ll take you over an hour to drive from corner to corner, east to west or north to south, and there is a lot to explore.

While there are buses, you’ll waste a lot of time waiting for them, connecting to other buses, and asking strangers for rides to get back to the stops.

Basically, do yourself a favor:

Rent a car to see all the attractions Guadeloupe has to offer.

Honestly, the only downside of renting a car was that some of the best views of my trip were from the highway and I couldn’t safely take photos.

As I took in beautiful sights of plantations filled with towering palm leaves and fields filled with grazing cows and abandoned cars overgrown with grass — the entire scene hugged by mountains and a smokey volcano — I wished I could just stare at those beautiful views and take photos.

My favorite vistas were seen while driving from Guadeloupe National Park to Deshaies, where verdant green hills sloped up and down in every direction. I stopped a few times to stare up at the mighty volcano and mountains that line Guadeloupe.

Pro tip with your Guadeloupe car rental:

Book in advance!

During peak season, car rental agencies in Guadeloupe genuinely run out of rentals. And it gets more expensive the longer you wait.

This was what my car rental journey looked like:

Me, checking Enterprise two days before in desperation: $700 for four days?! That’s more than my flight and Airbnb combined!

Me, searching Auto Escape: Crap, no cars available.

Me, checking Budget: Crap, no cars available

Me, checking Expedia: Yay, cars are available! Crap, the only ones that are under $300 are manual transmission, and I can barely drive as it is.

I ended up booking with SIXT, though I wish at the time I’d known about Discover Cars , a car rental comparison site that can save you up to 70%!

Staying Connected

In terms of cellular data packages, there are no places to buy SIM cards at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport.

Instead, you’ll need to go to the mall.

Honestly, I didn’t even bother.

Would it have made things easier?

Yes, but I had limited time in Guadeloupe and didn’t want to waste it at the mall.

I made a list of all the places I wanted to visit in Guadeloupe, and saved them to a Google Map.

I named it “Guadeloupe” for easy access while in the destination.

Google Maps can still grab your location when you’re offline, allowing you to pull up saved places and get a visual of how to get there.

There is no voice directing you, but the blue dot moves with you.

Click here to grab my personal Guadeloupe Google Map .

You’ll just need to subscribe to snag access to my FREE Travel Planning Kit, and you’ll find the Guadeloupe map inside.

The Google Map was extra handy because the GPS in the car seemed to only work when you pinpointed a destination on the physical map with your finger — not an easy thing to do in a destination you’re unfamiliar with.

That being said, Guadeloupe has a lot of signs to help direct you. In fact, I’d be driving to one beach and then see signs for 101 other beaches and attractions, and start visiting places totally unplanned.

Hey, you know what they say: The best adventures are usually impromptu.

One thing to note is that it always takes 40-120 minutes to get anywhere, so you will have to plan ahead.

Another option:

Grab yourself a Skyroam Solis mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and power bank  or KnowRoaming Global SIM card so you have data right away.

Where To Stay In Guadeloupe

Psst, first time using Airbnb? Click here to create your profile and get $40 off your first booking !

When I look for a place to stay, I either want it to be experiential or budget-friendly .

This Guadeloupe accommodation was both.

Not only was the house clean and comfortable (and equipped with air conditioning), but Rachel and Michel went above and beyond to make me feel at home.

We ate dinner together for the first few nights. On my last night they had to visit a sick relative, and when they got home Rachel immediately ran to my room to see if I was hungry or if I’d like some ice cream.

Honestly, they made me feel like family. We ended up exchanging emails, and I will definitely stay here again next time I visit Guadeloupe.

Another reason I loved this Airbnb:

It’s located in Petite-Bourg, which is almost at the center of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. This made the driving easier, though if you have more time you might consider spending a few days in Basse-Terre and a few days in Grande-Terre.

Looking for other Guadeloupe accommodation?

Click here to browse local Guadeloupe hotels!

Prefer self-contained stays?

Click here to peruse local Guadeloupe rentals , or search the map here:

Solo Female Travel In Guadeloupe: Why I Loved It

I found Guadeloupe to be a great solo female travel destination and the perfect destination for planning a road trip . In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s one of the best Caribbean islands for solo travel .

First of all, it’s one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean, so there’s no need to be scared to travel alone there.

Another reason:

People are very friendly.

I usually don’t make generalized statements like that, but there were numerous instances where people went out of their way to help me.

One example:

When picking up my car rental, I made a passing remark that I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find my Airbnb in the dark.

The attendant went into the car and pre-programmed the address to make sure it came up on the GPS.

Also, more than once locals came over and helped me back out of small parking spaces without me needing to ask.

Despite the fact that most people I encountered didn’t speak English, everyone was patient with me doing charades in an attempt to communicate.

Additionally, the infrastructure is well-organized. I felt safe driving and everything is well-marked with signs that have arrows.

As long as you can get to a town, city or commune, there’s a good chance the Guadeloupe attraction you’re trying to reach will have a sign directing you to where you need to go.

Finally, Guadeloupe is budget-friendly.

Most of the hikes and I believe all of the beaches have free parking areas and are free to enjoy. Moreover, there are tons of budget-friendly local eateries selling filling meals for less than $5, though note you’ll pay more for fancier and more tourist-friendly restaurants. At beach restaurants, I paid about $15 for a large meal with a non-alcoholic drink.

Want to make your trip even safer?

Read these solo travel tips and pack these safety essentials:

• Clever Travel Companion Pickpocket-Proof Garments . Pickpocket-proof garments help you avoid thieves  because they’ll never even know you’re carrying valuables. Bonus: Clever Travel Companion has everything from underwear to tanks to cute sundresses!
• Vigilant Personal Alarm . Whether you’re nervous about predatory animals or predatory people, this high-pitched alarm blares louder than a fire truck and can scare both away.
• Speakeasy Hidden Pocket Scarves . These handmade scarves come in styles for every season and feature hidden zipper pockets large enough to fit your passport. They’re so fashionable you’ll wear them even when you’re not traveling!

Honestly, solo female travel can change your life , and Guadeloupe is a great place to do it.

Things To Do In Guadeloupe

Remember, one of the biggest advantages of traveling solo is having ultimate freedom over your schedule.

