Guadeloupe Vacation Guide

Introduction

Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, comprises Guadeloupe proper (Basse-Terre), Grande-Terre (separated from Basse-Terre by a narrow sea channel) and five smaller islands. Basse-Terre has a rough volcanic relief whilst Grande Terre features rolling hills and flat plains. All the islands have beautiful white- or black-sand palm-fringed beaches. There are also many lush mountainous areas with stunning and unspoiled tropical scenery.

Pointe-à-Pitre, the commercial capital of Guadeloupe, is a gracious town with a pleasant square at its core. It has an active, lively port with many narrow streets to explore. On Basse-Terre, Sainte-Marie-de-Capesterre, where Columbus landed, should be visited, as should the Hindu temple to its south. Island specialities include stuffed crab and broiled dove. A local speciality, Rum Punch (a brew of rum, lime, bitter and syrup), is a must. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and discotheques, with displays of local dancing and music. The famous dance of the island is called the Biguine, where colourful and ornate Creole costumes are still worn.

Full country name: Department of Guadeloupe
Area: 1,780 sq km
Population: 412,000
Capital City: Basse-Terre (pop 14,000)
People: Mixed African, European &East Indian descent (75%), French
Language: French
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%), Hindu & pantheistic African
Government: overseas département of France
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4 (Atlantic Time)
Dialling Code: 590
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Currency: Euro (€)

We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Guadeloupe and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the best hotels and resorts in Guadeloupe with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports. Popular hotels & resorts in Guadeloupe are Le Creole Beach Hotel and Sofitel Christopher St Barthelemy.

Visas are not required of citizens of the US, Canada, Australia or the European Union. Citizens of the EU need an official identity card, passport or valid French carte de séjour. Citizens of most other foreign countries need a valid passport and visa for France. All visitors officially require a return or onward ticket.
More Information About Visa Requirements

France has the best air connection with Guadeloupe, with several local and international carriers flying directly between Paris and Point-à-Pitre. Canadian and American travellers can fly directly on Air France or Air Canada; those taking other carriers must connect at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Several carriers fly between Guadeloupe and other Caribbean islands.

Guadeloupe Pole Caraïbes Airport is 6km (4mi) north of Pointe-à-Pitre. There are car rental agencies and a taxi stand at the airport. An airport bus runs to Pointe-à-Pitre every hour on weekdays.

Guadeloupe has a good public bus system that operates from early morning to early evening, with fairly frequent service on main routes. Renting a car is a good way to get around Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre. Drive on the right; your home driver's license is valid. Getting between Guadeloupe and its associated islands is easiest by ferry. There's service between Pointe-à-Pitre and Les Saintes, Saint-François, Trois-Rivières and Marie-Galante. There are also ferry routes between Saint-François and Marie-Galante and La Désirade.

Guadeloupe is warm year-round, but the evenings are coolest in winter (December to February), when temperatures linger in the mid-balmies. February to April are the driest months, with rain falling an average of seven days a month and the humidity keeping in the realm of the tolerable. This is the best time to go, and as such it's also the peak tourist season. The wettest months are July to November, which is also hurricane season, so keep an eye on the weather reports. Most cultural events take place in the spring and summer.

Carnival celebrations, held during the traditional week-long Mardi Gras period that ends on Ash Wednesday, feature costume parades, dancing, music and other festivities. The Fête des Cuisinières (Festival of Women Cooks) is held in Pointe-à-Pitre in early August.

Guadeloupe has many fine beaches, some of which are of the clothing-optional variety. There are white-sand beaches in the resort towns of Gosier, Sainte-Anne and Saint-François. On the northern side of the peninsula leading to Pointe des Châteaux are a couple of remote beaches: Anse à la Gourde, a gorgeous sweep of white coral sands, and Anse Tarare, an adjacent nudist beach. While most of Grande-Terre's eastern coast has rough surf, there's a swimmable beach at Le Moule and a little protected cove at Porte d'Enfer. On the western side of Grande-Terre, Port-Louis is the most popular swimming spot, with a broad sandy beach that attracts weekend crowds. On Basse-Terre, the best beaches are along the northern side of the island just north of Deshaies: Grande Anse beach, with its expansive golden sands, and Plage de Tillet, a secluded clothing-optional cove.

Guadeloupe has good surfing from October to May at Le Moule, Port-Louis and Anse Bertrand, and from June through August at Sainte-Anne, Saint-François and Petit-Havre. Windsurfing is centered near the resorts on the southern side of Grande-Terre and on the island of Terre-de-Haut.

You can hike many short trails on Guadeloupe that take in waterfalls, primordial rainforest and botanical gardens. Serious hikers head for longer, more rigorous trails in the Parc National de la Guadeloupe, including one to the volcanic summit of La Soufrière and another to the base of Chutes du Carbet, the Eastern Caribbean's highest waterfalls.

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