Travel to Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe represents the best of France – a completely modern infrastructure and delicious food that amalgamates with the traditional local culture of these islands; something the locales are proud of and are eager to share.  The islands were first discovered by Columbus in 1493 and became a French colony nearly after 150 years, in 1635. In 194, Guadeloupe was provided with the status of French Overseas Department. Their close association with France developed a strong French influence reflected in the local flavors and ingredients, culture and even in the currency. Guadeloupe comprises the butterfly-shaped islands that are joined together by a mangrove swamp. The left “wing” is Grande-Terre, and the right “wing” is Basse-Terre. The nearby smaller islands include La Desirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes. When it comes to natural beauty; Guadeloupe, a part of the French West Indies, offers it all. You can enjoy waterfalls, rainforests, sandy beaches and charming villages during your trip to Guadeloupe. The Basse-Terre is mountainous and lush, but the Grande-Terre is mostly flat and dry. Once stepping into the smaller surrounding islands, you’ll realize that over the centuries, society has changed very little here. Terre-de-Haut, home to the families descended from Breton sailors, offers pristine beaches and astonishing natural beauty. Marie-Galante in the southeast is known for spectacular beaches and produces some of the best Caribbean rum. The remnants of colonial sugar mills prove the island’s glorious past as a leading sugar producer.  To the northeast, you can find La Désirade. A day trip here will enable you to experience some untouched landscape and beaches.

Guadeloupe is one of the more developed islands in the Caribbean. In fact, the tourists who are expecting a rural airstrip during their arrival here might be in for a shock to see the thoroughly modern airport here. But modern city life has not snatched its fair share of green and this co-existence of nature and modern amenities is what makes Guadeloupe a tourist hotspot.

Best Time to Visit

Guadeloupe is a warm destination and remains so year-round. So anytime is good time for a trip to Guadeloupe. However, the most popular time to visit here is between December and April when people from the North come to escape cold winters. The months between May and November are considered as the low season. If you can plan a trip in May and June; you can be the ultimate gainer. The weather during this time is pleasant, there’s no threat of hurricanes, and prices tend to be a lot lower.

Guadeloupe Attractions

Grande-Terre

Among the two main islands of Guadeloupe, Grand-Terre is flatter and lower of the two. It is mostly between 40m and 135m high. The island is distinguished by its crumbled limestone composition and many stretches of beach. Most of the land in this island is covered with silver and green sugar cane fields. Grande-Terre forms the eastern wing of the island. It has a string of beach towns that offer the tourists all possible variety you may look for during a holiday trip. Be it the surfing schools, the beach bars or the long stretches of beautiful sand where azure water laps at the toes of French Mademoiselles, it’s all here. Pointe-à-Pitre is the biggest town in this island. It is actually a European-style shopping village that offers quality goods at an estimated discount of 20 to 30 percent. You can find a lot of museums here.  Saint-John Perse and the Schoelcher Museum, two of the finest museums in Guadeloupe, are accommodated in colonial manors. The Edgar Clerc Archaeological Museum enriches the visitors about the Amerindian ancestors of Guadeloupe. The nature lovers can also seek out the orchid garden, the zoological garden along with the coffee and cocoa plantations.

Basse-Terre

Basse-Terre forms the western wing of the island. This part of Guadeloupe is greener and a popular tourist spot among the nature lovers.  An astounding volcano, La Soufrière, lies sleeping at its heart which is the highest point of the Eastern Caribbean at 4,813 feet. Hiking trails and a Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve offer adventure for tourists who prefer move around than just relax in their holidays. You can drive through the nearby rain forests in the 74,100 acre Park National de Guadeloupe, or spend a day on Grand Anse, one of the best beaches in Guadeloupe known for especially soft sand. The wildlife is equally awe-inspiring. If you are a bird lover, you might spot cow herons, sugar birds, moor hens, black woodpeckers or sand brown gannets. However, if relaxing is what you prefer during holidays, Basse-Terre can surely make you happy as well with plenty of places to sit back and recharge your batteries while everyone else tires themselves out.

Smaller Islands

There are a number of small archipelagos in the south of the butterfly-shaped ‘mainland’ of Guadeloupe. A trip to these islands gives you a taste of Guadeloupe’s yesteryear. Ranging from the La Désirade, the cosmopolitan Terre-de-Haut to the largely rural Marie-Galante, each of these smaller islands have their own character and complete the long list of fundamentals that make Guadeloupe.

You can drop in the colorful beaches of Feuillere, Saint-Louis, Capesterre, Vieux- Fort and others. You can choose to swim or take sunbath in these beaches or simply soak your feet in the foaming turquoise waters. It is the quality of these beaches, the splendor of its magnificent rivers and waterfalls that establishes Guadeloupe’s native name, the ‘island of beautiful waters’.

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