Luckily, there are many incredible experiences to be had in Guadeloupe, particularly if you like active adventure and the outdoors.

Now, without further adieu, here are  the highlights from my Guadeloupe trip.

1. Hike In Guadeloupe National Park

Guadeloupe National Park features 42,008 acres of lush Caribbean rainforest.

There are numerous Guadeloupe hiking trails of varying difficulties, a few notable of which include:

• Chutes du Carbet (2.50 Euros).  This trek features three waterfalls in the rainforest. Note: When I did this trek I was only able to see the Second Carbet Waterfall, as the trail still had some damage from Hurricane Maria. Luckily, you don’t have to do them all at once. I heard great things about the trek to the Troisième Chute du Carbet (Third Carbet Waterfall), which has its own trailhead.

• La Soufriere Volcano. La Soufriere is Guadeloupe’s famed  active volcano, rising 4,813 feet toward the sky. Depending on how active the volcano is, you may or may not be able to get up close and actually walk around it. You can book a guided hike here . 
• Abri de la Citerne (2.50 Euros; included in the price with Chutes de Carbet). While this trail can get quite muddy, it provides lovely views of the Second Carbet Waterfall from a higher vantage point. When I found out the Chutes de Carbet was partially closed I did this hike instead and had a blast slipping and sliding up and down the hillside. Warning: This is definitely not a leisurely hike, so come prepared to sweat.

2. Paddle Through Mangroves In Guadeloupe

The highlight of my entire Guadeloupe trip was taking a morning standup paddle boarding tour with Mat , who leads the experience in half English / half French.

After getting a mini-lesson at Plage de Babin  (Babin Beach) in  Morne-A-l’Eaugo , our group paddled toward Islet Macau , moving along mangroves and taking in prime views of mountains and La Soufriere Volcano.

At some points we were in wide-open water, then other times we’d be enveloped in mangrove forests.

Along the way we saw fish, stingrays and hundreds of mating jellyfish — quite a sight, as they appeared to be sleeping on the sea floor.

About halfway through the tour, we stopped on a quiet beach in the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Lagoon for some homemade lemonade and to discuss the importance of the mangroves.

These plants are incredible, as they’re   able to grow in salt water by filtering out salt with their roots. Moreover, they’re so strong they can withstand hurricanes and cyclones, which helps protect the shoreline.

Unfortunately, pesticides and farming practices are hurting the mangroves and surrounding coral reefs in Guadeloupe. If this is something you feel passionate about, check out the initiatives of  Le Parc National .

This Guadeloupe tour begins and ends at Plage de Babin, one of my favorite Guadeloupe beaches.

You can learn more about why I loved this beach so much underneath #5 “Explore The Beaches”.

3. Trek The Trece Des Felices

I think my jaw actually dropped when I came to the first viewpoint along the Trece Des Felices trail .

The 11-kilometer hiking trail goes from Porte d’Efner (“Gate of Hell”) to Pointe Petit Negre along the coast, and then inland to the old  La Mahaudière mill, which also has a dark history tied to slavery .

The hike is rated as “difficult,” and takes about 4.5 hours to complete. Plus, you’ll need to get back to your car somehow if you drive, either by walking back or calling for a taxi.

You’ll be hiking through Les Portlands (“The Portlands”), an area offering stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.

When you start your hike, you’ll immediately see a beach with a lagoon. While the water is calm, the name “Gate of Hell” comes from the more violent waters toward the mouth of the lagoon .

About 10 minutes into your walk you’ll come to a rocky outcropping that looks like the type of landscape you’d find in outer space, with pockmarked limestone rising and twisting in jagged tufts from the ground.

Looking to the right and left, jagged cliffside juts out from the elevated coastline, with crashing waves below offering a glimpse of Mother Nature’s artwork at its finest.

You don’t need to hike the entire Trece Des Felices trail, either. Even hiking in 30 minutes and back out will have you drooling at the scenery.

Sneakers or hiking boots are recommended due to the uneven terrain, though the trail itself is pretty level in the beginning. It gets tougher as the trail goes on.

If you’re   still up for more hiking after this , there are tons of trails nearby, especially along Avenue Vital Borifax .

4. Take In A Gorgeous View

By this point, I’d taken in so many stunning views in Guadeloupe that my jaw had pretty much fallen off, p articularly  when I drove just 10 minutes from Porte d’Enfer to  Pointe de la Grande Vigie (“Great Widow Point”), the northernmost point of Grande-Terre.

Here, I was  once again greeted with a “this must be a dream” vista.

From this vantage point, you’ll be looking out toward Porte d’Enfer, the wavy coastline showcasing vertical limestone cliffs reaching 260 feet.

On a clear day, you can also see the islands of Montserrat, Antigua , and La Désirade.

Make sure to explore the little trails at the site to stumble upon additional vistas.

If you’re not feeling up to hiking and just want a great photo, you can skip Trece Des Felices and Porte d’Enfer and come straight here for an easier scenic experience.

5. Explore The Best Guadeloupe Beaches

There are so many beaches in Guadeloupe that are perfect for a beach trip alone !

As you drive around Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, you’ll see sign after sign beckoning you to another “plage” (beach).

I visited about seven different beaches during my trip, and all were free to park at and enjoy.

A few of my favorite Guadeloupe beaches include:

Plage de Babin (Grande-Terre)

There are a few reasons I loved this beach:

• Free natural spa treatments. Along with a complimentary reflexology session while walking over rocks on your way into the water (warning: ouch), you can drench your skin in curative mud. Plage de Babin is known for its natural mud full of vitamins and minerals that detoxify your body and improve circulation.

• It’s quiet. There is barely anyone on this beach. In fact, I had the trails all to myself.
• Beautiful nature trails. I saw a ton of bird species, including this big guy:

• It’s less windy.  Thanks to the location of the beach, it tends to be less windy than many other beaches in Guadeloupe, which is why it’s the perfect spot to begin a paddleboarding tour.

Plage de Grande-Anse (Deshaies, Basse-Terre)

Meaning “large cove”, Plage de Grande Anse is often touted as the best beach in Basse-Terre.

It’s one of the larger beaches in Guadeloupe, with numerous non-motorized water sports rentals and soft golden sand that makes for a perfect walk along the Caribbean Sea.

As you lay under the many palm trees, you’ll have views of the surrounding mountains as well as the sloping green hillside coming down to meet the coast.

The waves can be strong here; so while the water is beautiful, be careful when swimming.

There is also a calm lagoon opposite the beach — great for kayaking and for taking reflection photos, like this:

Affordable Guadeloupe restaurants abound at this beach.

This beach is very popular, so it can get crowded. When I went around 3pm the parking lot was full and I had to park on a nearby street.

Plage de Grande-Anse (Trois Rivières, Basse-Terre)

Yes, it has the same name as the previous beach. It’s a different location, though. 

From the parking lot, this Guadeloupe beach looks a bit rundown, but once you hit the sand it’s lovely.

It’s very quiet and located away from larger resorts — with very few people — and features unique licorice-colored sand.

The water was cool and refreshing, though not crystalline like the beaches around Le Gosier and Sainte-Anne.

I must say, the best part of this beach was the incredible view out toward Îles des Saintes.

Plage de Bois Jolan (Sainte-Anne)

I really loved the views at this beach, with billowing palm trees lining the coast.

When I went, I was greeted by chickens walking near the beach, which was an interesting sight. During certain times of the year, turtles nest here too.

The warm water is clear, and the shoreline seems to stretch forever.

Plage Petit-Havre (Le Gosier)

This small beach has white sand and crystal waters.

There are also small trails behind the beach. While walking them I saw an iguana as large as an adult cat. For real!

If you enjoy surfing, the waves to the left (when facing the water) of the main section of the beach are large enough for it.

I had lunch at Chez Manu on this beach.  The food was tasty and the atmosphere relaxing.  Plus, they have free WiFi.

6. Book Fun Guadeloupe Tours

Tours offer a great opportunity to interact with a local and get their perspective.

Plus, you can kick back and relax and know someone else is ensuring you have a great time.

A few highly-rated tours in Guadeloupe include:

• Sailing and Snorkeling Day Tour to Les Saintes .  Not only do you get to take a day trip to Îles des Saintes, possibly the most beautiful place in Guadeloupe, but you’ll get to snorkel and try your hand at steering a sailboat. Bonus: Savor a Creole meal with unlimited drinks on board.
• Sunset Cruise in Deshaies .  If you’re looking for a Guadeloupe cruise excursion, this sunset sail takes place on a 44-foot boat where you’ll enjoy the beauty of the Caribbean coast with a glass of rum punch in hand. Watch the sky turn from a fiery-hued palette to a night sky full of stars.
• Joel’s Table – Creole Culinary Workshop .  Learn about Guadeloupe food in a local home. This class is taught in a family-run guesthouse. Prepare to eat delicious Creole cuisine, as Chef Joel Kichenin has won numerous national and international culinary competitions.
• Historical Walking Tour of Pointe-à-Pitre with Tastings .  This three-hour walking tour takes you on a journey through local Guadeloupe culture and history, including architecture, food and historical anecdotes about the island group’s largest city.
• Whale Watching in Guadeloupe .  Whale watching in Guadeloupe is a popular activity. There are 17+ species you can spot. You’ll go beyond viewing whales, too, as your guide will provide a hydrophone for acoustic tracking.
• Guadeloupe Canyoning Tour .  This five-hour Guadeloupe adventure takes you deep into the canyon of Ravine Chaude. You’ll complete five abseils, two slides, and a jump while taking in the natural beauty of the island.

7. Take A Day Trip To Les Saintes (Îles des Saintes)

The volcanic archipelago of Les Saintes in Guadeloupe features nine islands, two of which are inhabited, including  Terre-de-Haut and  Terre-de-Bas .

Terre-de-Haut is the main destination in Les Saintes, known for having some of the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe, particularly  Plage de Pompierre , with its white sand and emerald waters.

You also wouldn’t want to miss  Pain de Sucre Beach.  You’ll need to hike to this stunning stretch of sand , but the views of the sugarloaf-shaped mountain and crystal waters are worth it.

Terre-de-Haut is also known for its many bistros near the water.

Don’t miss savoring some lobster with a view at  Ti Kaz La . Or, for something more budget-friendly, Couleurs du Monde does excellent seafood and has incredible vistas, too.

Finally, don’t miss a visit to historic  Fort Napoleon , which, at 374 feet above sea level, offers stunning views of the Bay of Les Saintes.

The bay, which UNESCO touts as one of the most beautiful bays in the world, is a highlight itself.

Now on the less-frequented Terre-de-Bas, the highlight is the lovely  Grand Anse Beach . To get here, you’ll need to take a ferry shuttle from Terre-de-Haus. Once there, you’ll be rewarded with a secluded beach almost all to yourself.

Don’t leave Les Saintes without trying the local specialty, Tourment d’Amour , a sponge cake pastry laced with coconut, vanilla, and rum.

The name of the treat translates to “agony of love”. Explains  Sweet Source :

“As the legend goes, a woman once made the pastry in anticipation of her lover’s safe return from sea, but took her own life when he didn’t arrive on time.”

Additionally,  Extra Crispy  notes that only widows sell the tartlet.

Ferries to Les Saintes depart from Saint-François, Trois-Rivières, and Point-à-Pitre. Trois-Rivières offers the shortest ride — about 15 minutes — though make sure to check the ferry schedule beforehand.

Even in peak season, there are typically only a few morning departures.

For instance, when I visited in February, the various ferries only departed at 8:15am and 9am for day trippers.

There were two to three later departures each day, but unless you were staying overnight on Les Saintes you wouldn’t have been able to return to Basse-Terre/Grande-Terre on the same day.

8. Wander Walkable Guadeloupe Communes

Some communes in Guadeloupe are more walkable than others.

For instance, Sainte-Anne has a palm tree-lined promenade on the Atlantic where you can wander and take in lovely views of passing boats sailing through turquoise waters.

When I was there around 5:30pm on a Thursday, there were locals setting up stalls selling vanilla, rum punches in pretty bottles, clothing, coconut oil and more.

During the day you can peruse local shops, including the Village Artisanal , featuring 15 stores.

Deshaies is another great walking commune, with shops, beaches, a marina and waterfront eateries.

I had a meal at L’Amer at sunset and it was lovely.

9. See An Incredible Sunset

I’ve got another Guadeloupe beach to add to your itinerary:

Plage de la Perle (Pearl Beach).

As I was driving back to my Airbnb from Deshaies, I saw a few cars pulling in here and a glow coming from the water.

I pulled in to see one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life.

There weren’t many people there, either, so the experience was very tranquil.

10. Have A Spa Day

Don’t miss spending a few hours at Tendacayou Ecolodge & SPA , a hotel, restaurant, and spa located up in the hillside of Deshaies.

For 30 Euros, you’ll get access to their spa facilities — including river pool, waterfall, Infinity pool, Jacuzzi, zen garden, relaxation lounge, and meditation area — for two hours.

There is also a sun terrace with gorgeous views of Grande-Anse Beach.

Plan it so you can have lunch before or dinner after in their restaurant, Le Poisson Rouge .

Here you’ll savor fresh food from a menu that changes daily, with a gorgeous view overlooking Deshaies and the Caribbean.

Reservations for the hotel, spa and/or restaurant are highly recommended.

11. Eat At Restaurants In Guadeloupe With A View

While I focused way more on getting active in the outdoors than on food on my Guadeloupe trip, here are a few notable restaurants in Guadeloupe with a view.

• La Touna (Bouillante, Basse-Terre).  This lovely restaurant on Malendure Beach offers fresh seafood, cocktails laced with coconut and rum, and a view of the azure Caribbean waters. Pro tip: Order the lionfish and help save the planet !
• Le Balaou (Sainte-Anne, Grande-Terre).  Another beautiful Guadeloupe restaurant on the beach serving fresh seafood and tasty French dishes. Come here at sunset and you won’t be disappointed.
• Restaurante Loceane  (Anse-Bertrand, Grande-Terre).  Try the local specialty, “Chicken Colombo” laced in Creole curry, while looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.

The truth is there  are many incredible Guadeloupe restaurants offering beautiful views and unique dining experiences.  

These are just a few tasty ideas to get you started.

12. Take In A View Of The Atlantic Ocean & The Caribbean Sea

Want to take in views of the ocean and sea at once?

Head to  Pointe des Châteaux , a peninsula at the easternmost tip of Grand-Terre, where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean.

It’s known for its hiking trails and dramatic scenery — especially if you hike to the top of the hill where there are panoramic views.

You’ll be able to see numerous islands — including Little Earth, The Saints, and La Désirade — as well as the Atlantic crashing violently into castle-like formations below crafted by Mother Nature.

End the experience with some homemade coconut ice cream sold at the bottom of the hill.

7-Day Guadeloupe Itinerary

Below you can find my recommendations for how to spend your days in Guadeloupe.

I put the days in order of my personal favorite, so you can easily create your itinerary based on how many days you’re in this Caribbean destination.

As stated above, the mainland is huge, and it will take you hours to drive from corner to corner. Add island traffic into that equation, and that’s a lot of car time.

My suggestion:

Choose one “area” per day — such as one city, or a few connecting communes — to maximize time on the ground.

To help you put the above into a succinct itinerary, here are my recommendations:

Day 1: Guadeloupe National Park

Spend the day hiking the many trails in Guadeloupe National Park .

Have lunch at Chez Manitou or La Cabane Créole , depending which hikes you choose to do and where they are.

Finish the day at the beach. Plage de Grande-Anse in Trois Rivières is a nice one.

Day 2: SUP The Mangroves + Hike The Trece Des Felices

Spend the morning at Plage de Babin (Babin Beach) in Morne à l’eau. The tour starts at 9:30am, so you may want to get there a bit earlier to wander the trails and give yourself a mud facial.

From 9:30-12, take the SUP tour through Guadeloupe’s enchanting mangroves.

From there, drive to Anse Bertrand to hike the Trece Des Felices from Porte d’Enfer to Trou de Madame Coco and see the Grande Vigie nearby.

There’s actually a restaurant, Chez Coco , right at the trailhead of the Trece Des Felices near Porte d’Enfer, you can eat at. It has good food and is open-air for an island ambiance.

If you want to hike the entire Trece Des Felices, I recommend adding another day for this activity and simply heading to nearby beaches like Anse Laborde and Plage de L’Autre Bord after the SUP tour.

Day 3: Spend The Day In Deshaies

This cute marina town is full of shops selling hammocks and loose clothing alongside waterfront restaurants and beaches.

Wander the town and have lunch on the water while looking at the passing boats. I ate at L’Amer and enjoyed it.

Spend some time taking in the gorgeous flora at the Jardin Botanique de Deshaies (Deshaies Botanical Garden) and spend a day soaking up the sun, snorkeling or paddle boarding at Plage de Grande Anse, which is known for its views.

Book an appointment at the Tendaycou Spa to spend two hours using the facilities — and, time permitting, have a massage — and then walk upstairs to have dinner in their restaurant (opens at 7pm for dinner). Reservations for both are highly recommended.

Day #4: Explore The Guadeloupe Beaches Around Le Gosier / Sainte-Anne

Personally, I found this area to have more of the crystal clear waters the Caribbean is known for. I loved the Plage de Petit-Havre  and Plage de Jolan Boise .

Have a meal at the beach restaurant at Petit-Havre. Or head to the nearby Le New Jack .

Wander Sainte-Anne.

Day #5: Take A Day Trip To Iles de Saintes

Remember to check the ferry schedule and give yourself plenty of time to arrive.

Have a meal at  Ti Kaz La  or  Couleurs du Monde .

Day #6: Head To Grande-Terre’s Southeastern Point

By this, I mean  Pointe des Châteaux , mentioned above in point #12.

Day 7: Explore The Heritage Institutions In Pointe-a-Pitre

In such a short trip it was tough for me to visit museums, especially since gorgeous beaches and hiking trails beckoned me at every turn.

That being said, if you do have time to, it can help you understand the place you’re visiting more in-depth.

In fact, if you’re visiting for a week or more you may want to do this first to go into the trip with cultural knowledge under your belt.

One not-to-miss place is the  Memorial Acte , a moving and educational experience enlightening visitors on the slave trade in the Caribbean. You will leave with a heavy heart.

Eat at Chez Margaux .

Guadeloupe Travel Tips

Here is a quick list of Guadeloupe travel tips in case you didn’t read the full post:

• There are no SIM card sales in the airport, so create a Google Map — which works offline — filled with important places before your trip (or purchase a personal hot spot or global SIM card).  You can click here to snag access to my FREE Travel Planning Kit, which has my pre-loaded Guadeloupe Google Map inside .
• Rent a car in advance. You can use Discover Cars to compare multiple car rental companies on one page and save up to 70%! Double-check your car is automatic (if you can’t drive manual) and that it has GPS built-in. It’s so much easier to not have to look at your phone. I used the GPS first to get to a general city or commune, then the Google Map on my phone to get me to a specific attraction.
• Learn some basic French. Most people I encountered didn’t speak English, though a surprising amount spoke Spanish, which personally helped me. Google Translate or a French pocket dictionary will be helpful.
• Pack a raincoat. I love this light travel-friendly one that’s also very inexpensive . Also, bring hiking shoes you’re okay with getting super muddy. I ended up throwing my sneakers out as they smelled so bad after hiking through the mud in Guadeloupe National Park.
• Park (almost) wherever you want. Coming from a big city where the slightest centimeter in the wrong direction can lead to hefty parking fines, it was wonderful doing a Guadeloupe road trip, where parking rules are very lax. People park on sidewalks and really anywhere there is logical space without blocking someone in. Plus, many of the large public parking lots are free, or at least inexpensive.

What are your favorite solo road trip destinations?

Have you ever spent time driving around guadeloupe.

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Oh my goodness, this is so comprehensive! This is better than any guidebook! Guadeloupe has always been on the edge of my travel plans, because I used to know someone from there – now, I’m totally in love! Going to keep this for future plans!!

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit but until you started posting about your trip, I had no idea where Guadeloupe was or anything about it. But now I’m dying to go! That national park looks AMAZING and some of those sunsets…omg. Definitely added to my bucket list now. So sad that direct flights from NYC are stopping!

Great post Jessie! I really enjoyed reading it! Carolina at GSE Solutions.

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COVID-19: travel health notice for all travellers

Guadeloupe travel advice

Latest updates: Health - editorial update

Last updated: March 25, 2024 14:04 ET

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Safety and security, entry and exit requirements, laws and culture, natural disasters and climate, guadeloupe - take normal security precautions.

Take normal security precautions in Guadeloupe.

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Violent crime is rare in Guadeloupe, despite growing concerns over gang-related violence. Petty crime remains the most significant threat for tourists.

Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching, occurs, including by thieves on motorcycle. There is an increased risk of criminal activity at night, especially in the old town centre of Pointe-à-Pitre, which is a port of call for Caribbean cruises.

• Avoid deserted beaches and isolated areas after dark
• Don’t walk alone at night
• Don’t carry large amounts of cash or wear expensive jewellery
• Ensure that your belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times
• Never leave personal belongings, such as money, credit cards, cell phones and other electronics, unattended, especially on beaches

Credit card and ATM fraud occurs. Be cautious when using debit or credit cards:

• pay careful attention when your cards are being handled by others
• use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business
• avoid using card readers with an irregular or unusual feature
• cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN
• check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements

Overseas fraud

Demonstrations and strikes

Demonstrations and labour strikes occur. They may cause disruptions to services. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. They can also lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation.

• Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place
• Follow the instructions of local authorities
• Monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations

Mass gatherings (large-scale events)

Water shortages

Intermittent water shortages can occur following storms in Guadeloupe.

If you are in Guadeloupe:

• keep a sufficient supply of water on hand
• monitor local media for up-to-date information on the situation

Water activities

Coastal waters can be dangerous.

• Exercise caution when swimming
• Respect the flag warnings, which provide notice of water conditions and safety risks on beaches
• Follow the instructions and warnings of local authorities
• If you rent equipment or take scuba diving or sailing classes, ensure that your travel insurance covers such activities

Water safety abroad

If you intend on hiking:

• never do so alone and always hire an experienced guide from a reputable company
• buy travel insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation
• ensure that your physical condition is good enough to meet the challenges of your activity
• ensure that you’re properly equipped and well informed about weather and other conditions that may pose a hazard
• inform a family member or friend of your itinerary, including when you expect to be back to camp
• obtain detailed information on trekking routes before setting out and do not venture off marked trails

Hiking on the volcano “La Soufrière” can be restricted by the Prefecture under certain circumstances.

Volcanic activity of the Soufrière - Préfet de la région Guadeloupe (in French)

Road safety

Road conditions and road safety are very good throughout the island.

Roads are well-maintained but they may be narrow and winding. Night driving can be dangerous, especially in the mountains and on rural roads.

Public transportation

Bus services are safe. Both urban and inter-city bus transportation is available.

Taxis are safe but expensive. By law, they must be metered.

Ferry services provide transportation to the islands that make up Guadeloupe as well as to Martinique and Dominica.

Pointe-à-Pitre is a cruise ship stop.

Advice for Cruise Travellers

We do not make assessments on the compliance of foreign domestic airlines with international safety standards.

Information about foreign domestic airlines

Guadeloupe is a French overseas department. However, it is not part of the Schengen Area.

Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet your destination’s entry or exit requirements.

We have obtained the information on this page from French authorities. It can, however, change at any time.

Verify this information with the  Foreign Representatives in Canada .

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport you use for travel.

Before you travel, check with your transportation company about passport requirements. Its rules on passport validity may be more stringent than the country’s entry rules.

Regular Canadian passport

Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.

Passport for official travel

Different entry rules may apply.

Official travel

Passport with “X” gender identifier

While the Government of Canada issues passports with an “X” gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries. You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the “X” gender identifier. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Other travel documents

Different entry rules may apply when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Useful links

• Foreign Representatives in Canada
• Canadian passports

Tourist visa: not required for stays up to 90 days Residence visa: required Work visa: required Business visa: required Student visa: required

Other entry requirements

Customs officials may ask you to show them a return or onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay. 

Children and travel

Learn more about travelling with children .

Yellow fever

Learn about potential entry requirements related to yellow fever (vaccines section).

Relevant Travel Health Notices

• Global Measles Notice - 13 March, 2024
• Zika virus: Advice for travellers - 31 August, 2023
• COVID-19 and International Travel - 13 March, 2024
• Dengue: Advice for travellers - 25 March, 2024

This section contains information on possible health risks and restrictions regularly found or ongoing in the destination. Follow this advice to lower your risk of becoming ill while travelling. Not all risks are listed below.

Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before you travel to get personalized health advice and recommendations.

Routine vaccines

Be sure that your  routine vaccinations , as per your province or territory , are up-to-date before travelling, regardless of your destination.

Some of these vaccinations include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), influenza and others.

Pre-travel vaccines and medications

You may be at risk for preventable diseases while travelling in this destination. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or vaccines may be right for you, based on your destination and itinerary. 

Yellow fever   is a disease caused by a flavivirus from the bite of an infected mosquito.

Travellers get vaccinated either because it is required to enter a country or because it is recommended for their protection.

• There is no risk of yellow fever in this country.

Country Entry Requirement*

• Proof of vaccination is required if you are coming from or have transited through an airport of a country   where yellow fever occurs.

Recommendation

• Vaccination is not recommended.
• Discuss travel plans, activities, and destinations with a health care professional.
• Contact a designated  Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre  well in advance of your trip to arrange for vaccination.

About Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres in Canada * It is important to note that  country entry requirements  may not reflect your risk of yellow fever at your destination. It is recommended that you contact the nearest  diplomatic or consular office  of the destination(s) you will be visiting to verify any additional entry requirements.

There is a risk of hepatitis A in this destination. It is a disease of the liver. People can get hepatitis A if they ingest contaminated food or water, eat foods prepared by an infectious person, or if they have close physical contact (such as oral-anal sex) with an infectious person, although casual contact among people does not spread the virus.

Practise  safe food and water precautions and wash your hands often. Vaccination is recommended for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally.

Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles.

Proof of vaccination:

Proof of measles vaccination is required from all travellers 62 years old or younger, entering the territory via  Samoa or the Kingdom of Tonga. Measles vaccination must have been administered at least 14 days prior to travel. If proof is not presented, travellers will be returned to their previous port of departure.

For more information, see the American Samoa Government’s   declaration of continued public health emergency.   To obtain proof of vaccination, contact your health care professional or your local public health authority.

  Hepatitis B is a risk in every destination. It is a viral liver disease that is easily transmitted from one person to another through exposure to blood and body fluids containing the hepatitis B virus.  Travellers who may be exposed to blood or other bodily fluids (e.g., through sexual contact, medical treatment, sharing needles, tattooing, acupuncture or occupational exposure) are at higher risk of getting hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all travellers. Prevent hepatitis B infection by practicing safe sex, only using new and sterile drug equipment, and only getting tattoos and piercings in settings that follow public health regulations and standards.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease. It can spread from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

It is recommended that all eligible travellers complete a COVID-19 vaccine series along with any additional recommended doses in Canada before travelling. Evidence shows that vaccines are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. While vaccination provides better protection against serious illness, you may still be at risk of infection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Anyone who has not completed a vaccine series is at increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and is at greater risk for severe disease when travelling internationally.

Before travelling, verify your destination’s COVID-19 vaccination entry/exit requirements. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are adequately protected against COVID-19.

 The best way to protect yourself from seasonal influenza (flu) is to get vaccinated every year. Get the flu shot at least 2 weeks before travelling.  

 The flu occurs worldwide. 

•  In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs from November to   April.
•  In the Southern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs between April and   October.
•  In the tropics, there is flu activity year round. 

The flu vaccine available in one hemisphere may only offer partial protection against the flu in the other hemisphere.

The flu virus spreads from person to person when they cough or sneeze or by touching objects and surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus. Clean your hands often and wear a mask if you have a fever or respiratory symptoms.

In this destination, rabies  may be present in some wildlife species, including bats. Rabies is a deadly disease that spreads to humans primarily through bites or scratches from an infected animal. 

If you are bitten or scratched by an animal while travelling, immediately wash the wound with soap and clean water and see a health care professional. 

Before travel, discuss rabies vaccination with a health care professional. It may be recommended for travellers who will be working directly with wildlife. 

Safe food and water precautions

Many illnesses can be caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated by bacteria, parasites, toxins, or viruses, or by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

• Learn more about food and water precautions to take to avoid getting sick by visiting our eat and drink safely abroad page. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!
• Avoid getting water into your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming or participating in activities in freshwater (streams, canals, lakes), particularly after flooding or heavy rain. Water may look clean but could still be polluted or contaminated.
• Avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs. 

Travellers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travellers. It is spread from eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Risk of developing travellers' diarrhea increases when travelling in regions with poor standards of hygiene and sanitation. Practise safe food and water precautions.

The most important treatment for travellers' diarrhea is rehydration (drinking lots of fluids). Carry oral rehydration salts when travelling.

Typhoid   is a bacterial infection spread by contaminated food or water. Risk is higher among children, travellers going to rural areas, travellers visiting friends and relatives or those travelling for a long period of time.

Travellers visiting regions with a risk of typhoid, especially those exposed to places with poor sanitation, should speak to a health care professional about vaccination.  

Insect bite prevention

Many diseases are spread by the bites of infected insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or flies. When travelling to areas where infected insects may be present:

• Use insect repellent (bug spray) on exposed skin
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester
• Minimize exposure to insects
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in buildings that are not fully enclosed

To learn more about how you can reduce your risk of infection and disease caused by bites, both at home and abroad, visit our insect bite prevention page.

Find out what types of insects are present where you’re travelling, when they’re most active, and the symptoms of the diseases they spread.

There is a risk of chikungunya in this country.  The risk may vary between regions of a country.  Chikungunya is a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Chikungunya can cause a viral disease that typically causes fever and pain in the joints. In some cases, the joint pain can be severe and last for months or years.

Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times. There is no vaccine available for chikungunya.

• In this country,   dengue  is a risk to travellers. It is a viral disease spread to humans by mosquito bites.
• Dengue can cause flu-like symptoms. In some cases, it can lead to severe dengue, which can be fatal.
• The level of risk of dengue changes seasonally, and varies from year to year. The level of risk also varies between regions in a country and can depend on the elevation in the region.
• Mosquitoes carrying dengue typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset.
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites . There is no vaccine or medication that protects against dengue.

Zika virus is a risk in this country. 

Zika virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can also be sexually transmitted. Zika virus can cause serious birth defects.

During your trip:

• Prevent mosquito bites at all times.
• Use condoms correctly or avoid sexual contact, particularly if you are pregnant.

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, you should discuss the potential risks of travelling to this destination with your health care provider. You may choose to avoid or postpone travel. 

For more information, see Zika virus: Pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Animal precautions

Some infections, such as rabies and influenza, can be shared between humans and animals. Certain types of activities may increase your chance of contact with animals, such as travelling in rural or forested areas, camping, hiking, and visiting wet markets (places where live animals are slaughtered and sold) or caves.

Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, livestock (pigs, cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats, and to avoid eating undercooked wild game.

Closely supervise children, as they are more likely to come in contact with animals.

Person-to-person infections

Stay home if you’re sick and practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette , which includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand. Reduce your risk of colds, the flu and other illnesses by:

•   washing your hands often
• avoiding or limiting the amount of time spent in closed spaces, crowded places, or at large-scale events (concerts, sporting events, rallies)
• avoiding close physical contact with people who may be showing symptoms of illness 

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) , HIV , and mpox are spread through blood and bodily fluids; use condoms, practise safe sex, and limit your number of sexual partners. Check with your local public health authority pre-travel to determine your eligibility for mpox vaccine.  

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)   is a virus that attacks and impairs the immune system, resulting in a chronic, progressive illness known as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). 

High risk activities include anything which puts you in contact with blood or body fluids, such as unprotected sex and exposure to unsterilized needles for medications or other substances (for example, steroids and drugs), tattooing, body-piercing or acupuncture.

Medical services and facilities

A fire significantly damaged the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes in November 2017. Since then, health care services have been importantly reduced. Serious medical cases will likely require medical evacuation to Martinique or mainland France for treatment.

Construction of the new hospital is underway and the delivery is planned for 2023.

In clinics, payment in advance is often expected.

Not all doctors speak or understand English.

Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.

Travel health and safety

Keep in Mind...

The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. The traveller is also responsible for his or her own personal safety.

Be prepared. Do not expect medical services to be the same as in Canada. Pack a   travel health kit , especially if you will be travelling away from major city centres.

You must abide by local laws.

Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad .

Guadeloupe is a French overseas department.

Canada and France are signatories to the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. This enables a Canadian imprisoned in France to request a transfer to a Canadian prison to complete a sentence. The transfer requires the agreement of both Canadian and French authorities.

Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.

Drugs, alcohol and travel

Dual citizenship

Dual citizenship is legally recognized in France.

If you are a Canadian citizen, but also a citizen of France, our ability to offer you consular services may be limited while you're there. You may also be subject to different entry/exit requirements .

Travellers with dual citizenship

International Child Abduction

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty. It can help parents with the return of children who have been removed to or retained in certain countries in violation of custody rights. The convention applies between Canada and France.

If your child was wrongfully taken to, or is being held in Guadeloupe, and if the applicable conditions are met, you may apply for the return of your child to the Guadeloupean court.

If you are in this situation:

• act as quickly as you can
• contact the Central Authority for your province or territory of residence for information on starting an application under The Hague Convention
• consult a lawyer in Canada and in Guadeloupe to explore all the legal options for the return of your child
• report the situation to the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to the Vulnerable Children’s Consular Unit at Global Affairs Canada by calling the Emergency Watch and Response Centre

If your child was removed from a country other than Canada, consult a lawyer to determine if The Hague Convention applies.

Be aware that Canadian consular officials cannot interfere in private legal matters or in another country’s judicial affairs.

• List of Canadian Central Authorities for the Hague Convention
• International Child Abduction: A Guidebook for Left-Behind Parents
• Travelling with children
• The Hague Convention - Hague Conference on Private International Law
• Canadian embassies and consulates by destination
• Emergency Watch and Response Centre

If you wish to marry in Guadeloupe, you should consult local authorities at the City hall to obtain appropriate information. The Embassy of France in Canada can also provide you with the requested documents.

• Foreign diplomatic missions and consulates in Canada
• Get married in France - Embassy of Canada in France
• Marriage abroad

Investments

If you plan on buying property, or making other investments in Guadeloupe, seek legal advice in Canada and in Guadeloupe. Do so before making commitments. Related disputes could take time and be costly to resolve.

Imports and exports

French customs authorities may enforce strict regulations in Guadeloupe concerning temporary import or export of items such as firearms, medications or animals.

You may drive in Guadeloupe with a valid Canadian driver’s license for up to 20 days. After that period, you must have an international driving permit.

The legal driving age in France and its territories is 18. However, many rental car companies require drivers to be at least 25 years of age and have two years of driving experience.

International Driving Permit

The currency in Guadeloupe is the euro (EUR).

Hurricane season

Hurricanes usually occur from mid-May to the end of November. During this period, even small tropical storms can quickly develop into major hurricanes.

These severe storms can put you at risk and hamper the provision of essential services.

If you decide to travel to a coastal area during the hurricane season:

• know that you expose yourself to serious safety risks
• be prepared to change your travel plans on short notice, including cutting short or cancelling your trip
• stay informed of the latest regional weather forecasts
• carry emergency contact information for your airline or tour operator
• follow the advice and instructions of local authorities
• Tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and monsoons
• Large-scale emergencies abroad
• Active storm tracking and hurricane watches and warnings  - United States’ National Hurricane Center

Volcanoes and earthquakes

Guadeloupe is located in an active seismic zone. Earthquakes and tremors occur.

The Grande Soufrière volcano is active. It is located on the south side of Basse-Terre Island.

V olcan o plan – Préfet de la région Guadeloupe (in French)

Local services

In case of emergency, dial:

• ambulance: 15
• firefighters: 18
• coastguard: 196

Consular assistance

French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, La Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon

For emergency consular assistance, call the Embassy of Canada to France, in Paris, and follow the instructions. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad. We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.

The content on this page is provided for information only. While we make every effort to give you correct information, it is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The Government of Canada does not assume responsibility and will not be liable for any damages in connection to the information provided.

If you need consular assistance while abroad, we will make every effort to help you. However, there may be constraints that will limit the ability of the Government of Canada to provide services.

Learn more about consular services .

Risk Levels

  take normal security precautions.

Take similar precautions to those you would take in Canada.

  Exercise a high degree of caution

There are certain safety and security concerns or the situation could change quickly. Be very cautious at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities.

IMPORTANT: The two levels below are official Government of Canada Travel Advisories and are issued when the safety and security of Canadians travelling or living in the country or region may be at risk.

  Avoid non-essential travel

Your safety and security could be at risk. You should think about your need to travel to this country, territory or region based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with the region, and other factors. If you are already there, think about whether you really need to be there. If you do not need to be there, you should think about leaving.

  Avoid all travel

You should not travel to this country, territory or region. Your personal safety and security are at great risk. If you are already there, you should think about leaving if it is safe to do so.

AGENTS ACCESS

New York, NY – August 1st, 2022:

COVID-19 SITUATION UPDATE

All COVID-19 restrictions applied to international travelers entering the Guadeloupe  archipelago have been lifted . Following a new law voted July 30, 2022, the French parliament has declared  the end to the public health emergency  and subsequent exceptional measures put in place at the outset of the COVID pandemic.

How To Get There

The Guadeloupe Islands benefit from flights departing from : New York (JFK) with JetBlue and Air France , and from Miami (MIA) with American Airlines and Air France.

Here are the different flight options to fly to the Guadeloupe Islands from Northern America.

Airport code is PTP for Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

FROM THE U.S.

NEW YORK (JFK) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP – 3 WEEKLY FLIGHTS

Flights resuming on November 5th, 2022 through the end of April 2023

NEW! NEW YORK (JFK) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP – Starting November 24th, 2021 2 WEEKLY FLIGHTS 

MIAMI (MIA) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP – Resuming July 13th, 2021 2 WEEKLY FLIGHTS – Flights allowing connections with Delta flights

MIAMI (MIA) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP

Flights resuming on November 6th, 2021.

FROM CANADA

NEW! MONTREAL (YUL) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP – Starting November 23th, 2021 2 WEEKLY FLIGHTS 

MONTREAL (YUL) / GUADELOUPE (PTP) – NONSTOP

All year round

2 WEEKLY FLIGHTS -From December to April

For bookings, please consult the airline websites:

• JetBlue Airways: www.jetblue.com
• Air France from Miami: www.airfrance.fr
• American Airlines: www.aa.com
• Delta Air Lines: www.delta.com
• United Airlines: www.united.com
• Air Antilles Express: www.airantilles.com
• Air Caraïbes: www.aircaraibes.com

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How to spend the perfect food weekend on the Greek island of Tinos

This little outpost in the Aegean has become famous among Greeks as an island of gastronomy in recent years.

The Cycladic island of Tinos, southeast across the Aegean Sea from Athens, is said to owe its rock-strewn landscape to a mighty clash of the Titans. In Ancient Greek mythology, the Titans slung colossal granite boulders at each other during a brawl, and these now dot the island’s wildflower meadows, marble quarries and sprawling vineyards. But this breezy little island isn’t just famous for its scenery. Blessed with fertile land and a resulting bounty of locally grown produce, Tinos has become known as an island of good food among Greeks in recent years, and Athenian chefs will often leave their city restaurants in the warmer months to head here for a feast of a summer. Tinos Food Paths, a festival of gastronomy, celebrated in the second week of May each year, marks the beginning of the season of indulgence. Here’s how you can enjoy your own gastronomic journey around Tinos.  

Morning Start the day with breakfast at one of the oldest cafes on the island. O Megalos Kafenes is a traditional Greek cafe in Pyrgos, one of the most beautiful villages in Tinos, which sits amid quarries of the rich, white marble that’s found in abundance here. Pull up a pew at a marble table in the dappled shade of an enormous plane tree, and sip on a silty Greek coffee with a galaktoboureko pastry on the side — layers of crispy filo filled with creamy custard.

Afternoon Kolimvithra beach, on the north coast of the island, is one to head to for a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere and a great surf scene. Thanks to the strong winds of the Aegean, this stretch of sand gets good surf and is the best spot on Tinos to learn to ride the waves. A pop-up beach bar in a converted VW van adds to the hippy feel. Choose from a selection of fresh village salads and acai bowls made with local produce such as wild strawberries.

Evening Don’t turn up to this one without a booking; To Thalassaki has become so popular that the yachting crowd regularly sail over from nearby Mykonos. Specialising in Tinian seafood with a refined twist, it’s so close to the sea’s edge that your flip-flops could be in danger of being washed away by the waves. The mussel, shrimp and calamari pasta dishes are famous here, as are the ouzo-steamed mussels. Just above To Thalassaki sits Exo Meria, a lofty bar overlooking the inky-blue Aegean with one of the best sunset views on the island.  

Morning Hidden from the view of marauding pirates, Tripotamos village in the south was cleverly built as a maze-like settlement, which only reveals itself once you step inside its narrow alleyways. The Crossroads Inn here offers one of the best breakfasts, with a focus on Tinian produce. Start the day with organic eggs, vine-ripened tomatoes and sourdough bread, followed by traditional spanakopita pies, Greek yoghurt, honey and a selection of home-made jams, marmalades and cheeses.  

Afternoon Tinos is giving Santorini a run for its money where wine is concerned. Thanks to its rich, volcanic soil, the island has become a hotspot for oenophiles, and it now has around 10 producers working on their family vineyards. Varieties range from a fresh Assyrtiko, a refreshing, dry white, to the dark and spicy Mavrotragano. The most beautiful vineyards on the island are Volacus and T-Oinos, where you can sip a chilled glass in the afternoon sun.

Evening Tinos’s traditional dishes are what lure Greeks from the mainland. The local must-tries include fourtalia — a fluffy omelette made with potatoes — and louza, the island’s spice-cured pork, which was introduced to Tinos by the conquering Venetians around 800 years ago. You can find it at family-run Teréza’s in Mirsini village towards the south of the island. It’s a tiny spot that also doubles as a convenience store, with pretty potted geraniums dotted around the yard.    

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Related topics.

• FOOD TOURISM
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• FOOD CULTURE
• PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION

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